MURDER, POLITICS, AND THE END OF THE JAZZ AGE
by Michael Wolraich
Order today at Barnes & Noble / Amazon / Books-A-Million / Bookshop
MURDER, POLITICS, AND THE END OF THE JAZZ AGE by Michael Wolraich Order today at Barnes & Noble / Amazon / Books-A-Million / Bookshop |
Hawaiian guitarist, writer and singer Makana has performed in the Obama White House. He is a well known and popular Hawaiian artist.
He was invited to perform instrumental music at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) in Honolulu Saturday. Instead he sang a song he had just written on the Occupy movement, "We Are The Many".
Yahoo News, AFP, Singer Crashes Obama Summit:
A popular Hawaiian recording artist turned a top-security dinner of Pacific Rim leaders hosted by President Barack Obama into a subtle protest with a song in support of the "Occupy" movement.
Makana, who goes by one name, was enlisted to play a luau, or Hawaiian feast, Saturday night for leaders assembled in Obama's birthplace Honolulu for an annual summit that is formulating plans for a Pacific free-trade pact.
But in the midst of the dinner on the resort strip Waikiki Beach, he pulled open his jacket to reveal a T-shirt that read "Occupy with Aloha," using the Hawaiian word whose various meanings include love and peace. He then sang a marathon version of his new song "We Are The Many."....
Note to the AFP, Makana didn't 'crash' the summit, he was invited by Obama, who let him perform his piece without interruption or complaint.
Makana explains his actions on a YouTube video:
A fuller version can be heard at Democracy Now.
Would George W. Bush have had this protestor carried out by the Secret Service? Put on the 'No Fly' list? Well, no, Bush wouldn't have set foot in Hawaii, or, if he had to, he likely would have had Hank Williams Jr. flown out with Koch money to perform.
Makana, by his 'in your face' style, shows that we should believe in what we perceive to be right, and not be afraid to express ourselves. He gave a voice to those in the Occupy movement. He gave the message to the leaders of APEC nations and Obama, whether it was heard, or if they will listen, only time will tell. He deserves respect that for one day, he was the voice of the many in the presence of the few, the powerful.
We Are The Many (lyrics)
We come here, gather ‘round the stage / The time has come for us to voice our rage
Against the ones who trapped us in a cage / To steal from us the value of our wage
From underneath the vestiture of law / The lobbyists at Washington do gnaw
At liberty; the bureaucrats guffaw / And until they are purged we won’t withdraw
Refrain
We’ll occupy the streets, we’ll occupy the courts / We’ll occupy the offices of you
‘Til you do / The bidding of the many, not the few
Our nation was built upon the right / Of every person to improve their plight
The laws of this republic they rewrite / And now the few own everything in sight
They own it free of liability / They own, but they are not like you and me
Their influence dictates legality / And until they are stopped we are not free
Refrain
You enforce your monopolies with guns / While sacrificing our daughters and sons
Well, certain things belong to everyone / You’re thievery has left the people none
So take heed of our notice to redress / We have little to lose we must confess
Your empty words leave us unimpressed / A growing number join us in protest
Refrain
You can’t divide us into sides / And, from our gaze you cannot hide
Denial serves to amplify / And our allegiance you can’t buy
Our government is not for sale / The banks do not deserve a bail
We won’t reward those who fail / we’ll not move ‘til we prevail
Refrain
We are the many, you are the few...
Comments
Statesman Makana,
Thank you for singing your song.
This is beautiful.
And thank you for sharing this, NCD. It's truly inspiring.
by Verified Atheist on Mon, 11/14/2011 - 8:31pm
Thanks, for those who want to hear the whole 'We are the Many' piece, it is at this link at YouTube.
by NCD on Mon, 11/14/2011 - 9:06pm
This is really something!
Give w some kudos for not sending Colbert to GTMO though. hahaahah
Beautiful poem.
Thank you
by Richard Day on Tue, 11/15/2011 - 3:45pm