Tag: justice

DEC 16, 2013 - Roger Waters, the man who was the main driving force of Pink Floyd, has "sparked a fury" according to the Guardian website by comparing Israelis to Nazis. I actually agree with him. When I was watching the movie "The Pianist" years ago, afterwards I turned on the news and there was Israel erecting walls and closing Palestinians off into ghettos. Whooosh, right over their heads. The IDF does use very harsh, brutal and violent force, very similar to Nazis. Israelis totally believe the ends justify the means, similar to Nazis. Read more on the Guardian website here.  (photo credit: Eddie Berman/CC)

JTMP supports the Ukrainian people in their bid for freedom and entry into the EU, it should help them out economically and would be good for the long term. The website PolicyMic.com has an interesting article up about how Ukrainian model Anna Zaiachkivska, known to some as "Miss Ukraine 2013", is out in the streets of Kiev with her fellow Ukrainians calling for President Viktor Yanukovych to step down, and they call for movement towards joining the European Union. They reject a bailout from Russia, and they want to move towards a more freer economy, for the jobs are scarce and people are suffering. Check out the article of Ms. Zaiachkivska helping out at a volunteer tent (still looking hot even bundled up from the cold) handing out hot tea and food to protesters "manning the barricades" at PolicyMic.com here.

DEC 11, 2013 Music played a big role in helping free Madiba and bring down apartheid, and CNN has a nice article up today about his impact on music and pop culture. They mention Steven Van Zandt's song "Sun City" protesting apartheid, where he brought together Bruce Springsteen, Bonnie Raitt, George Clinton, Run DMC, Miles Davis, Jackson Browne and many more to make the song and video singing, "I ain't gonna play Sun City" urging a boycott of South Africa by all musicians until apartheid was gone. (watch below) Paul Simon released "Graceland" with South African musicians such as Ladysmith Black Mambazo also speaking out against apartheid. The Apollo Theater in Harlem that has had so many great musicians come through it paid tribute to Madiba by displaying on it's marquee sign, "He Changed Our World". 

The Nation has a post up of the Top 10 Songs About Nelson Mandela. Watch Steven Van Zandt's "Sun City" below.

DEC 6, 2013 - Great music has always been a part of Austin and one band in particular, Quiet Company, has been turning heads and really gaining attention not only because of their good tunes, but the band leader Taylor Muse had a loss of Christian faith and wrote about it with the 2011 album We Are All Where We Belong. It was tough transition for him, for growing up in Austin he said Christian music was a big part of all bands. However he came home one day and told his wife, "I'm having a little bit of a crisis of faith. I just realized today that I can't make a case for Christianity that would convince myself." He set out to write songs to counter the Christian message of worrying about the afterlife and saying this life is "...not your home, This is not where you belong." Muse takes the opposite side, and sings about the humanist message about living your life today here and now saying, "This is your one chance to make your life into what you want it to be."

Listen to a great interview on NPR.org here, and check out the band's website here. Listen to a great song to sing your daughter to sleep to, reassuring her she can let go all the nonsense that Christianity fills your head with and "Set Your Monster Free" below:

DEC 5, 2013 - JTMP urges our supporters to contact your congress member and tell them you support second chances, and you want them to vote YES on the Second Chance Reauthorization Act, or S. 1690/H.R. 3465, that extends prisoner reentry programs for an additional five years at the federal and state levels. Members of Congress from all sides have come together to introduce the bill, and it makes sense. Everyone makes mistakes, and everyone deserves a second chance. These programs will help these people get access to housing, jobs and other things you need in life to survive. Please contact your congress member today and tell them you support second chances, you support the Second Chance Reauthorization Act, and tell them to vote yes!

Need to find your congress member? Find them and even get a letter/email template to send your congress member, and read more about this on the Faces and Voices of Recovery website.