The songs, folk and country, have always reflected the many various aspects of actual life situations---real life. It's just people (folks) looking at their innermost feelings and getting it out where it might get handled. It is also, once again, the money motive in action. Sad people often spend their cash on alcohol. So the vicious circle feeds on itself. Bar owners and booze makers and any other drug dealers know their clientele are often pretty sad people ready to part with the moolah to alter their downer perceptions.

Here in La Salle County Illinois, our congressman Frank Mautino's family controls just about all of the liquor distribution there is in these parts. Interestingly, as I've mentioned before, this county is also the one with the highest rate of per capita alcoholism in the entire United Atates Of America !! If that ain't a conflict of interest, I don't know what is. Again, as with pop, country, folk, classical, whatever---it is the $$$$$ that prime the pump and keep the machine going.

Gamblers die by their own hands all the time---trying to score the big $$$$$. Folks who listen to country music spend big cash--while the pushers of the music live like kings and queens. Still, though, the music reflects what the listeners want to hear---a glamorized version of their sorry lives that makes those lives seem, somehow, cool.

That noted, to me it seems that just "is what is". Stuff goes down and we try to deal with it --- or we don't. I don't doubt that country music causes fragile folks to cross the line and do harm to themselves. Still, the songs are good once in a long while---and real documents of what's happening here and now. It's life turned to art. After all is said and done, it's up to us individually to try to keep a calm and cool vision of what's going down.

And that is why I am voting for JOHN KERRY !!!

If Geo. Bush wins, just too damn many good people with decent instincts otherwise might be tempted to listen to this tripe that is called country music now with dire effects. Oh, the humanity! ;-)

Love,

Art Thieme