Highschool band investigated for singing Dylan song.

[Swede]

What is going on? Is this becoming some kind of Orwellian snitch society?

"It's just Bob Dylan's song. We were just singing Bob Dylan's song … If you think it has to do with Bush that's because you're drawing your own conclusions. We never conveyed that Bush was the person we were talking about," said Allysse Wojtanek-Watson, a singer for the band.



http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=247437&page=1

[Stephanie]

1. Those Boulder kids are going to save the world

I love them!

And the song - my sentiments exactly:

The 1963 song ends with the lyrics: "You might say that I'm young. You might say I'm unlearned, but there's one thing I know, though I'm younger than you, even Jesus would never forgive what you do … And I hope that you die and your death'll come soon. I will follow your casket in the pale afternoon. And I'll watch while you're lowered down to your deathbed. And I'll stand o'er your grave 'til I'm sure that you're dead."

[ET Awful]

2. What an outrageous load of shit.

Does this mean that they would raid a radio station that played Dylan's original song? Are they going to ban sales of the "Freewheelin' Bob Dylan" album?

Where does this bullshit end?

[marew]

3. Unfrigging believable!

The beginnings of totalitarian oppressive state? Bush would be delighted. How many times has * made references to being a dictator?

[MadHound]

4. What a load! Heaven forbid a group of kids honor one of America's greats

By performing his song. What the hell is this country coming to(don't answer, sad to say, I already know). If I were Dylan, I'd come to this little talent show, and sit in with the Coalition of the Willing. It would put a real screw to the parents and their rat fink kiddies who called this in, and give the SS a bit of a pause to.

Sheesh, if anything is remotely critical, no matter how small, it now must be crushed. Welcome to facsist America, where the citizens do the government's work for them.

[BlazeCarson5]

5. Yeah thats pretty crazy

I live about 15 mins from boulder, this happened a little while ago but i was at a show at the Fox Theatre in Boulder and people were talking about it, the band even said something about it ... pretty nuts

[derby378]

6. Next on the SS list: WITH GOD ON OUR SIDE (n/t)

[progressoid]

7. Gives me hope for the future even while the Orwellian part creeps me out

[RaleighNCDUer]

8. Well, they should have stuck to something safe, like showtunes.

"Tomorrow Belongs to Me" comes to mind.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

9. See the irony (and the typical Repub self pity?)

The conservative students want to suppress the band's song because they feel "oppressed" in the overwhelmingly liberal atmosphere of Boulder. :grr:

[DencoDeeger]

10. I live in Colorado...

...and you don't quite have the entire story.

[rman]

11. are we now supposed to ask:

"what is the entire story?"

[pbeal]

12. so educate us

If we didn't have the Whole story maybe you could be a little less cryptic and fill us in on whats missing.

[sandnsea]

13. Please share

We're all ears.

[DencoDeeger]

14. What the original article failed to mention...

Is that the reason the secret service came to the school was because a teacher who was in the band (called "The Taliband"), called for the assasination of Bush during the song and there were many complaints about it.

It is the Secret Service's job to follow up on all such threats, no matter how small or insignificant they may be, that is why there they were there. They came and asked a few questions about it and left...not a big deal really.

But...I will say that no matter your political ideology. That teacher was way in the wrong for doing that.

[H2O Man]

15. Thank goodness

that you became a DUer today, just in time to share that information that isn't included in the news media reports. Where did you learn this? If it is true, and we obviously have no reason to doubt the word of a person who joined today, do you have a link?

I was upset enough by the thoughts of kids singing Bob Dylan songs. Better to nip it in the bud. What will it lead to? Motown?

[donhakman]

16. OFFICIAL SONGS ONLY PLEASE

[DencoDeeger]

17. That's hilarious!

Ashcroft could open for him on tour...

"Let the eagle soar...."

[donhakman]

20. 1-800 snitch

[DencoDeeger]

18. Why the nastiness....

You were new here once too I assume.

I'm well aware this was all in the media. But it wasn't mentioned here in this thread.

[madfloridian]

19. I recommend you look up the lyrics to Bob Dylan's great songs.

You sound sadly unaware of the past.

[Occulus]

21. Yes, but- link to the additional info?

Please?

[sandnsea]

27. I'm nasty to all idiots

Whatever their persuasion.

[wtmusic]

22. Any link to your info

usually required here for verification, FYI

[RaleighNCDUer]

23. Please read the linked artical provided by the original poster --

before you start making shit up.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

24. It's part of the song.

"....And I hope that you die and your death'll come soon. I will follow your casket in the pale afternoon. And I'll watch while you're lowered down to your deathbed. And I'll stand o'er your grave 'til I'm sure that you're dead."

Just like Dylan wrote it.

[RaleighNCDUer]

25. 35 years ago. n/t

[sandnsea]

26. I read the article

Which said they decided not to call it the Taliband, that no teacher performed during the show and that the lyrics were never changed during rehearsal. I just do not understand what is wrong with this country when a citizen could approve of sending the FBI to investigate a high school protest band. What is wrong with your head???

[VOX]

29. "A teacher...called for the assassination of *" = TOTALLY INACCURATE!!!!!!

Your allegation that a teacher said this is utterly untrue. All the teacher did was assist the band kids in an election protest. Per the Denver Post, an unidentified woman claimed that her daughter allegedly heard band members say this, which all smacks a bit of Lillian Hellman's "Children's Hour" -- kids' innuendo, hearsay and lies spiraling out of control.

(From a Lexis-Nexis search -- sorry, can't link.)
The Denver Post - November 12, 2004 Friday
SECTION: DENVER & THE WEST; Pg. B-05
LENGTH: 319 words
HEADLINE: "Threats" bring feds to Boulder High Secret Service agents arrive after claims that Bush's life was threatened The principal says the teens were rehearsing ``Masters of War,'' a protest song by Bob Dylan, for a talent show.
BYLINE: George Merritt Denver Post Staff Writer
<snip>
The dispute spread across talk radio Thursday morning when the mother of a student called Peter Boyle's' show on KHOW 630-AM and reported the threats.

The woman - who did not give her real name on the air - said her daughter had heard members of a band say, "George Bush, I hope you die, and I hope you die soon" and "I'll stand over your grave."

She said the students had chosen "Taliband" as their band's name - referencing the former Afghan government called the Taliban.
<snip>
The band's act also included images of war and President Bush in the background.

Among those playing with the band was teacher Jim Vacca.

Vacca aided a group of students last week who held a sit-in overnight in the library to protest Bush's re-election.

Band drummer Gordon Koch said that while he thought it was ridiculous, he didn't mind all the attention the performance has garnered.

"Now everyone knows what a big, malicious, jealous lie this was," he said.

[LanternWaste]

30. Is the story wrong?

Story says that the students only gave consideration to the name "TaliBand" but decided against it after talking with a teacher so as not to offend anyone. The story says that the name ultimately agrred upon was "Coalition of the Willing".

Additionally, the story reports that the "assasination request" was merely the lyrics of the song as originally written by Dylan.

Is the story wrong?

[Bridget Burke]

28. Link, please.

Oh, and welcome to DU....