In an effort to overturn the current administration and restore democracy to the White House, members of the entertainment industry are going on tour. Stars like Bruce Springteen will be joining the Dixie Chicks, the Dave Matthews Band, R.E.M., Pearl Jam and other pop stars for MoveOn PAC's Vote for Change Tour.
It's no secret, the purpose of this tour is to make John Kerry the next president.
Groups like R.E.M. have always been political. In addition to their support for organizations like Greenpeace, R.E.M. has used their music to make a statement. Albums like "Automatic for the People" and "Life's Rich Pageant" include songs about envronmental issues, homelessness, and government corruption. Pearl Jam has written songs and spoken out against hunger and poverty.
Until we get a new adminstration, none of America's problems either at home or abroad will be addressed. Wages for the average American worker have been steadily declining since Reagan-Bush won the election in 1980. The Republicans have done nothing to stop this, and I think we all realize that giving tax breaks to greedy corporations and the wealthiest Americans will not solve the problem. But maybe Rocking the Vote will.
Musicians have a special interest in politics. As their music conveys a message, protections of civil liberties, such as those guaranteed by the First Amendment, is particularly important. Since we live in an age where Linda Rhondstat can be booed off the stage in a casino in Las Vegas for dedicating a song to Michael Moore, we know that the right to free speech is in jeopardy.
Bruce Springsteen understands the danger of allowing the current administration to stay in power. He was recently quoted: "It's an emergency intervention. We need to get an administration that is more attentive to the needs of all its citizens, that has a saner foreign policy, that is more attentive to environmental concerns."
It's no secret that the current administration is out to serve the interests of big business and the wealthy. George Bush's recent slight against African-Americans did not go unnoticed. He refused to speak to the NAACP. After President Kerry accepted an invitation to address the group, Bush decided to make a speech to the Urban League, an organization comprised primarily of wealthy African-American business owners.
We must put an end to the current administration. They have already stolen one election and threaten to do the same in November. This is not the kind of government that our forefather's envisioned. The government is supposed to be "for the people, of the people, and by the people." Our forefather's wanted a government in which every person's vote counted; not the kind of debacle we saw in the last election in which votes for the Democratic candidate were thrown into dumpsters behind polling stations. Government by the people means that Bush doesn't just get to steal an election because he's got friends in high places. It doesn't mean that Cheney gets to go to war to help Halliburton's bottom line; and it doesn't mean that Republicans get to make decisions that only favor the wealthy.
To make a change you need to get out and vote. And, it does matter who you vote for. You must vote for the Democratic candidate to restore Jeffersonian democracy to America. We can't afford to have votes wasted again on Ralph Nader. Support John Kerry and Rock the Vote!!!
For more information about the MoveOn PAC's Vote for Change Tour, click on the links below:
http://dailytelegraph.news.com.au/story.jsp?sectionid=1267&storyid=1730906
