Tag: Pearl Jam

MAR 20, 2013 - Pearl Jam and MoveOn.org have launched a campaign on the 10th anniversary of the Iraq War, to read and share a letter from an Iraqi vet who had to fight this immoral war. Pearl Jam's spokesperson Nicole Brandenburg said,"Our brave and incredible friend Tomas Young is dying. He asked us to pass along Chris's story along with his letter in the hope that --  as uncomfortable as it is -- people will take a moment to look death in the eye and remember him and the many others like him as more than a war statistic." The brave Iraqi War veteran  is Tomas Young, and he penned a letter to former Vice-President Dick Cheney and former President George W. Bush criticizing the decision to go to war with Iraq, as he lies dying from a bed in hospice care. He writes:

"I write this letter, my last letter, to you, Mr. Bush and Mr. Cheney. I write not because I think you grasp the terrible human and moral consequences of your lies, manipulation and thirst for wealth and power. I write this letter because, before my own death, I want to make it clear that I, and hundreds of thousands of my fellow veterans, along with millions of my fellow citizens, along with hundreds of millions more in Iraq and the Middle East, know fully who you are and what you have done. You may evade justice but in our eyes you are each guilty of egregious war crimes, of plunder and, finally, of murder, including the murder of thousands of young Americans—my fellow veterans—whose future you stole."

To help out soldiers like him, contact and pressure your representatives to direct more funding to veteran care, and one can also help out by donating to the Wounded Warrior Project which helps out disabled veterans. For more information and to read the letter in full, check out TruthDig.com. Also, check out a great article about Tomas Young by Chris Hedges on TruthDig.com here, , and finally, check out the full MoveOn.org Iraq War campaign here. Pearl Jam's website also shares Tomas' letter, and also points out the 2007 documentary titled, "Body of War" which followed around Tomas Young and can be viewed on Netflix and purchased; read more on Pearl Jam's website here.

Share this letter with your friends, and join the conversation on Justice Through Music's Facebook Page here: http://www.Facebook.com/justicethroughmusic

OCT 22, 2012 - Pearl Jam's Mike McCready has made a video with filmmaker Jesse Dylan to ask voters to make a pledge on SignOn.org to support the issue of people with pre-existing medical conditions having access to affordable healthcare. On the Pearl Jam website they say:

"The truth is, everyone is better off when everyone is healthy. Especially those of us who have been dealt a rough hand – people with conditions or diseases like cancer, diabetes, Crohn’s, Alzheimer’s, HIV, asthma or arthritis.

The insurance networks that control our doctor’s offices, hospitals and emergency rooms have a more difficult time-sharing our pro-health perspective. Not because they’re bad people, but because their focus is on profitability, and they haven’t found a way to be as profitable off of the sick as they are off the healthy. Which is not to say they aren’t profitable. 

We are a musician and a filmmaker, who are also fathers and businessmen, who are living with chronic illnesses. We know firsthand of what we speak. We were also friends with the late Jennifer Jaff who, through her organization Advocacy for Patients, fought tirelessly with insurance companies on behalf of chronically ill patients who had been denied payments or coverage. Our friend Jennifer imagined a day when her services would no longer be needed, when health care for all Americans would be seen as both good business and good values.  If you share this vision and these values, watch and share this little video we created as a tribute to Jennifer, and help elect a President this November who shares these values as well.

Sincerely,

Jesse Dylan, Founder of Wondros, Filmmaker, inspired by his son’s illness to found Lybba, at lybba.org, creating compassionate communities of care to redesign healthcare for good, Mike McCready, Pearl Jam, Guitarist, living with Crohn’s disease"

Mike McCready is asking you to TAKE ACTION and sign the pledge to support the issue of people with pre-existing medical conditions having access to affordable healthcare. Also, check out this great new organization called LYBBA that is trying to "transform healthcare for good", and is creating an "open source health and learning network" to make healthcare better, more affordable, and reaching more people.   Watch the video below, and sign the pledge here."

June 14. 2012 -Jeff Ament from Pearl Jam and Senator Jon Tester (D)  from Montana have teamed up to raise funds for the Senator's reelection campaign by offering The "best seats in the world" at Pearl Jam's upcoming concert in Missoula, Montana on September 30, 2012. The contest is a chance to meet Jeff Ament, Pearl Jam's bassist and Montana native, and John Tester before the show. The contest is called "Best Seats in the World & VIP", where 2 very lucky people will watch the concert, get this, from recliners on the stage! All expenses paid too! To enter the contest all one has to do is head over to Senator Tester's site and help him out in his effort to keep his senate seat. 

Earlier they were giving away ticket packages to donors, but those are all sold out due to high demand, but the contest is still under way. To find out more about this, you can listen to an radio interview clip of Jeff and Jon on 96.3 The Blaze from Montana, and also check out: JonTester.com/pearljam.   (photo credit: Craig Carper\Wiki)

Pearl Jam and Eddie Vedder will be the subject of a Cameron Crowe documentary on PBS titled, "Pearl Jam Twenty". American Masters will air the special on October 21 (check your local PBS schedule) and will contain early footage of how Pearl Jam formed back in the 1980s with guitarist Stone Gossard and bassist Jeff Ament, and chronicling their twenty year career. Watch the preview below.

Watch the full episode. See more American Masters.