Tag: racism

SEP 25, 2012 - (Photo credit: CC/JayUzi) The classic southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd, known through the years for using the Confederate flag on their album covers and onstage, have finally decided to stop using the flag as a symbol onstage and on any further albums. The current members sat down with Fredricka of CNN for a "Face to Face" interview (watch below) and spoke about the band's evolution and the decision to stop using the Confederate flag that is so highly offensive to many people. One of the original founding members, Gary Rossington, says in the video, “Through the years, people like the KKK and skinheads kinda kidnapped the Dixie or Southern flag from its tradition and the heritage of the soldiers, that’s what it was about. We didn’t want that to go to our fans or show the image like we agreed with any of the race stuff or any of the bad things.” The decision has angered some of their fans, and have accused them of "selling out" or being "too politically correct".  One note, the "flag" they always have used over the years is actually the the "battle flag of the Army of Tennessee", not the CSA National Flag. This is what the actual CSA Flag looks like (well the main one, they went through 3 versions):

Personally, I feel it is about time. I will admit, I was a huge Lynyrd Skynyrd fan growing up in Virginia in my teens, and I unfortunately have to admit I also hung a confederate flag in my room next to their poster. Later, when I realized how offensive and horrible it looked, I took it down and haven't displayed one for 30 years. I support their decision. It's a shame for them to be caught up in this, because in their early years they wrote some good, progressive songs, such as "Things Goin' On" about poverty and the ghettos; and then of course the gun control song, "Saturday Night Special" saying "Lert's dump 'em all people, to the bottom of the sea". In the song "All I Can Do Is Write About It", Ronnie laments about over-development and the environmental impact: "Cuz when I see the concrete, a slowly creeping, Lord take me and mine before that comes." "The Ballad of Curtis Loew" was a song against racism.

Also, Lynyrd Skynyrd was booked to play the Republican National Convention in Tampa, but Hurricane Isaac forced them to cancel. It came up that two of the band members are "Democrats" and were kind of upset about the possible gig and it caused a little stir in the band, but they aren't breaking up or anything. It was mostly for a concert for wounded soldiers that was going to take place in Liberty Plaza that they wanted to play for, not the politics Gary Rossington told ABC News. Below is the CNN Interview:

AUG 19, 2012 - Following in the footsteps of Ted Nugent, another ultra-conservative musician, this time Hank Williams Jr., has stepped forward and made statements about President Obama that were vitriolic, hateful, and bordering insanity if not outright crossing the line between truth and sanity and whatever world Fox News viewers live in. Speaking at the end of a concert at the Iowa Sate Fair Grandstand he shouted to the crowd, “We’ve got a Muslim president who hates farming, hates the military, hates the US and we hate him!”, and the the Des Moines Register reported that the Teabag crowd went nuts and cheered enthusiastically.  (photo credit: CC/Andrea Klein)

MAR 30, 2012 - The shooting death of Trayvon Martin was painful for Seattle-based musician Okanomode, and he could relate to the profiling that probably played a role in the death of Trayvon and tells JTMP, “I myself am a young black gay male growing up in America & know first hand what it's like to live in fear of attack by police or others who might fear me simply on the basis of both my blackness &  my gender expression, & i feel more than ever that community is so necessary in these painful times.” He was so moved by the event he composed "Song For Trayvon", check it out below.

MAR 26, 2012 - Last Friday on March 23, 2012 in Tampa, Florida Bruce Springsteen performed his controversial song "American Skin (41 Bullets)", a song he had only performed twice before. The song was written back in 2000 and was about the horrible shooting death of Amadou Diallo, who was shot by police 41 times when he was taking out his wallet. When Bruce performed the song in Atlanta back in 2000, the Patrolmen's Benevolent Association called for the boycott of Bruce Springsteen when he came to Madison Square Garden in NYC, where he sang the song again. The call for a boycott had no effect, Springsteen did an amazing 10-show run at MSG.

Many people are saying it is obvious the recent shooting death of Trayvon Martin in Florida last month inspired Springsteen to perform the song again. Millions of people and us here at JTMP have been shocked and horrified by the hunting down and murdering of a young man, and that the murderer is free. There is a petition over at Change.org with over 2 million signatures calling for the prosecution of the killer. The lines from the song unfortunately show in America you still can get shot for the color of your skin:

Well, is it a gun, is it a knife 
Is it a wallet, this is your life 
It ain't no secret (it ain't no secret) 
No secret my friend 
You can get killed just for living in your American skin

Listen to audio of the performance of "American Skin (41 Shots)" below.