Tag: free speech

JAN 17, 2014 - After 9-11, activist-musician Jenn Rogar was so upset by the outrageous actions of the American government, she decided to do something and picked up her guitar and protested. Ever since she has been heavily involved with activism, from Foods Not Bombs that feed the homeless, singing at rallies and using her music as a platform, and even attending city council meetings to speak up about homeless rights. She hails from the Sacramento area, and you can read a good write-up about her on NewsReview.com here, and Jenn's website is here. Listen to her perform at Occupy Sacramento below.  (Photo credit: JennRogar.com)

JAN 17, 2014 - Neil Young is on a benefit tour for the campaign "Honor the Treaties", which aims to put pressure on Canada's Prime Minister Stephen Harper and the Canadian government to honor the treaties they signed with the Native people of Canada, who are fighting the battle of their life right now in protecting the lands and water from tar sands development and pollution. HuffPo has a good post up with some of his Tweets and Facebook posts, and to find out more about the Honor the Treaties campaign check out their website here.

JAN 9, 2014 - Wu Fei, who specializes in traditional Chinese music, blends Chinese and American folk music with her two band mates of Wu Force, Abigail Washburn and Kai Welch. She plays the traditional Chinese instrument guzheng (similar to a zither), Abigail plays the banjo, and Kai plays keyboards and trumpet. Wu Fei resided in the US for years attending Mills College, and in a NashvilleScene interview she talks about her Chinese government back home and how they oppress musicians and will not let them play whatever they want. The Chinese government even criticized Wu Fei for taking part in a Chinese-European culture exchange. Read more about this fascinating musician and her band Wu Force on NashvilleScene.com here.  (photo credit: wufeimusic.com)

JAN 8, 2014 - Jon Leavitt, musician and longtime medical marijuana activist in Maine, has put his activism and his music together in a musical called "Somewhere Maine: The Marijuana Musical" that delves into the live of people living in a community of growers and patients in Maine. The play will have 8 acts, and will debut in Portland this spring. The play comes from real stories Leavitt had dealing with people in medical marijuana commerce. Leavitt says, "I think the story needs to be told and I think to put it into a format with song and dance and theater makes it accessible to people." The story centers around Johnny Crashed, a medical marijuana farmer who has his children taken away from him by the government as a result. Leavitt was executive director of the Maine Marijuana Policy Initiative, a group that helped shape and pass the 2009 law that stopped the government from infringing on the peoples' right to have access to medical marijuana. He is currently runs a small medical marijuana farm, and has formed  Medical Marijuana Caregivers of Maine, a trade organization for small scale cultivators. Watch Jon Leavitt and friends perform "Home School Christian Girl" below, and read more on SunJournal.com here.

JAN 6, 2014 - Musical-activist Henry Rollins wrote an Op Ed on LAWeekly.com about Duck Dynasty's Phil Robertson exercising his free speech right with hateful and stupid comments, and Rollins makes some interesting points. For instance on Robertson's comments on how supposedly Jim Crow south was actually a paradise for blacks, Rollins asks, "Did what he said make you think, 'Oh that's good to know because I was under the impression that things were quite awful for African-American people in the southern states in those days. Well, it's a relief to be able to disabuse myself of that notion. Thanks o wisdomatic bearded duck stalker.' I didn't think so."  Well said Henry. To read the whole Op Ed go to LAWeekly.com here.  (photo credit: ceedub13/CC)