Political Song of the Day

My Political Song of the Day is usually anti-war, environmental or otherwise left-leaning. But I was flipping channels in the car the other day and came upon a country station and heard a song so innane, so misinformed and so perfectly representative of the attitude of a large percentage of Americans that I had to share it with you:

Have You Forgotten? by Darryl Worley

I hear people saying we don't need this war
But, I say there's some things worth fighting for
What about our freedom and this piece of ground
We didn't get to keep 'em by backing down
They say we don't realize the mess we're getting in
Before you start your preaching let me ask you this my friend

Have you forgotten how it felt that day?
To see your homeland under fire
And her people blown away
Have you forgotten when those towers fell?
We had neighbors still inside going thru a living hell
And you say we shouldn't worry 'bout bin Laden
Have you forgotten?

They took all the footage off my T.V.
Said it's too disturbing for you and me
It'll just breed anger that's what the experts say
If it was up to me I'd show it everyday
Some say this country's just out looking for a fight
Well, after 9/11 man I'd have to say that's right

Have you forgotten how it felt that day?
To see your homeland under fire
And her people blown away
Have you forgotten when those towers fell?
We had neighbors still inside going thru a living hell
And we vowed to get the one’s behind bin Laden
Have you forgotten?

I've been there with the soldiers
Who've gone away to war
And you can bet that they remember
Just what they're fighting for

Have you forgotten all the people killed?
Yeah, some went down like heroes in that Pennsylvania field
Have you forgotten about our Pentagon?
All the loved ones that we lost and those left to carry on
Don't you tell me not to worry about bin Laden
Have you forgotten?

Have you forgotten?
Have you forgotten?

Have you forgotten ... indeed. Darryl Worley, have your forgotten that 9/11 has nothing to do with Iraq? Have you forgotten that it was George W that forgot about Bin Laden and started a new war, not us? Have you forgotten that meat-headed bravado like your stupid song is why most of the world hates us?

The fact that someone wrote a song like this isn't that big a deal. It's that a vast majority of the NASCAR, bible-belt, pick-up truck, NRA set eats this stuff up as truth that bothers me.

Some of those that work forces ...

"Some of those that work forces, are the same that burn crosses ..." -- "Killing in the Name of" - Rage Against the Machine

From the Arizona Republic:

Mesa police plan to discipline an officer who admitted making an obscene gesture as he drove past pro-immigrant protesters Wednesday in a marked police vehicle.

Sgt. Mike Doherty, a 20-year veteran, admitted he made obscene gestures "due to his general distaste for protesters," according to Holly Hosac, a Mesa police spokeswoman.

Doherty was in uniform when he passed about 30 members of Immigrants Without Borders, an immigrant advocacy group that has protested in the past against crackdowns on undocumented immigrants by Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas and Sheriff Joe Arpaio.

The group was protesting peacefully at Alma School Road and Main Street. Several group members reported an officer displaying an obscene gesture twice as he drove past them. Information from witnesses led police to identify Doherty.

"While Doherty stated that he did not know what the demonstration was about, he acknowledged his actions were inappropriate and unprofessional," Hosac wrote in a press release.

Police Chief George Gascón said the department is required to respect the Constitutional rights of everyone, saying, "there is no justifiable reason for this type of behavior."

Police said disciplinary action against Doherty is pending but did not elaborate. He was working as a school resources officer for the past two weeks, but will be reassigned, police said.

I personally know several policemen and their intentions are noble and they seem to be in law enforcement for the right reasons. But civil service, whether it be police or politics, can also attract those that seek nothing but power. The goal of both should be to be the voice for those that don't have a voice.

This police officer should have been vigorously defending this group's right to protest. Instead, while in a position of authority, he let his inner-racist show.

Police - Concert Review

It finally happened. I got to see the Police last night. Despite our local paper's columnist's tepid review, it was a good show. Blessed with the luxury of perhaps seeing 100 shows a year, he can afford to be picky. I'm only lucky enough, however, to see maybe 2 shows a year. So, I have to be choosy. I loved the show. I've waited my whole life for it. (more pics from the show here)

A child of the 80's, my 2nd album ever was Synchronicity. It was a refreshing alternative to hair metal crap and bad pop of the time. Reggae beats, literate lyrics - I was hooked. Who sings about Nabokov?

I never got to see the Police the first time around. I became acquainted with them in about '83, just as they were winding down. I was too young to go to concerts then. By the time I was old enough, they had been broken up for several years. I pretty much figured my shot had passed. So ... when the news that the Police were going to reunite for a tour, I decided that I would beg, steal, even kill to get tickets. And I got pretty good lower level tickets at US Airways Center. It's not an ideal venue for acoustics, being a basketball bandbox, but it's not bad as long as you are in the lower level. We once saw Metallica and Korn there, with upper level seats. Imagine spending 3 hours inside a large metal pail with your close friends Metallica and you get some idea of the tinny, distorted cacophony that ensued.



This was much better. Sting's vocals were clean and the guitar and drums were fine. If there was any complaint acoustically, it would have been the way in which bass moves around in the arena. It had a tendency to get muddled. But that's a shortcoming of the venue, not the band.

I found myself concentrating on Stewart Copeland and Andy Summers. I've seen Sting a couple of times and felt that I should enjoy the two in this probably fleeting incarnation of the Police. A lot of people thought that Sting was the Police but seeing this dynamic 3 piece in concert gives you an appreciation of how much of virtuosos each of them were. Stewart Copeland is simply amazing. I think the Police are THE definitive 3 piece band. People could make arguments for Cream, Jimi Hendrix's band, even Rush. For me, it's not even close.



I cannot think of a single song that I wanted to hear that I didn't. Being a reunion show after 24 years, they probably correctly surmised that they should hit the highlights of their career. Most of the renditions were straightforward, but several allowed them to show off the jazz chops that each have developed over the years. From regatta de blanc (white reggae) to modern jazz, their virtuosity was in evidence. My favorite performance was So Lonely with a great extended solo by Andy Summers.

The opening band was Fiction Plane. I didn't give them much thought. They sounded pretty good. I thought the lead singer kinda sounded like Sting. But I was out getting a beer and a t-shirt during most of their set. After I get home after the show, I go online to see people's reviews and pictures of the show and someone comments about Sting's son being pretty good. What the hell? So, I go to wikipedia and discover that Fiction Plane is fronted by Sting's son, Joe Sumner. Ah, I say. That would explain it.

Here's the set list:

Message in a Bottle
Synchronicity 2
Walking on the Moon
Voices Inside My Head
When the World is Running Down ...
Don't Stand So Close to Me
Driven to Tears
Bed's Too Big Without You
Truth Hits Everybody
Every Little Things She Does is Magic
Wrapped Around Your Finger
De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da
Invisible Sun
Walking in Your Footsteps
Can't Stand Losing You
Roxanne
First Encore:
King of Pain
So Lonely
2nd Encore:
Every Breath You Take
Next to You



If this is the only chance that I will have to see the Police, I will be content. By all indications, a lot of the friction that caused the original break-up (The Police: A Fragile Truce) is still there. But they lasted long enough to make it to Phoenix. And they kicked ass. For that I am happy.