Lead Me.
Kara Walker - Freedom Fighters for the Society of Forgotten Knowledge (2005)What if America's response to terrorist brutality sounded more like Mahalia Jackson's "Precious Lord" than Metallica's "Master of Puppets"? Americans have before been beaten by hatefully explosive hands strengthed by the confused confidence bred in a tight, but polarized communtiy wrapped around an evil logic of opression over discussion. Less than a century ago, innocent American houses were bombed, prominent community leaders killed, and racist terrorism crashed into civilian's workplaces and front porches daily. And in the devastation of perpetuated victimization and ideological exhaustion, American people were able to find their strength, solice, and eventual transcendence in unwaivering non-violence. Not the kind that sits confined to a writing desk passively refusing to recognize violence, but the kind that puts itself in harms way and fights with the power of passion and perserverance. How does our country ressurect the historical personal strength of its own citizens, who were once able to stand up after being beaten, look evil in the eye, and ask: "Are you done yet, because we have somewhere to go"?
Mahalia Jackson - Precious Lord (mp3)
Mahalia Jackson - Precious Lord (mp3)
Kyle @ 1:04 AM
2 comments
2 comments
What are you talking about? "Master of Puppets" is a song about drug abuse, id est the drug becomes the master that the human serves. You prop it up as something negative, as something inferior to the other said song.
I'm talking about the differential reaction to being terrorized, between the two American experiences of slavery and terrorism. The former perseverance sounds like struggle for peace, like inner-harmony, like community, like humanity, like wisdom, and eventually like triumph - as cataloged in a rich history of freedom songs. But the latter sounds like struggle for power, like desperation, like fear, and often like sacrificing ideals for righteousness. This is likened to the amazing song "Master of Puppets", highlighting that instead of leading us down a path of hope Bush's mastery has potentiated a threat into a "terrorism"-fueled addiction that causes us to preemtively kill to calm our own fears. This difference highlights the disparate outcomes of the two struggles - where unfortunately the original American victims will not emerge triumphant and redeemed.
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