Mellencamp: Time to Take Back Our Country

[Say_What]

On edit: Oops make that an "e"

Yes. THAT John Mellencamp and wife Elaine

<clips>

As the echo of the war drums fades away and the angry masses calling for blood slowly disperse, we, as a nation must now confront the truth. We face the unpleasant reality of an uncertain future, compromised safety, a failing economy, and the question of how a society of otherwise reasonable citizens was systematically lied to and manipulated into backing the political "hijacking" of Iraq.

Before a single bomb was ever dropped, some of us, formerly called the "anti-American and unpatriotic," have questioned or opposed this war. Now, each day, as the dust settles and the truth slowly surfaces, more and more people come to the inevitable conclusion of what a debacle this whole war was.

39,000 bombs later, no weapons of mass destruction uncovered, no dangerous dictators captured, no connection to Sept 11. What have we gained but relentless media coverage of a fallen statue and some stolen oil fields -- the spoils of this misadventure. Not to mention lucrative corporate payoffs and an enormous price tag of over 80 Billion dollars . . . some tax cut.

But what have we lost? We have lost the lives of over 300 Americans. Approximately 2 U.S. troop deaths each day, 193 deaths since the war was declared over. In total, an estimated 20,000 people have died, thus far, in this conflict.

http://www.counterpunch.org/mellencamp10202003.html

[Bluzmann57]

1. I always liked Mellencamp...

now I like him a little bit more. Hope he didn't commit career suicide though.

[Say_What]

3. First the Dixie Chicks now Mellencamp. When the music starts

to put into words what the majority of us are saying, it could be the start of something BIG.

[Kolesar]

2. "I need a leader who won't drive me crazy"

I am impressed. I lived in Indiana for three years, and my impression of the populace was--how shall I say?--not so good. Snotty suburban college kids and uptight evangelical types. Well, John has changed my mind and given me hope.

[shrike]

5. I've lived in Indiana for seven years

and I like it. The people are unpretentious and down-to-earth, not to mention friendly. Where did you live in our fine state?

[Kolesar]

7. I went to Purdue in West Lafayette for three years: 1978-81.

The racism, religious intolerance, and homophobia spewed by the other students was truly insufferable. In all fairness, I think that all of America has become more enlightened on these topics in the last two decades, so perhaps it is not appropriate to compare 1978 Indiana to 2003 America.

Students used to brag about beating up fags and Iranian students. While I was there, some students burned a cross in the lawn of one of the black fraternities. This makes me wonder what sort of conversations happened around the dinner table in those students' homes when they were children. Recall that the GOP and the government of Indiana was taken over by KKK members in the 1920s. Their parents were probably Klan members themselves and would have approved of such intimidating behavior.

I met a lot of nice people who lived in and around Indianapolis, so I should not say the whole state was bad.

[shrike]

8. Yeah, that's all true about the KKK

I live in northern Indiana outside of Chicago, which is a democratic stronghold and ethnically diverse. Haven't spent much time in Lafayette, but knowing what I do about that part of the state, wouldn't surprise me if at least some of that atmosphere still exists there.

[Momof1]

4. He was on tv a few weeks ago

On CMT Crossroads, with Kenny Chesney. On the interview portion, Mellencamp stated that it is the right and the purpose of artists to sing about American life, and whats wrong with it. That is what troubadors have done for years.

And of course he defended the chicks...

[bpilgrim]

6. To Washington ------------------------------------- MP3

http://globalfreepress.com/mp3/AntiBush/mellencamp.com

peace

[Say_What]

9. Lyrics and Rolling Stone article

John Mellencamp To Washington lyrics
Eight years of peace and prosperity
Scandal in the White House
An election is what we need
From coast-to-coast to Washington

So America voted on a president
No one kept count
On how the election went
From Florida to Washington

Goddamn, said one side
And the other said the same
Both looked pretty guilty
But no one took the blame
From coast-to-coast to Washington

So a new man in the White House
With a familiar name
Said he had some fresh ideas
But it's worse now since he came
From Texas to Washington

And he wants to fight with many
And he says it's not for oil
He sent out the National Guard
To police the world
From Baghdad to Washington

What is the thought process
To take a humans life
What would be the reason
To think that this is right
From heaven to Washington
From Jesus Christ to Washington

http://www.lyricsdir.com/j/john-mellencamp/to-washington.php

---

Veteran rocker John Mellencamp is at work in his Bloomington, Indiana, studio on an album of traditional blues and folk songs for release later this year. On the still-untitled set, he covers blues legends Robert Johnson and Howlin' Wolf as well as folk balladeer Woody Guthrie.

For "From Washington," Mellencamp updated the lyrics of Guthrie's traditional "Baltimore to Washington" to fit in the context of the imminent conflict with Iraq. According to the New York Times, the lyrics include:

http://www.rollingstone.com/news/newsarticle.asp?nid=17675