Anti-war movements have their bases set in popular culture.  Political leaders will co-opt the popular culture in order to shape their images and to present their messages.  Being a pop culture leader in an anti-war movement is not without its peril.  Being the target of pop culture is similarly not without its peril.

The purveyors and icons of popular culture have to climb aboard the Peace Train (thank you, Dolly Parton) in order for an anti-war movement to advance.  We saw this in large measure during the Vietnam Civil War when artists like Bob Dylan, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young and others wrote and performed anti-war rhetoric.  Norman Whitfield wrote the song “War” and wanted the the Temptations to perform it.  However, apparently in response to the conservative following of the Temptations, only Edwin Starr of the Temptations and Whitfield recorded the single so as not to alienate the fan base.

More recently, we have seen the results of The Dixie Chicks’ Natalie Maines making an off-handed remark and Michael Moore’s film-making which were excoriated and blown out of proportion by the Repugnants.  More specifically, fans of Maines, Emily Robison, and Martie Maguire were encouraged to destroy the group’s albums and CDs following Maine’s remarks about the embarrassment which is the so-called Pres. Bush.  However, The Dixie Chicks kept its stride and bounced back with with an amazing anti-war song, “Not Ready To Make Nice,” one of my favorite songs of all time.  The song and album won five Grammy Awards at the 49th Grammy Awards Ceremony.  I also personally credit The Dixie Chicks for helping to significantly turn the country away from the dominion of Darkness.  Michael Moore has similarly risked his life and standing in the community in order to present Truth to Power with his documentary films including “911.”  As with The Dixie Chicks, Moore has suffered at the hands of the Repugnants and their lackeys.

Now, Pink has joined the fray.  I love her song and lyrics “Dear Mr. President” that features the Indigo Girls and adore the accompanying video as well.  If you have not heard the song, check it out at i-tunes.  If you have not seen the video, it is now playing on Time Warner Cable On Demand, at least in the Beaumont/Banning area:

More below the flip…

The lyrics are from lyricsandsongs.com

Artist:  Pink
Album: “I’m not Dead” (2006)
Dear Mr. President (Feat. Indigo Girls) Lyrics

Dear Mr. President
Come take a walk with me
Let’s pretend we’re just two people and
You’re not better than me
I’d like to ask you some questions if we can speak honestly.

What do you feel when you see all the homeless on the street
Who do you pray for at night before you go to sleep
What do you feel when you look in the mirror
Are you proud?

How do you sleep while the rest of us cry
How do you dream when a mother has no chance to say goodbye
How do you walk with your head held high
Can you even look me in the eye
And tell me why?

Dear Mr. President
Were you a lonely boy
Are you a lonely boy
Are you a lonely boy
How can you say
No child is left behind
We’re not dumb and we’re not blind
They’re all sitting in your cells
While you pay the road to hell.

What kind of father would take his own daughter’s rights away
And what kind of father might hate his own daughter if she were gay
I can only imagine what the first lady has to say
You’ve come a long way from whiskey and cocaine.

How do you sleep while the rest of us cry
How do you dream when a mother has no chance to say goodbye
How do you walk with your head held high
Can you even look me in the eye?

Let me tell you bout hard work
Minimum wage with a baby on the way
Let me tell you bout hard work
Rebuilding your house after the bombs took them away
Let me tell you bout hard work
Building a bed out of a cardboard box
Let me tell you bout hard work
Hard work
Hard work
You don’t know nothing bout hard work
Hard work
Hard work
Oh!

How do you sleep at night
How do you walk with your head held high
Dear Mr. President
You’d never take a walk with me
Would you?

Here is a list of anti-war songs that can be found at onegoodmove.org:

• The Price of Oil-Billy Bragg
• CodePINK For Peace-Pat Humphries/Sandy Opatow
• Bombs Over Baghdad-John Trudell
• The Bell-Stephan Smith, Pete Seeger, Mary Harris, Dean Ween
• My Hero Mr President-Paula Cole
• To Washington-John Mellencamp
• Jacobs Ladder-Chumbawamba (not in our name)
• Bomb The World-Michael Franti and Spearhead
• March of Death-Zack de la Rocha & DJ Shadow
• A World Gone Mad…-Beastie Boys
• The Final Straw-R.E.M.
• We Want Peace-Lenny Kravitz
• Life During Wartime-Billie Joe Armstrong (Green Day)
• We’re the Enemy-The John Kasper Band
• Freestyle Live From No Man’s Land-Saul Williams (not in our name)
• Perfectly Comfortable-Alan Fletcher
• Bomb The World (Armageddon Version)-Michael Franti and Spearhead
• Bush and Saddam-Everton Blender
• Self Evident-Ani di Franco

I would appeal to the artistic community to become more visible in the anti-war movement.  Songwriters, musicians, actors, screenwriters, producers, filmmakers, arise!