From Pearl Jam News July 16, 2014, statement by musician Eddie
Vedder
Copied with minor edit by Carolyn Bennett
I don’t know how to process the guilt and complicity I feel when
hearing of the deaths of civilian families, resulting from strikes by U.S.
drones; but I know we cannot let sadness turn to apathy. I do know we are better
off when we reach out to one other.
Imagine That—I’m Still Anti-War
Most
of us have heard John Lennon sing: ‘You may say I’m a dreamer… but I’m not the
only one.’
And some of us, after another morning dose of news coverage
full of death and destruction, feel the need to reach out to others to see if we
are not alone in our outrage. With about a dozen assorted ongoing conflicts in
the news every day, with the stories becoming more horrific—the level of
sadness becomes unbearable.
What becomes of our planet when … sadness becomes apathy? Because we feel helpless, we turn our heads
and turn the page.
… I’m full of hope.
That hope springs from the multitude of people that our band
has been fortunate enough to play for night after night…. To see flags of so
many different nations; to have huge crowds gather peacefully and joyfully is the
exact inspiration behind the words I felt the need to emphatically relay.
When attempting at a rock concert to make a plea for more
peace in the world, we are reflecting the feelings of all those we have come in
contact with—so that we may all have a better understanding of each other.
That’s not something I’m going to stop anytime soon.
Call
me naïve. I’d rather be naïve, heartfelt, and hopeful than resigned to say nothing
for fear of misinterpretation and retribution.
The majority of human beings on this planet are more
consumed with the pursuit of love, health, family, food and shelter than with any
kind of war.
War
hurts.
It hurts no matter on which sides the bombs fall.
|
W
|
ith all the global achievements in modern technology, enhanced
communication and information devices, cracking the human genome, land rovers
on Mars … ─ do we really have to resign ourselves to the devastating reality
that conflict will be resolved with bombs, murder, acts of barbarism? We are such a remarkable species: Capable of
creating beauty ● Capable of awe-inspiring advancements. 
We must be capable of resolving conflicts without bloodshed.
I don’t know how to reconcile the peaceful rainbow of flags
we see each night at our concerts with the daily news of a dozen global conflicts
and their horrific consequences. I don’t know how to process the feeling of
guilt and complicity when I hear about the deaths of a civilian family from a
U.S. drone strike.
But I know that we can’t let the sadness turn into apathy. I
do know we are better off when we reach out to each other.
‘I
hope someday you’ll join us…’ Won’t you listen to what the Lennon said?
— Eddie Vedder —
Further notes
http://pearljam.com/news/0/1/22387/imagine_that_--_i%E2%80%99m_still_anti-war
An Illinois-born American musician “known for his social and
political views” and famously “known for his distinctive and powerful vocals” (on
compilation by Rolling Stone ranked at #7 on a list of ‘Best Lead Singers of
All Time’), Eddie Vedder is “best known for being the lead vocalist and one of
three guitarists of the alternative rock band Pearl Jam.” Ament, Gossard, and
McCready formed Pearl Jam in 1990 and “recruited
Vedder and three different drummers in sequence.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eddie_Vedder
A lifelong American writer and writer/activist (former academic and staffer with the U.S. government in Washington), Dr. Carolyn LaDelle Bennett is credentialed in education and print journalism and public affairs (PhD, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan; MA, The American University, Washington, DC). Her work concerns itself with news and current affairs, historical contexts, and ideas particularly related to acts and consequences of U.S. foreign relations, geopolitics, human rights, war and peace, and violence and nonviolence. Dr. Bennett is an internationalist and nonpartisan progressive personally concerned with society and the common good. An educator at heart, her career began with the U.S. Peace Corps, teaching in Sierra Leone, West Africa. Since then, she has authored several books and numerous current-affairs articles; her latest book: UNCONSCIONABLE: How The World Sees Us: World News, Alternative Views, Commentary on U.S. Foreign Relations; most thoughts, articles, edited work are posted at Bennett’s Study: http://todaysinsightnews.blogspot.com/ and on her Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/carolynladelle.bennett. http://www.prweb.com/releases/2014/08UNCONSCIONABLE/prweb12131656.htm http://bookstore.xlibris.com/Products/SKU-000757788/UNCONSCIONABLE.aspx Her books are also available at independent bookstores in New York State: Lift Bridge in Brockport; Sundance in Geneseo; Dog Ears Bookstore and Literary Arts Center in Buffalo; Burlingham Books in Perry; The Bookworm in East Aurora
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