Cmon, Kevin. With all respect to you (I have a great deal of respect for your views), that is a gratuitous statement of the first order. John Walker Lindh never came out of white Christian America. He came out of multi-cultural, middle class, multi religious tradition, multi colored, mult valued, and endlessly diverse, America. His parents were "do your own thing" refugees from the 60's, living in an area that has many others of the same type of beliefs or lack thereof. NOTICE:I am not rendering any judgements in that statement, as some of it applies to me, some doesn't. It is simply a statement That is something that those of you who don't live here, but constantly tell us what is wrong with us need to deal with. Ours is a country where "do your own thing" is a mantra (sometimes said differently, but essentially the same message)embraced by all segments from the beginning.

Good for Steve Earle. That is our job. As bards of this era, we must take on the controversies that lead to jingoism and xenophobia. If anything is missing during these times, it is the questioning voice of those that hear with different ears and see with different eyes, expressed through the voices of our bards. The prospect of where this so called "war on terrorism" could lead without the voices of reasoned dissent are truly frightening. I am struggling now with a song which questions the whole concept of a "war on terrorism". I am a warrior. I have made my bones. I understand completely about how to fight an enemy. But I don't understand how we can be at war with a concept. And who decides what is terrorism and what is a fight against a legitimate oppressor. If taking up arms against a concept that "threatens the stability of, indeed the existence of, our way of life", then why can't I take up arms against the corporate thieves of Worldcom, Enron, Nortel, et al, who have reduced folks whole working lives to naught, while they run off not just unscathed but profitting? Is this not terrorism of the first order?

I say again. Hooray and God bless Steve Earle for being a brave bard. I hope that I can take his example and build on it for the issues that I hold dear. It is our time, my friends. We must start raising our "voices of struggle" in order that we can cause others to think and not be a herd.

Mick