Dick; i think, and hope that we are talking at cross purposes. If you are a regular visitor to the Willie Clancy School and are interested in song I feel sure we must have met - if across a crowded room. J M is also a valued friend of ours.
I have no objection at all if you are suggesting that there are circumstances in which political songs aren't sung, no argument - but the same goes for other songs - I like bawdy and erotic songs, but am aware that there are occasions when they would be inappropriate.
Also, I too have no time for drunken louts who roar out 'Kevin Barry or Not A Word of No Surrender in an open session.
Where I do have a problem is the blanket condemnation of such songs - especially in a UK folk club, which is, in my opinion, the natural home of such songs. If they can't be sung there, they can't be sung anywhere.
I keep claiming (and you keep ignoring) that political songs are part of our historical and cultural heritage - I have no idea whether you agree or disagree. Whether we like it or not, politics touch every second of our lives; do we not have a right to comment on the influence it has?
A handful of real-life scenarios:
The year after the hunger strikers died Séamus Mac Mathúna stood up on the stage at the Song Recital during the Willie Clancy week and sang his (I think) tribute to them, 'O Hara, Hughes, McCreesh and Sands' - was he right to do so?
Around the same time our old friend, traditional singer sang 'Kevin Barry' - was he right to do so?
At the height of the 'Troubles' in London, a club we were involved in booked one of my all-time favourite Northern Irish singers (now living in Glasgow) astounded us all by singing 'Not a Word of No Surrender' - was he right to do so?
Some years ago we released a double CD of our Clare field recordings which included six political songs - were we right to do so?
Personally I find the term 'guitar brandishing lefties sowing their distrust & hatred!' highly offensive - would you find political songs sung unnacompanied by righties or non-politicos acceptible?
You are condemning a whole genre of songs solely on the basis of your own political inclinations and personal tastes - I also find that highly offensive.
You continue to suggest that people sing such songs to provoke - again, I find that offensive; who are you or I to decide why people sing such songs; in my experience, singers choose their material because it means something to them. How dare you condemn people for expressing their views.
And why should anti- Viet Nam was songs be any more relevant in London than Belfast - didn't Northerners care about what was happening in South East Asia _ I know several of them who cared very much and said so.
You are right when you say there is a time and a place for everything, but that is up to the singers to decide not you or I.
Your argument comes over as political censorship - a dangerous thing at any time.
Jim Carroll