Abby: Only residents of D.C. are qualified for complete dossiers.
Richard
Sent from my iPhone
On Mar 30, 2019, at 3:23 PM, abby <aevincent@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Ah, yes. I was also into the folk song era and Pete Seeger. I must have
been to a dozen concerts, including two with my son. I learned to play the
guitar so I could accompany myself and anyone else who would harmonize with
me. I'm not sure how he influenced my politics. I do remember talking to
my son and his friend when they were around four that it isn't always bad to
go to jail. I sometimes wonder if there is a government dossier on me.
Abby
-----Original Message-----
From: blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Miriam Vieni
Sent: Friday, March 29, 2019 7:01 PM
To: blind-democracy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [blind-democracy] about the fifth amendment and Pete Seeger
The article by John Kaariakou that I just posted reminded me of what things
were like back in the 1950's. By the way, there's a new book on BARD called
Wasn't That A Time which is all about The Weavers and which I'll get to read
shortly, I hope. Anyway, I was a Weavers fan. I attended the children's
recreation program at The Lighthouse and when I was about fourteen years
old, a young banjo player named Pete Haas came each week and taught a small
group of us, folk songs. He sang songs that were being sung by Pete Seeger,
The Weavers, Huddie Ledbetter, and Oscar Brand. Oscar Brand had a folk song
program on WNYC which, back then, was totally funded by New York City. At
some point, Brand was going to give a concert at The American Youth Hostels
in Manhattan, and I went, with a friend, to hear him. That's where I heard
Pete Seeger for the first time. He did the second half of the concert and I
was absolutely blown away by how he could use his high voice to harmonize
with the audience, after he'd gotten us all to sing. He was one of The
Weavers. They sang on the radio and I bought their records, and then,
suddenly, Pete Seeger was a dangerous man, a "fellow traveler". Now, in this
new cold war on Russia, the term used is, "useful idiots".
At Queens College, I joined The Folk Song Club, and discovered that the
college had put it on a list of controversial organizations. When Seeger did
a concert at Queens College, a lot of students were afraid to attend because
they thought their reputations would be ruined if they did. And then he sang
at the University of Michigan where I was attending social work school. He'd
been out of sight for a few years. His fate was still in question. That
night, he sang, "The Worried Man Blues". Back in Neew York, after graduate
school, I was planning to attend a concert of his and my mother worried
about this. She thought that I might have trouble finding work if people
found out that I was still going to folk song concerts.Pete Seeger won the
battle. He died a beloved and respected man. But Americans never learned a
thing. Our government has been demonizing Russia for years, describing the
country as our adversary in every newscast. They've let Donald Trump off the
hook, but they're still blaming Russia for his election and for anything
else they can think of.
Miriam
