Musings and More from the Pen of Jo Alice.... free form


the music industry . . .


There was a time that I was NOT in favor of downloading music for free -then the Musicians Union cut back some major funding for the Union, and blamed us working Musicians, for the recording industry's demise ... when we have been the victims of their abuses.

So when the band I am in Saturday Night Bath got less money for going into the trenches and playing for the neglected at risk schools and probation camps and the like, I felt totally OK with it. And thank God Michael Jackson, Don Henley, Sheryl Crow and the like are coming out against the Record Industry's rip-off policies. I admire Ani di Franco for being such an establishment without the establishment, and that she has been able toexpand her Righteous Babe company. I hope all musicians follow her example.

There is a way to get our music out there without the Corporations manipulating us.

The trajedy of 911...

In response to an email from a Candian friend after the attacks of September 11 on the World Trade Center...I am so glad this Canadian thinks so highly of America. God Bless America. I love America, it is my beautiful prescious home. I am so grateful for all it stands for, and the wonderful luxuries some of us can afford, ( i.e.:running water, toilet paper, clothing, food, shelter the love of my husbandand children and some friends)

I don't take anything for granted anymore.Ever since I lost my 19 year old to Bone cancer, which is most likely causedby man made pollution. I still miss him terribly but I don't forget to count my blessings everyday.

I am horrified as all of us are at the terrorist insanity, and capability to attack the most powerful country in the world. I also am shocked that the U.S has spent $283 billion dollars a year, and add $40 billion more for defense, and yet we are defenseless in such an assault. (Now it's more like $360 plus billion)

I know there are some things the U.S. has done since it's inception that may have led to this, although I do not condone it or never in my lifetime would wish it on anyone anywhere.

To back track - in response to the thousands of times the great U.S. of A. has helped people all over the world, I would like us to remember the many times it has been guilty of atrcocities not that much unlike the one we have just experienced or witnessed on American soil.

The Native Americans - there were more than 500 tribes. Wiped out almost entirely. What have they got to show for our kindness? We don't have many that have been able to afford decent education , much less, health care, jobs and decent living.

The Africans were stolen from their homes, their loved ones to be treated worse than cattle here in the US and sold and murdered without consequence ??

Hitler had not been the enemy until he had already exterminated millions of Jews and those who opposed him

I am so proud my dad, Ben Banta served in WWII and saw how Americans treated the Natives of foreign land and was disgusted, he was also disgusted how his own family disliked the Native Americans that were his friends, and always welcomed him as if he was family. The Japanese had surrendered just before Truman ordered the bombs that destroyed Hiroshima and Nagasaki, where consequences are still felt today, decades later. The Vietnamese, and in Cambodia more than 6 million were killed, and gave up their lives to defend themselves for their country and we lost almost 170,000 Americans who were enlisted by force as their was a "draft" then when all young men 18 and up were obliged to go fight for "Our Country".Vietnam Vets are still outcasts after they fought for our Country. They were not given a heros welcome. Today there are many countries who have experienced the side of America no one wants to see.

I have not learned this from only one source of information, I have read many books on these subjects, and have heard from the sources themselves and seen documentaries about how the U.S . is not so nice to the rest of the world. We were allies with Asama Bin Laden when we were against the Soviet Union in the cold war. There are many facts America won't want to know but won't accept either that no one is innocent. You reep what you sow eventually. We continued to blast Iraq daily after the Gulf War, our own service men and women are still suffering from Gulf war syndrom and are ignored.

There are many more atrocities that our U.S. government has committed and for US to get revenge on all the countries for "harboring terrorists" 26 countries plus the U.S will have to be included. We trained Bin Laden right here on our soil with our tax dollars at the School of the Americas, where many dictators have been trained. Chile's Pinochet, Noriega, Aristide of Haiti, if you hear what they took back with them from their U.S, training you may agree with me, and admit that we have also harbored terrorists. There are 50,000 here in the US.

I am so angry that so many innocent died on our soil, and the revenge we seek will not change the event, more innocent lives will be taken, and more devistation. With such a great defense system that has cost us $283 billion plus per year, 7 times more than any country in the world - what has that and what will that do for the damage done. Nothing. That money needs to be spent on ending terrorism for sure, and also ending the ignorance in whatever way possible.

I don't have any answers, but I don't think we should ignore our history, and we should eventually learn from our mistakes. If it is one thing I have learned living it is to constantly stay in the NOW and the POSITIVE, and work towards a better world, one person at a time.