Lake County”s own Jeremiah is once more grieved and incensed with American society, this time with our taste in music. He now maintains that God is no longer in our music. Not being terribly original, he uses Ann Coulter”s expression “godless liberal.” But I take exception to most with his selective memory.
That song that he mentioned “Turn, Turn, Turn” was written by Pete Seeger. Seeger along with the great black enter-tainer, Paul Robeson, and the quartet that he organized, the Weavers all sang such wonderful down home Baptist songs like “Deep River;” “Home in that Rock;” and “When the Saints Go Marching In.” While God might have blessed them, and the public loved them, some gentlemen in Congress were unhappy with their politics, and they were disbarred and banned from the airwaves.
In America, God is conveniently put on display as a recruiting poster in time of war and as a handy weapon to get rid of their enemies by fanatics in peaceful times, zealots such as existed in the time of Christ. If, however, Mr. Watkins is truly interested in music with religious ramifications ,he might check out Bruce Springsteen”s new album, We Shall Overcome, and listen to O” Mary. Don”t vou Weep and Jacob”s Ladder.
By the way, would Mr. Watkins prefer that George Michaels and Elton John hide their sexual identities like Senator Foley and the Reverend Haggard? Immorality comes in all forms, it seems even from those who use God”s name to judge others.
Harold Riley
Clearlake
