I am a New Yorker. I WILL be in my ususal place in Central Park this coming Sunday, August 29th.
I am David Ippolito. (Go ahead - google me)
Yeah, yeah I've been reading all the articles in the paper about the city and Mayor Bloomberg trying to keep people out of the park while the Republicans are here. But, I'M gonna be there.... doing what I always do... singing the songs we love. Mostly the songs I've recently written. But, some by James Taylor, Harry Chapin, Bob Dylan, Neil Young... and, lots of others. And, like I have for the past 13 years, I'll be singing about what's in my heart... and, on my mind.
It just so happens that a few of the things that are in my heart and on my mind these days are... um.. y'know...Love... kindness... um... duplicity... war... a dangerous and morally bankrupt man who holds the presidency, surrounded by the most dangerous adminisrtration of my lifetime...
Y'know... just stuff like that.
So, I guess I'll be singing about all that stuff on Sunday, too. No big deal.
It a little scary in a way, though. (But, not for the obvious reasons. I ain't sweatin' the crowd. I believe the people descending on New York to be a PEACEFUL crowd.)
But, I'm heading to the park because, as Benjamin Franklin said, "They who would give up an essential liberty for temporary security, deserve neither security nor liberty."
Let me tell you a quick story...
Years ago, I was getting a little perturbed at the police operating check points on the way to the beach for drunk driving. They would block of three lanes of traffic on Wantagh Parkway and check each vehicle as it came through. It would back up traffic for miles, and all I wanted to do was get to the beach.
I spoke with a good, good friend of mine who is a State Police officer and he was defending the action. I said, "Yeah, but isnt it a violation of my rights."
He worked his way through a very gray and murky area about illegal search or detainment, much of that argument with which I still disagree. But, then I said something about my "right" to drive.
He said, "No. Driving is not a 'right'. You've never heard that someone had their driving 'rights' suspended. The state can suspend your driving 'privilieges'. You don't have a 'right' to drive. It's not in the Constitution. You are granted driving privileges."
I never forgot that. Because I was wrong about something... and, I learned something.
But, the other day... I read a statement from the Mayor of New York, Michael Bloomberg, which is pretty consistent with the Republican attitude about our country these days. He's been talking alot about the rights of Americans to protest, to assemble, to voice dissent. One day, he made ominous comments about free speech at a news conference, saying that if people "start to abuse our privileges, then we lose them."
No.
Somebody oughta tell him.
Freedom of Speech is NOT a "privilege".
It is our "right".
And, it IS in the Constitution.
I'll see you in the park next Sunday.
And, I hope every single person in the New york area reading this right now makes plans to show up at the "CONCERT FOR CHANGE" on Wednesday night, September 1st.
Find out about the September 1st cocnert here:
http://www.thatguitarman.comPeace