OP/ED

Everyday People

There is a saying “the more things change, the more they remain the same.”

Maybe … maybe not.

Big bands don”t exist anymore. The Lawrence Welk Show, a staple of “50s television, has now moved to the stage in Branson, Mo. You really had to be talented to get a gig on that show in my day. Songs from that day are now referred to as “golden oldies.” Today the Lennon Sisters” children perform in the Welk show. I know, you ask who are the Lennon Sisters? In those days, not only did a performer have to sing and dance, but artists usually played several different musical instruments as well.

The culture of music has changed. Today music programs in public schools have been cut due to funding. Is this culture superior to the culture we are losing?

Today Snoop Dogg has taught us to add ‘izzle’ to the end of many words. Eminem talks about Slim Shady, we have learned that ‘bling bling’ represents $$$, and Beyonce has given us the word ‘bootilicious.’ Can you believe that word is in a dictionary now? These artists have given us a new vocabulary as well as an expression of different talent. Times have changed indeed. Today you definitely have to have rhythm, but you don”t necessarily have to play any instruments. Artists” videos abound on VH1, but what about the band? Where are the bands?

Glen Campbell has made a comeback again. He didn”t make it to Phoenix but he did find his way to a police lineup, as has Bobby Brown. Richard Simmons” exercise has been replaced by P Diddy’s marathons. Captain and Tennille’s love has kept them together. They are on television again only in commercials now, but so is Snoop Dogg.

Sly and the Family Stone’s song “Everyday People” was a song about acceptance. Sly wore platform shoes back then that are now popular again. The band represented and sang about diversity and racial harmony as well as was an early voice for women. This was 30 years ago before Sly became lost to another culture — the drug culture. Sly Stone played numerous musical instruments. He is considered a forerunner to talents such as Earth, Wind and Fire and Stevie Wonder.

The words “psychedelic” and “groovy” were not inventions of Austin Powers. It has been fun to watch the return of flower power and hip huggers as they are worn by a younger generation of flower children. Culture replicating itself?

Recent news suggests that Michael Jackson may be riding “The Last Train to Clarksville.” The Monkees weren’t considered a serious group by some when they made that song a hit. They only provided “vocals.” Isn’t that called lip-synching today? One group not lip-synching its desires is the indigenous people of Ecuador who seem to be taking one of the Monkee”s songs as their own.

These people have sent the message to the oil companies that their new theme song is “I’m Not Your Steppin’ Stone.” More about the new age indigenous people tomorrow and another culture war.

I’m not your steppin’ stone

The Monkees song “I’m Not Your Steppin Stone”seems to be a theme song for the new age indigenous people ofEcuador.

A culture war lurks in Ecuador and it is between the indigenouspeople and an oil company.

It involves the Ecuadorian government, pollution, sickness,indigenous people and an oil company. There is amultibillion-dollar lawsuit involved as well.

The media portrays the indigenous people with painted faces anddressed in traditional costume as they assemble in peaceful protestto fight for their rain forests.

They believe the rain forests belong to them, and they intend tokeep it that way. The indigenous people do not want their rainforests destroyed.

They do not want pipeline running through their native land norbrown crude polluting their rivers. These people are fighting apowerful opponent — an opponent which may have some issueswhich need to be addressed.

The indigenous people of Ecuador have now come into the 21stcentury. They have lawyers filing documents on their behalf as wellas a media relations firm in New York City representing them. Couldthis be the new age indigenous?

Critics accuse the environmental groups of inciting theseindigenous groups to protest. They protest in their traditionalcostumes with painted faces.

Although that vision of these new age indigenous people (with amedia relations firm) protesting is amusing, there is another sideto it. Oil company personnel have been kidnapped and equipmentdamaged.

America has the most blessed culture materialistically, but itmay not be the best culture for all. It certainly isn’talways the best behaved culture. The crime rate in the UnitedStates speaks to that aspect of our culture.

During the Spanish conquest of Mesoamerica, much of the Mayanculture was destroyed.

The superiority of European weapons and the use of calvaryassisted their victories. Their beliefs in the religion of theirhomeland caused them to view the Mayan culture as evil. It was aculture different from their own. The hieroglyphics and stelaerepresented to them demonic possession.

Misunderstood fear led to the destruction of beautifulartwork.

Codices of historical events were burned, losing not onlyhistory but a culture as well. Today archaeologists painstakinglyattempt to unearth and reassemble these lost cultures.

A culture forced upon another culture has led to impoverishedconditions dating back to centuries ago through present day.Impoverished conditions which have resulted in rebellions andrevolutionary movements are still active in the Americas today.

Just this week a group of tourists from Utah visiting Guatemalawere attacked by guerillas and robbed. One man lost his life duringthis attack.

I watched the news coverage of the Vietnam War on televisionduring my high school years. We all waited anxiously as the youngmen received their draft status notifications. Would they be sentto Vietnam?

Some chose to go to Canada instead. Americans learned thatfighting a conventional war in a jungle did not work.

Those who served their country returned home to an entirelydifferent reception than did those who serve today in the militaryaction in Iraq.

Some soldiers serving in the Vietnam conflict wore lovebeads andwrote “F*** the Army” on their helmets – anyway theydid until Col. David Hackworth set them straight. Hack’s bookSteel My Soldiers’ Hearts is a great read about the VietnamWar and the cultures which existed then.

Soldiers serving in that war weren’t sure who the enemywas … could it be the woman working in the rice paddy? Thechild watching from the hut? Would they be required to crawl into atunnel and be killed just because the standard operating procedurescalled for that? SOPs that were followed regardless of deadlyprevious outcome?

The country of Vietnam has centuries of ancestors buried in theland.

Perhaps understanding the culture of that country better duringthat time would have made the land not appear so”haunted” to the soldiers.

Today some veterans of that war live with ghosts. Ghosts broughtabout by which culture? The one in Asia or the one that chose notto accept them when they returned?

I read an article once in John Kennedy Jr.’s magazineGeorge. George was a magazine about politics and culture.

Unfortunately the magazine and its founder are now bothdeceased. The article I mention concerned a conversation betweenJFK Jr. and Gen. Vo Nguyen Giap. Gen. Giap had been the leader ofthe North Vietnamese military during the Vietnam conflict.

Gen. Giap said to JFK that the Vietnamese people wanted peace intheir land at all costs after decades of invasion, and that waswhat drove their passion.

A Vietnamese woman I know lived in Vietnam during that time. Shetold me once that the people were told many things and they had noway of knowing what was the truth. They did not have access to thenewspapers and television as we do today. In a way, that conflictwas also a war among cultures.

SMU now offers a class on the Vietnam War. I understand thestudents are standing in line for that class.

Sometimes in haste, sometimes because of lack of education,prejudice or plain greed, one culture forces its views orphilosophy on people of another culture.

The impact is long lasting and destructive. Is the cultureadopted superior to the one it replaces?

The family group, Sister Sledge, gave us a hit song in the’70s entitled “We Are Family.” Their music beganin the early days in church but has continued through the’70s, ’80s, and into the ’90s with hit songs.

Their music is considered to have unified individuals withdiverse backgrounds. Their hit song “We Are Family” maybe a good theme song for the family of Sen. Strom Thurmond who hasbecome a family united but divided as well, as the truth is setfree. I’ll tell you more about that next week.