America should coalesce with her music (Update)

What disturbed me during the celebrations on Nov. 4 was the lack of cohesiveness in people expressing their joys due to the outcome of the election. There were of course the individual joys we witnessed but, In my opinion, what was sorely missing was the collective joy only made possible by the singing of a patriotic song or two.

To be honest, I think associating Black music with a public political event is designed to polarize, antagonize and inflame. It has no place in our new society. It is now up to Music Teachers, Music Therapist, Social Directors and music managers to teach and promote patriotic music to prepare the populace for participation in future and meaningful public political events. I would love to have seen Oprah and Senior Jesse Jackson singing “God Bless America” through their tears of joy.

The song “Signed, sealed and delivered” is not one of the songs I would have chosen for the Nov. 4th celebration were it up to me to chose the music for that occasion. I would have pulled out one of my old song books, turned to the “Patriotic Music and Songs” section and programmed them into the occasion. Who, with any authority, would have objected? (Smile) The song “Signed, sealed and delivered” has its place but I just happen to think the celebration in the park in Chicago on Nov. 4th was not one of them.

America has to heal and one of the best forms for healing is music and in this case, music everyone can identify with and feel a collective sense of well being. There should be many around the world that associate our patriotic music with a new America and instantly recognize it when they hear it. I was amused last evening seeing a montage of election night events with zydeco music playing in the background. It was delightful. There was a song of long ago, “Little things mean a lot” that comes to mind.
Fighting for the dignity of my Ancestors,
God bless Bill Gates, WPFW, C-Span and the spirits of the unborn for the help,
BB
(Update)
Obama is black? excuse me, but....
by Started Smoking at 52
Thu Nov 06, 2008 at 10:47:57 PM PST
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/11/7/0959/50940/580/656404
Excerpt: Opening paragraph
Since the election, there has been a sudden surge in the MSM to the effect that our president elect is an African-American. They gush over the historic nature of this turn of events. They are bringing out black poets, black philosophers, black historians. At the moment of victory, we saw Jesse Jackson in tears. We saw more African American faces smiling and waving than at any time in the previous year of media coverage. Why are we shown these images only after the election? Is there something going on under the surface? (Author: You bet’cha!)

And
The end of Push-Down Diaries?
by SteinL
Thu Nov 06, 2008 at 11:54:41 PM PST
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/11/7/22048/2346/541/656459
Excerpt:
I've been in progressive circles long enough to know that any exchange of opinion is usually more a mêlée than a discourse, and that's OK, it adds blood and temper to the process. But how much do we really get done if we're all fighting for the pulpit?
And that's what the diaries are - they're a pulpit. And maybe one should ask: is what I have on my mind important enough to share with everyone - because while this is the internet, and you're all alone at home - there's a whole bunch of people watching, and reading. Do they need this particular Push-Down diary right now?
(Author) In my opinion, one of the uncomfortable brilliance of the Dkos website is the realization of one’s own mortality and the fact, as recorded by Omar Khayyan, “The writing finger writes and having written moves on…”