Some music to celebrate the beauty and complexity of this nation we all share, beginning with five* different versions of Woody Guthrie’s This Land is Your Land, and ending with Willie….and then Ray.
(With a very old and sweet performance by Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel in Central Park in-between.)
* (And, we have belatedly included a 4th of July drum circle by the Blackfoot Confederation. If you’ve never experienced a twelve-drummer drum circle in person, put that on your bucket list. The Blackfeet drummer circles are particularly good.)
Happy July 4th. Enjoy.
…and crown thy good with brotherhood….
*EDITOR’S NOTE: A commenter noted that most of those we posted singing This Land Is Your Land were…well…white dudes. Good point. Thus, we added a stellar version of This Land, sung by Sharon Jones with the Dap-Kings. We also added a brief but wonderful video from the 2014 Cherokee 4th of July pow-wow. But there are many glorious pow wows held every year on the weekend closest to Independence Day, or shortly thereafter. We’re partial to North American Indian Days on the Blackfoot reservation held every year the second week of July.
Thanks, C (and I miss ole Jerry)!
Idk, lots of old white males singing “ this land is my land”. Over the bodies of countless native Americans,Perhaps it’s time to take a hard look at the fascist tendencies of white supremacists like Woody Guthrie and Jerry Garcia, hey cf, you asleep at the wheel?
Not trying to bring down the importance and significance of July 4th, but recent scuttlbut is that many disgruntled person(s) that reside in these United States of America feel shame and have no pride in the country the still live in. I’ve always wondered what would happen if we had another “Great War”? We have breed an apathetic, ungrateful generation, that would prefer to criticize this country instead of viewing the glass half full and appreciating the sacrifices to make it the place everyone still wants to come to. Why is that? I seriously doubt if we had an all out war, we would have the will and determination to win a war. The “Greatest Generation” is truly a thing of the past.
Wow! What a great day my family had yesterday America’s Independence Day! Nearly fifty of us total. And we all prayed together and thanked God that we live in a country that allows free speech, freedom of religion, freedom of the press. Of course unless you don’t think socialistic! Ha
Can anyone really explain to me this call for Socialism or anything close to it. Every single try at Socialism has failed and has led to the oppression and murder of millions of civilians.
They hate America and yet half the world wants to come here and enjoy freedom.
Seriously, can anyone explain this to me??
EDITOR’S NOTE:
Good point, Maj Kong, about the…you know….old white dudes. (Although the Avett Brothers are not all that ancient yet. And did you overlook the great Alison Krauss? ) In any case, we belatedly added a stellar version of This Land, sung by Sharon Jones with the Dap-Kings. We also added a brief but wonderful video from the 2014 Cherokee 4th of July pow-wow. But there are many glorious pow wows held every year on the weekend closest to Independence Day. We’re particularly partial to North American Indian Days held in Browning, MT, the second week of July.
I hope everyone’s day and evening was a good one.
C.
Nice try lady, but showcasing people of color forced to sing what is basically a white supremest anthem is literally terrifying. I’m sure this all somehow ties into Hitler or something. hey cf ,what are they saying about this stuff in your pan African, Chicano, gender studies classes?
No.
I spent the day at a bbq in Redondo Beach. As the wife and I often do we took streets home to watch fireworks and avoid freeway drunks. Traveling from community to community the stupidity I say is amazing. Kids, and adults running out into the street, little kids, actually throwing fireworks at our car, happened more than once. First time on Artesia in Long Beach and once on Beverly. Someone also launched a homemade basket hoisted by balloons which caught on fire also off Artesia, this is what some areas have become. Certainly not a celebration of independence, just a reason for assholes to be assholes. After the almost two hour trip I fell asleep listening to the sound of M-80’s and other fireworks from wherever, illegal
In my town, nowhere near the level I saw on my trek. What a great 4th.
Maj. Kong, thanks for asking my thoughts. I was beginning to think you did not like me. Actually, I am rather fond of Woody Guthrie. And, if you are able to listen to the original song, with the lyrics that have since been omitted, you would think the man a socialist. They go something like:
There was a big high wall there that tried to stop me;
The sign was painted, it said private property;
But on the back side it didn’t say nothing;
That side was made for you and me.
The man was a champion of the working class and based on the original, I think he speaks to my immigrant brethren. So, no, I have no problem with white people or Woodie. And, of course I like Willie (thats Willie Nelson). How can you not. The man smokes the good herb, doesn’t give a F%*(, and does a benefit concert for brother Leonard Peltier. As you can see, I do not hate the White man. In fact, one of my heroes was a white man, John Brown. I wish there were more John Browns and less Uncle Toms in this world.
Conspiracy, what would happened if there were another “great war?” The same as happened with the previous one, you would have blacks, Asians and brown people fighting in it. Lest you forget that in the last one, your people did not want to fight along with the colored folk and there were colored only units, yet blacks fought valiantly. You didn’t want the Japanese, but many Japanese Americans volunteered to prove they were more American than their redneck racist fellow soldiers. I do not know the figures, but I would venture to say that over 40% of the armed forces are people of color. So, they’ll be there if there is another great war. Don’t worry.
Ownership, I don’t think anyone really wants a socialist society. Just as no one wants a purely capitalist society. Don’t fool yourself, we have many socialist programs, such as social security, your pension, unemployment, free public education. And, lest you forget, if the government had not bailed out the auto sector, the financial sector, the insurance sector, etc, you might be unemployed right now. That was a socialist action if I ever saw one. Actually, maybe you would not be unemployed because those that feed on the government trough are the last to lose their job, although the first to complain about the government.
Cf seems you’re an old time 20th century Stalinist, as was your hero woody Guthrie. Check out the La Weekly story “woody Guthrie is a big old racist” idk cf, you sure like to throw around a lot of racist remarks for a social justice warrior type. (E.g. Uncle Tom) .pretty awkward cf, looks like you got some ‘splanin to do, may want to check in with your college “- studies” professors you may need to get some re-education.
Woody Guthrie a white supremacist? Lol:
Beach Haven ain’t my home!
I just can’t pay this rent!
My money’s down the drain!
And my soul is badly bent!
Beach Haven looks like heaven
Where no black ones come to roam!
No, no, no! Old Man Trump!
Old Beach Haven ain’t my home!
All of this because millions of people unlike you fought and died to make this country great and defend it’s values. Behind the scenes, arm-chair, stand to the rear rock throwers like yourself are mentally and physically weak. The only reason you can have the luxury to be the “word warrior” that you are, was and is due to the sacrifice of men and women (white, black, brown) who value this country and have a sense of duty. The many “government employees soldiers” who have died in far away lands to never return home and see their families.
So just sit back, continue to be the champion of socialism and communism, an idealized “utopia” that has been proven to never work in its pure form by the way. Stop listening to the new age George Soros, ANTIFA propaganda and pick up a history book once in awhile, talk to a veteran…heck watch a Ken Burns documentary and you might learn a thing or two about thing or two.
….anything is possible and racists continents were often more the norm than the extreme….
https://www.laweekly.com/music/little-known-fact-woody-guthrie-was-a-big-ol-racist-2412272
.oops…..sentiments….that is…
Conspiracy, yes thank you and thank all of the others who went over to Iraq looking for weapons of mass destruction. We were almost annihilated by those Iraqis. Or, better yet, thank you for invading Afghanistan. You kept those Afghans away from our borders. For god’s sake, the country, between the Russians and the Americans, has been beaten to rubble, and those sandal-wearing Jihadis still send our boys back home with PTSD, at minimum, or with missing brain cells or limbs from Radio Shack quality IEDs, and in body bags, at worst. 17 years, count them, and those Afghanis are still kicking our ass. How about Grenada or Panama. Other great excursions in defense of my liberty. Please. When you fight the Russians or the Chinese, then I’ll be impressed.
Maj. Kong, regarding Woody Gutherie, I have no problem. Almost all white folks back them, no doubt your Pa and GrandPa, threw around the N-word loosely. The difference is the man, if he did use it or was racist, stopped, apologized and changed his ways, spoke to the working man, and later spoke out against racism. Can’t say the same about you. Keeping thinking you’re not racist because you like Diamond & Silk. Negro please.
And cf falls back on just making stuff up. Admit it ,you don’t really know a damn thing about Guthrie do you? Or much else for that matter.
Anyone else notice it’s how cf always seems to turn up when things get a little hot for Celeste? she gives cf quite a bit of latitude with the racial slurs too. Not to mention a redirection of the conversation
Fight the Russians or the Chinese….oh my ignorant, pitiable, misguided boob. Don’t you know we have fought numerous proxy wars with the Russians (Syria, Iraq ) and the Chinese (Korean War, Vietnam) and not because of yellow folk like you either.
Oh, and your talking out of your you know what, if you give a pass to “reformed racists” like Guthrie. By your line of reasoning, all those good German folks who stood by during the Holocaust and American racists who either stood by or killed numerous Black people, should get a pass just because “everyone was doing it” and now, because they “had a come to Jesus moment”, all is forgiven.
WTF?
Woody Guthrie, no doubt was a “wood” who possibly recanted his true feelings about Blacks after being exposed, no different than Mark Fuhrman or some of the commenters here who lie and deny all the time. Surely “Surefire” was scared to death travelling in Los Angeles County until exiting either to Orange or Ventura County. Keep it real.
CF…. Just when I thought your stupidity reached its limit, you start typing again. And just when you convince me your hypocrisy has was evening out, well you start typing again.
That last one was straight Bi-Polar
I lost a family member in Afghanistan to a bullet, not that I.E.D.’s haven’t done in too many of our troops. Being brave is something I don’t think you get to decide on about what the qualifications are. You’re just a racist pussy, never been anything else Reg.
No evidence Guthrie ever recanted about anything ever, Celeste and cf got caught promoting a racist , cf just trying to gaslight you with a little fake news.
Reread the laweekly.com article. All of you guys recant with fake apologies and maximum insincerity when caught.
I promise not to recant or apologize ,feel better?
Oh, Maj. Kong, if it makes you feel better and gives a boost to your already inflated ego, yes, I am stupid. You are smarter than me, officer. Is it possible to have an intelligent discussion with anyone who gets his news from Fox & Friends? Your world is so black and white, so pedestrian. Lets move on to the next post. I’m sure there is another one about sanctuary cities, fund for immigrant defense, or people volunteering to house the children separated at the border that will get you all flustered and we can have some fun then.
Conspiracy, really, is that what you have? Are you really trying to impress me with your basic understanding of world affairs or history. Keep reading those Killing… books by the learned O’Reilly. Be honest, have you read any? A proxy war? Look, I am sure you were one of the ones waiving the American flag when Iraq invaded Kuwait and wanted to make the world safe for democracy. Why not invade Russia for annexing Crimea. You know why, because that will not be a proxy war and those Russian send you packing. If sandal-wearing folks that hide in caves can do it, what do you think those Russians will do. Its not the same as pushing black kids around. And, if you beat the starving Korean and Chinese that had just set up shop after WWII and their civil war, what do you think you will be able to do now with the Chinese. Wave the flag and say lets invade China to free Tibet. You won’t do it because you know who to bully.
[PLEASE NOTE WLA EDIT. CF: When someone discloses a tragedy in his or her family, politicizing and/or weaponizing that tragedy is so profoundly unacceptable, I’m really rather at a loss for words about it. Please don’t ever do anything even close to that again when you are here. Thank you.]
Crimea….that’s because at the time, we had a weak Democratic President Obama in office who the leaders of China and Russia had no respect for and walked all over. Heck….look at the famous “red line in the sand” that was drawn regarding Syria and the ultimate outcome was that countries leader gassing his people and the US doing nothing.
Please, please enlighten me more oh unlearned one.
Oh, President Obama and the great social warriors like yourself sat back and did nothing though, when the former leader of Libya was murdered and paraded through the streets. Where was the moral outrage…motivation to do the right thing? I though so…just a bunch of talk.
What about the Iranian guard capturing our sailors, holding them hostage and forcing them to appear on state run media. Oh…President Obama made a deal and sent an airplane full if cash to the Iranians.
President Obama held a press conference and celebrated the deal he made for the trailer Bergdahl. I’m sure you were sitting right there, soaking up all the Crap News Network coverage. Pardoning transvestite traitors….what a president.
It’s weird, all the weakness you mention with regards to the US response and policy were under President Obama.
At least Presidents Bush and Clinton did something when the US and it’s citizens were attacked.
President Trump knows the realities of business and people. If he’s friends with Putin and Jinping he sure doesn’t seem like he’s doing things to benefit them.
Should I go on????
Major Kong – Interesting how you start the “race card” with your comment to Celeste about Guthrie. For sake of conversation and boredom I won’t charge your heart only your silliness.
I really don’t mind a little back and forth with cf, but sometimes she goes way too far. That last paragraph in cf’s last comment is just awful, just the last one of many. I suspect Celeste knows cf and her (cf’s) appearance is more than coincidence. It’s all good, Celeste can do what she wants with this website (like bring in allies to do her dirty work) but I hope the cops who write the “gee thanks Celeste” comments keep this in mind.
Now that Independence Day is behind us, we should all be grateful for freedom. Speaking of independence, Deputies now have the freedom to stop paying the monthly ransom to ALADS. Watching ALADS President Ron Hernandez on Facebook eulogizing a despised union gets no sympathy. No more excuses Ron, only steps to inform membership on how to stop payments to a biased organization.
Only a fool would continue to pay ALADS when they don’t have to.
EDITOR’S NOTE:
Dear Maj Kong,
Thank you for the heads up on CF’s last comment. I’m very sorry I didn’t notice it sooner. (Most of the time, I glance at the comments, but don’t read all of them carefully. I count on relatively adult behavior. But that doesn’t always work.) In any case, if you check the comment now, you’ll see it has been edited with a note. Thanks again.
C.
I live in the SGV fuckhead. I’ve policed nothing but multi-racial areas and live in one, scared isn’t in the vocabulary, not during my military or LEO time. What do you want to get wrong next asswipe?
Oh, the horrible and despicable word, Socialism. No one country has ever instituted a solid form of Socialism per say. But the ones that have dared tried in order to help their people we can thank US and by US, I mean our government, to make those countries attempts fail at all costs.
Yes, our government can not stand to have any other country attempt to exercise their sovereign right to govern themselves the best way they see fit. But, and here is the main reason, only because their attempt at Socialism would affect US by way of “threaten US interest”. I’m sure most have heard this come out of the mouths of our leaders when it comes to denigrating and reproaching other countries attempts to reform and/or restrain the blatant theft to their countries resources by US interests, which is to say US and other countries corporations. Let me give you just one very good example, no I don’t mean Venezuela, but Bolivia. Never in the history of that country have they ever had an indigenous President. But for some good reason, the Bolivian people organized and were able to free themselves from the chains of imperialism bestowed upon them by mostly industrialized nations, or rather those countries corporations and banks, to include US and any agency at US disposal. Agencies like the IMF and the World Bank. Is any of this helping you out? But what’s the big deal about Bolivia? Well, just for starters, this country is a very rich one when it comes to minerals and natural gas reserves, but somehow it’s managed to be one of the poorest countries of South America. And the somehow is where outside interests basically manage to steal the wealth of those rich countries. But when those riches, or rather the loot, is being threatened by the implementation of a new government’s socialists policies then that country begins to be demonized and shamed in order to keep the status quo, which is to keep looting the riches of those poor countries because their people won’t know how to manage their wealth.
But lo and behold, the new and indigenous president, Evo Morales, nationalized and restructured all contracts with all the international corporations to the benefit of their mostly indigenous people but to the detriment of the wealthy elite. I hope all this is not boring you, but if you really want to understand how this form of “Socialism” works you must at the very least try to understand the history behind those countries poor choices and options with a “Western Capitalism” forced onto those third world countries at gun point. Yes, at gun point on one hand and a small share of the loot on the other for the heads of state that have and are willing to sell out their own people. But the good news is that Bolivian President Evo Morales has been very successful in his implementation of his “socialist” policies, which began to help the poorest of the poor. And you can tell how successful President Morales has been because the US government has demonized and vilified him from day one of his administration. And don’t worry about the Bolivian people, at least the poorest ones, they are much happier and a bit richer than at any time prior to their beloved and first ever indigenous President. It has not been easy at all considering the uphill battle of his administration against the international and US interest being waged from day one.
So no, Socialism, has not worked well for any country that has dared tried, but only due to the fact that they have not been allowed due to a constant all out war being waged from outside entities that have never have their interest at heart. But this is almost too similar to what our own government is implementing right here and right now.
I am certain that I have lost you “ownership”, but if you’ve skipped all the way down to my simple although long response, just remember this: we have been duped into one of the worst types of socialism right here right now. How, you may ask? Well, who has just added a few Trillion dollars to our national debt in order to benefit a few? I’ll give you a hint, the benefit has not been us, the mostly poor and disenfranchised taxpayer.
When it comes to helping us, the taxpayer, there is no money, but when it comes down to their military, the banksters(think bailouts to the ones responsible for the last economic crash), and the wealthy, then if the money is not there well, just put it on credit. And we, the little tax payers, will pay. which is so ironic, because we taxpayers are and have been socializing the losses while privatizing all the gains. Now this socialism being bestowed upon us by our very own US government. Almost the same way it’s has been done to other countries at one time or another………..
Please let me know if any of this has helped dispel your naivete and/or confusion of what Socialism is and has been all about…………………………..
Again, you’re very knowledgeable with information so I’d be surprised to hear any counter. America is home and a great country however it is not without faults, internally and externally. I’d be surprised if you get a response, per your last paragraph.
Lmao!!!!
CF, like every other Snowflake, is having a straight meltdown over the SCOTUS pick.
You can actually see it happening.
Hilarious!!
As usual Citizen, you’re wrong…
Our new friend Ruiz forgot to mention that Nazism is a form of socialism. In fact, the term Nazi stands for the National Socialist German Workers’ Party. The unspeakable acts of Adolf Hitler’s Nazis though pale in comparison with the horrors committed by the communists in the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and the People’s Republic of China. Between 1917 and 1987, Vladimir Lenin, Josef Stalin and their successors murdered and were otherwise responsible for the deaths of 62 million of their own people. Between 1949 and 1987, China’s communists, led by Mao Zedong and his successors, murdered and were otherwise responsible for the deaths of 76 million Chinese. The most authoritative tally of history’s most murderous regimes is documented on University of Hawaii professor Rudolph J. Rummel’s website and in his book “Death by Government.”
Mao Zedong has been long admired by academics and leftists across our country, as they often marched around singing the praises of Mao and waving his little red book, “Quotations From Chairman Mao Tse-tung.” President Barack Obama’s communications director, Anita Dunn, in her June 2009 commencement address to St. Andrews Episcopal High School at Washington National Cathedral, said Mao was one of her heroes.
Whether it’s the academic community, the media elite, stalwarts of the Democratic Party or organizations such as the NAACP, the National Council of La Raza, Green for All, the Sierra Club and the Children’s Defense Fund, there is a great tolerance for the ideas of socialism – a system that has caused more deaths and human misery than all other systems combined.
Bolivia is run by a self centered socialist thug, no different then any of the others. Telling part of a story is meaningless dude.
Are you sure? Talk about a misfire! Because you went on and on and way off tangent, don’t you think? Come on, only two very vague sentences about my one example? So weak and lame but this is only an indication of someone not willing to engage in an adult and intelligent conversation. Resorting to name calling, “self centered socialist thug”. OK, got it. Check your pistons, cause your misfiring shows something is wrong, unless it’s just a honest defect as supposed to an intentional one, like laziness, willful ignorance or simply being a close minded individual.
I don’t know why there was no reply available to your last bit of manure but I stand by what I said about Morales, want examples, simply ask.
Please enlighten us and explain how Morales is what you’ve made him to be. There is one bit of info that might explain your rationale; he’s been the only President to stand up the US government in such a way that no other one has dared to. President Morales booted out the DEA from his country, imagine that! Oh and what I meant about Correa was that he also dared kicked out the US military from his country by canceling the contracts on the US military bases that had been in Ecuador for waayyyy tooo long. And the best part was that when he was asked why he did what he did, he simply responded that he would allow the US to have military bases in his country whenever the US would allow Ecuador to have a military base in Miami. Let me guess, Correa is just another “self centered socialist thug”, right Mis Fire? But don’t worry, we don’t have to worry about other country’s socialist’s thugs when we have one right here. How’s has the latest “trickle down” tax reform been working for you? Imagine what the cost of these tax reforms are going to cost us! And I did mean us, because we the tax payer will be on the hook for this wonderful multi Trillion dollar socialist program that has been bestowed upon us! Oh and look at all those jobs that just keep coming back to us from other countries! Happy 4th of July in deed!
Communist/ socialists always explain its failure in two ways. 1) pure communism/ socialism hasn’t really been tried yet , or implemented hard enough. 2) capitalists are preventing socialism/communism from succeeding. Considering the scale of the Soviet Union and Communist China’s failure in the mid 20th century these arguments ring hollow and are usually only taken seriously by naive college students and their tenured self serving professors. To quote the great Frank Zappa : “the problem with communism is that people like stuff” nobody wants to live like a 1970s Solviet or Chinese peasant. ( and Go ahead and throw North Korea and Cuba on that pile while your at it)
First off, I think maybe you’re in love with your boy Evo just because he’s ‘indigenous.” I mean, that’s it right? Think the “People” though might even be a little tired of him, no?
Brought the economy up, give him that and why would I care about the C.I.A.? They voted in term limits down there though didn’t they? What did he do? Stack the high court with his pals and invalidate the referendum. He’s turned into a little dictator and the people are not happy with it, coming down hard on people who use to be supporters. Gone after the press as well. He’s gone power happy, like thug socialists types do, hell he’s all friendly with the Venezuela mob, right?
See my little friend, he wants to move toward socialism but the people fought for democracy and have no desire to leave that path.
He even put together a restrictive new penal code that brought a wide array of Bolivians to the streets. Among those he went after, evangelicals, journalists, trade unionists and doctors, who led a 47-day strike that closed hospitals during the year-end holidays and forced a reversal of the measure. Again, what a thug does.
I could write lots more but I think you get my point. Thing is though, as he wants to run again there’s no serious challenge so he pisses the wrong person or people off….well you know. Shit happens down there, just like everywhere else.
Oh, my paycheck is just fine thanks to that tax cut, thanks for asking.