Myth America: A Stand-up Tragedy

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By Mickey Z. (about the author) Page 9 of 9 page(s)

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This is much more than most of us have been willing to do so far, but we need this commitment. We need the type of commitment displayed by Bob Marley back in 1973. There was a politically motivated assassination attempt on his life and two days later, there he was, up on stage at a giant outdoor concert. He was asked how he could get back on stage just two days after nearly being killed. His answer: “The bad people trying to make the world worse never take a day off, so why should I?”

This is the kind of focus and courage and persistence and perception what we desperately need. If you choose this path, you may find yourself called a "radical"—as if it were an insult. I say: Wear that label with pride. The Latin origin of "radical" is the same as the Latin origin of the word "root." A radical is one who gets to the root of things. Plus, as Martin Luther King told us many years ago: "When you're right, you can never be too radical."

I sometimes end of that MLK quote but I have a little more tonight. I’ll take for granted that most of you are somewhat familiar with the book or film, The Grapes of Wrath. It tells the story of families thrown off their land during the Great Depression…in particular the Joad family. The Joads head out looking for work and suffer terrible indignities until tom, the oldest son, starts to organize and fight back.

He knows his work will put his family in danger s he decides to sneak away…but his mother catches him. She and Tom were very close and she worries how she will know if he’s okay. Tom’s reply is one of the greatest little speeches in literary and film history. In his song, “The Ghost of Tom Joad,” Bruce Springsteen embellishes this speech a bit and I’d like to share that with you.

Tom’s Mom asks: “How will I know where you are? How will I know you’re okay?” Here is how Springsteen sang his answer:

Tom said "Ma, wherever there's a cop beatin' a guy
Wherever a hungry newborn baby cries
Where there's a fight 'gainst the blood and hatred in the air
Look for me Ma, I'll be there
Wherever there's somebody fightin' for a place to stand
Or decent job or a helpin' hand
Wherever somebody's strugglin' to be free
Look in their eyes, Ma, you'll see me, you’ll see me”

Thank you for listening…

Mickey Z. is the author of several books, most recently CPR for Dummies (Raw Dog Screaming Press) and No Innocent Bystanders (CWG Press). He can be found on the Web at http://www.mickeyz.net.

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Mickey Z. can be found on the Web at http://www.mickeyz.net.

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