A World of Pop. Pop Goes the Weasel. Pop Corn. Soda Pop. Pop Star. All Poppy Cock.

When I first began playing music for money, I was startled there was a protocol to which you had to adhere. Society, the people for which we were playing had a routine. To be accepted as a part of this group even as an employee, you had to become part of its status quo. Because we were in the Old South its model was that of Slavery Era plantation life. There were the wealthy elite land owners, and there were the workers. The only difference was post Civil War the workers actually earned money for their labor. The social fabric of the group still consisted of elite and servants. As was customary in the Slavery Era, you had a choice of survival. You could choose to serve that white man and be happy about your freedom from slavery, or you could revolt against the Old Money. Most black folks probably found it easier to maintain a semblance of slavery-like behavior, because that was to what Massah was accustomed. Makes waves or try to upset the status quo and the Klan could be alerted. You would only make it harder on yourself to rebel against the norm, the norm being Old Money. This is a social class system, and it has many short comings. For monetary reasons it could be worthwhile to overlook the humiliation of being treated as a subordinate, but at the spiritual level it becomes much more complex issue. Would God smile at the image of black men being treated as inferior to white men? Would the founding fathers of this nation, the United States of America, smile upon the same image? “All men are created equal,” as the Declaration of Independence states. Although it may be assumed all men are created equal, that does not predispose man to specific delegated sets of behaviors and emotions. Freedom by definition is the privilege to do as one pleases with no control by others. That means spiritual freedom is a major component of freedom, but that is not being exercised readily in America. There is a common dynamic in our country that is being blasted at us day and night that represents nothing. It is stealth and elusive, but it is strong. Some interpret this force as a government of “fear and intimidation.” Conversely it appears to me our government itself is fearful. Fear is universal and like a disease can be contagious. Might it finally be true humans are tired of living in fear? When the tables are turned, when the terrorism is pinpointed, and when the masses unite to form the pursuit of a common good could it be fear finally becomes an unnecessary burden? Do we not have enough to worry about in the world today without living in fear of our neighbor? What is fear? Fear could be described as an emotional feeling of detachment from our own psyches. Where do we gain self-confidence? How do we live in peace and serenity? It is because our emotions provide us with a template that determines our reactions. When our emotions are being intentionally “tweaked” by some unknown force, then we become fearful simply because we do not know what it is that is creating the stimulus to cause our reaction. If we work hard to know what is causing our emotional reaction, it becomes easier to live a peaceful life of self-understanding. When we are being stimulated by a barrage of extraneous stimuli, we become confused and therefore fearful. America at the moment is providing too much emotional stimulus. The stimulus she is providing is not healthy. Everyday our sensibilities are being challenged by unknown forces, and those are not just terrorists. To qualify as human we must be open to new experiences and therefore emotional responses. The challenge is how not to live life in the little black box while keeping away the myriad of negative stimulus that exists in modern day America. Conservative could be thought of as blind and diligent allegiance to the past. Liberal could be seen as the Progressive Movement in American government. A balance must be found that confronts the problems of the future of the United States, but retains an allegiance to practices that have been beneficial to our country. Extremism should not enter the picture at all. Extreme allegiance to the “right” or the “left” has proven to be a mockery in our governmental system. How could a country become so polarized if it were not an allegiance to the model of the plantation south during the Slavery Era? What could be more polarized than the relationship between master and slave? What could cause more disparity in the human race than a false understanding that one ethnicity is superior to another? These tangible and remaining sentiments of the Old South are an embarrassment to our country. Believing that one particular social group is elite because of the money they earn is ludicrous. Likewise the spirituality or emotional sentiments maintained in this class cannot be representative of the mainstream in America, because the majority of Americans are not wealthy. An increasing number are becoming wealthy, but the majority should rule. It is a disservice that the freedom of expression is being constantly pummeled into that little black box. Metrosexuality and its submissive nature should be blasted into orbit along with the idea that government is going to actually take care of the people. Americans need to be strong, and that means rejecting the submissive suggestions of an inclusive television community. To prosper in America boundaries must be continually reshaped and broken. Acknowledging some unseen force or a highly visible force at work in media is somehow superior to our own opinions is to undermine the future of America. Because of the lack of support and interest in our pubic schools, no one is being taught how to question the status quo. We on the other hand feel an unconscious need to fit in and therefore be supportive of the leadership in our country. When that leadership fails us, because of consciousness we are placed between a rock and a hard place. How do we provide moral support to our country and attempt to build a community when the very infrastructure upon which that is built is corrupt? That is why faith in our government is important. When the population loses faith in government, media cannot provide the substitute. The purpose of media is to watchdog real life and provide entertainment. They are not equipped with the intellect, philosophy, or spirituality to lead a nation. Only artists are capable of this task, and a free-thinking, freely expressing artistic community should be nurtured and revered for the tasks they are able to accomplish. Leadership must come from somewhere, and what better place than a group of seeing, feeling, and open artists with their eyes and ears on the pulse of America. It’s too bad this deservedly elite group is being challenged everyday by the onslaught of pop sentimentality. We as the human race are meant to question, and for this reason the traditional formulas of media production need to be replaced with probing inquisitiveness about a happy state of enlightenment that can still exist in American society. It can only start with renewed faith in a renewed federal government.