As Rick mentioned, Grit Laskin's masterpiece "In the Blood" is a very powerful song.
I also agree that much of the problem has to do with the desensitization we are constantly bombarded with from Network News Drama. How much passion can you feel for an issue when the television live coverage of death and violence assures a numbing to our system.
Deadening the emotions does not make for good song writing.

But then there are people like Grit who can cut clear through to a current issue. So, not all is a lost cause.

Bonnie