As I sit here listening to these early demos...recorded just seven days after Eddie met the other guys in the band, my thoughts drift towards Ed's stance on recent events...notably his new mohawk and declaration that he won't change it until 'we have stopped killing people in foreign lands'. 

My thoughts here tie into my last post about being "brainwashed". It's hard for me, as diehard fan, to reconcilate the band's (or at least Ed's) views on current events. I, as soldier, strongly believe that what our military is currently doing is right. Our actions in Afghanistan, the National Guard members that have guarded our airports, the fight jet patrols of our nation's air space...and the death of people in foreign lands. I spelled it all out in my last entry, why I feel we are doing what we must. It's hard for me to continue to embrace Pearl Jam as a prt of my life because of this difference in opinion...yet I still do. My zeal over the new material is not as great as it has been in the past, due to the highly anti-war overtones...yet I still love the music. I may not agree with some of it, but that doesn't mean I can't enjoy listening to it. We are all entitled to our own opinions. I don't think that I am wrong. While I feel that Ed is wrong, that doesn't mean I shall cast him, the band, and the music I grew up with, aside. I will still buy the album and I even enjoy the new songs I've heard thus far, despite their slant. I don't analyze every song I listen to so it's not going to be too difficult.

ramble ramble ramble. I've been thinking about this for a while now. I hadn't written anything about it until now because I couldn't really explain it very elegently or what not. Seems the waiting didn't gain me anything. Bleh.

Easter Sunday I woke up at about 0500. Taking the opportunity I rolled out of bed and went to see the sunrise from a nice hilltop in Ishikawa. Beautiful view and it was just incredible to hear the birds singing their morning songs. I plan on going back this weekend and making a recording of it with my new recording rig. I figure, Schoeps *were* designed with such applications in mind so I may as well endulge myself.

So my travel arrangements suck bullocks. I've got really long flights and really nasty arrival times. Lucky me. Iam trying very hard to think of the vacation time I'm getting and putting the flights and the week long (probably *yawn*) seminar out of my mind. 

Current music: Pearl Jam, Early Demos. 

 
taliana 
2002-04-04 09:33 
When we first started fighting, I was all for it. We were attacked, and I felt that we needed to fight back or they would continue with their terrorist attacks. 

But now that my anger has subsided a bit, I've begun to stop and think about things. When is this going to be over? What is our goal? Our objective? Is it as vast as ridding the world of terrorism? If so, I think we'll be fighting for a lifetime, and what a bleak picture that would be. These people already hate us, and by fighting them, we're only feeding that hatred. Which in effect, will create more terrorists. They obviously feel we have wronged them, and I think on some level, I can understand that. Some of our foreign policies have been backward and contradictory, so I can understand that anger. I keep thinking of this report I saw on one of those news magazine shows where they had interviewed these children several years ago, and at that time, they thought terrorism was horrible. They didn't feel it was the right way to solve their problems. And now several years later, they've completely changed their minds. And now, they would be honored to be a suicide bomber. 

This isn't to say that I'm against the fighting. I just wish we'd have some idea on when we're done. Looking back in history, I see a pretty defined goal for other wars, and maybe that is because I have the advantage of looking back. Perhaps they didn't see the end. Perhaps it was as big as "fighting evil." But I'm having a difficult time grasping the hugeness. And can't help wondering if this is a situation we can win. Not because we'll be overpowered, but because there will be no end.

I don't know. This is something I've been struggling with a lot lately. I don't have any answers. Just lots of questions that probably don't have any answers. I'm just glad I'm not the one who has to make the decisions. 

Previous

Next

Nothing on this date last year

My Earthly Shell home