[lit-ideas] Re: Turning the tables...
- From: "Stan Spiegel" <writeforu2@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 06 Feb 2006 13:48:24 -0500
David:
Folk songs, Phillips said, belong to everyone...but the Republicans
have none. I thought back to L.A. when Reagan was first elected.
There was a ball in one of the downtown fancy hotels. People in suits
were singing; they felt the need to celebrate. What did they sing?
"This land is your land, this land is my land..."
Can you imagine?
Stan:
That Republicans would sing "This land is your land, this land is my
land..." certainly makes the Reagan era seem much friendlier than the
present. I can't imagine Republicans singing such a warm and inclusive song
now. What a contrast! How we've deteriorated! In a day when the Attorney
General thinks the President is above the law and billions of dollars are
being cut from social welfare programs for the poorest of the poor, this is
not a song the current Republican party would ever be caught singing.
Of course, the Reagan era paved the way to this Bush era, but will there
ever be a time when both parties will be concerned with making the lives of
Americans of every stripe better? I don't see that in the near future. The
GOP has grown too mean-spirited to see that happening.
Stan Spiegel
Portland, ME
David Ritchie
Portland, Oregon
----- Original Message -----
From: "David Ritchie" <ritchierd@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Monday, February 06, 2006 12:12 AM
Subject: [lit-ideas] Re: Turning the tables...
On Feb 5, 2006, at 5:05 PM, Ursula Stange wrote:
David, I see there's a Calgary on your map as well.
Indeed. And for fun, try typing "Calgary, Scotland" into Google. You'll
find how Scottish Calgary, Alberta is.
Ursula
responding to any non-Iraq-Iran bait...
Me too. I know how important foreign policy is, but my mind is on
yesterday evening's reminder of how diverse and interesting U.S. culture
can be. There are nights when poetry doesn't seem to have a chance in the
clamor for attention, and then there are times when much seems possible.
I was out yesterday evening, among the "folk song army," folk who believe
that a spark in the dark and a very good chorus, or two, will somehow
overcome. I've always felt an agnostic in that crowd, more a fellow
traveler than a believer, but when the Irish fellow took the stage and
plied his patter, gave them all a fair demonstration of the grip, and then
Bruce Phillips (U. Utah Phillips) took over, telling tales of Butte
Montana's mines, how to organize help for the homeless, why he shot his
television, and other pieces of idiosyncrasy and whimsy, I was briefly
transported, reminded again how rich America is in hopeful currency.
Folk songs, Phillips said, belong to everyone...but the Republicans have
none. I thought back to L.A. when Reagan was first elected. There was a
ball in one of the downtown fancy hotels. People in suits were singing;
they felt the need to celebrate. What did they sing? "This land is your
land, this land is my land..."
Can you imagine?
David Ritchie
Portland, Oregon
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