You can sense a palpable wave of change beginning. People starting to ride more mass transit. People looking for ways to avoid hopping in the car at a whim. People looking for ways to change the direction. People like Gary the CE-Yo. And maybe, just maybe if we are lucky we can have some solid top down leadership. Sure his message isn't that different. Some may find it superficial. I don't. He admits to being an imperfect messenger. I can identify with that.
I've heard very few orators that command the language as well or as passionately as he does. He IS presidential. I try to keep out of this whole politics in that the latent pessimism i have for the system and our government, in that it is often rightfully called "The Best Government Money Can Buy." Getting into political discussions on line generally are equated with just... simply arguing online - special olympics and that whole phrase - too emotional. And yes it often is. People are challenged, their own beliefs can be challenged and sometimes that is uncomfortable. Walking the streets around here I over heard a couple students talking and one of them said "She will probably vote replublican because that is how her dad votes." And while I do deeply respect the familial ties which that statement suggests, is it a good thing or a bad thing. Should this unknown woman/girl decide which box to check, which hole to punch which line to draw based on what her father does? Should she decide for herself, based on her own beliefs which way to go? Maybe it is the same choice her father would make. But it would be for her reasons.
Voting is something too many americans take too lightly. Either not voting due to various weak excuses.
If you stop to think, stop to wonder, what if all these apathetic masses actually made it to the polls. What if we had 90% turn out on Election day.
What if people here really cared. Would we still have the best government that money can buy? Maybe. Maybe. But with so few voters voting, the weight of lobby concerns tilt the balance from the people, or so it seems.
Can voting for one specific person this fall change that balance? I don't think it will too drastically. But I believe, given the opportunity, there is one candidate that can set our country's inertia heading in the right direction.
Give will.i.am's story behind The Yes We Can Song a read. Even if you don't agree with his choice of candidate to support, at least, begin the process of healing and peace and learn to understand why he supports that, and what he supports and maybe, just maybe, even that will help transform this country of ours.
The Yes We Can Song
by will.i.am
I was sitting in my recording studio watching the debates...
Torn between the candidates
I was never really big on politics...
and actually I’m still not big on politics...
but 4 years ago, me and the black eyed peas supported Kerry...
And we supported Kerry with all our might...
We performed and performed and performed for the DNC...
doing all we could do to get the youth involved...
The outcome of the last 2 elections has saddened me...
on how unfair, backwards, upside down, unbalanced, untruthful,
corrupt, and just simply, how wrong the world and "politics" are...
So this year i wanted to get involved and do all i could early...
And i found myself torn...
because this time it’s not that simple...
our choices aren’t as clear as the last elections ...
last time it was so obvious...
Bush and war
vs
no Bush and no war...
But this time it’s not that simple...
and there are a lot of people that are torn just like i am...
So for awhile I put it off and i was going to wait until it was decided for me...
And then came New Hampshire...
And i was captivated...
Inspired...
I reflected on my life...
and the blessings I have...
and the people who fought for me to have these rights and blessings...
and I’m not talking about a "black thing"
I’m talking about a "human thing" me as a "person"
an American...
That speech made me think of Martin Luther King...
Kennedy...
and Lincoln...
and all the others that have fought for what we have today...
what America is "supposed" to be...
freedom...
equality...
and truth...
and thats not what we have today...
we think we are free...
but in reality terror and fear controls our decisions...
this is not the America that our pioneers and leaders fought and
died for...
and then there was New Hampshire
it was that speech...
like many great speeches...
that one moved me...
because words and ideas are powerful...
It made me think...
and realize that today we have "very few" leaders...
maybe none...
but that speech...
it inspired me...
it inspired me to look inside myself and outwards towards the world...
it inspired me to want to change myself to better the world...
and take a "leap" towards change...
and hope that others become inspired to do the same...
change themselves..
change their greed...
change their fears...
and if we "change that"
"then hey"..
we got something right...???...
1 week later after the speech settled in me...
I began making this song...
I came up with the idea to turn his speech into a song...
because that speech effected and touched my inner core like nothing in a very long time...
it spoke to me...
because words and ideas are powerful...
I just wanted to add a melody to those words...
I wanted the inspiration that was bubbling inside me to take over...
so i let it..
I wasn't afraid to stand for something...
to stand for "change"...
I wasn't afraid of "fear"...
it was pure inspiration...
so I called my friends...
and they called their friends...
in a matter of 2 days...
We made the song and video...
Usually this process would take months...
a bunch of record company people figuring out strategies and release dates...
interviews...
all that stuff...
but this time i took it in my own hands...
so i called my friends sarah pantera, mike jurkovac, fred goldring, and jesse dylan to help make it happen...
and they called their friends..
and we did it together in 48 hours...
and instead of putting it in the hands of profit we put it in the hands of inspiration...
then we put it on the net for the world to feel...
When you are truly inspired..
magic happens...
incredible things happen...
love happens..
(and with that combination)
"love, and inspiration"
change happens...
"change for the better"
Inspiration breeds change...
"Positive change"...
no one on this planet is truly experienced to handle the obstacles we face today...
Terror, fear, lies, agendas, politics, money, all the above...
It’s all scary...
Martin Luther King didn't have experience to lead...
Kennedy didn't have experience to lead...
Susan B. Anthony...
Nelson Mandela...
Rosa Parks...
Gandhi...
Anne Frank...
and everyone else who has had a hand in molding the freedoms we have and take for granted today...
no one truly has experience to deal with the world today...
they just need "desire, strength, courage ability, and passion" to change...
and to stand for something even when people say it's not possible...
America would not be here "today" if we didn’t stand and fight for
change "yesterday"...
Everything we have as a "people" is because of the "people" who fought for
change...
and whoever is the President has to realize we have a lot of changing to do
I'm not trying to convince people to see things how i do...
I produced this song to share my new found inspiration and how I've been moved...
I hope this song will make you feel...
love...
and think...
and be inspired just like the speech inspired me...
that’s all...
Let's all come together like America is supposed to...
Like Japan did after Hiroshima...
that was less than 65 years ago...
and look at Japan now...
they did it together...
they did it...
"We can't?...
Are you serious..?..
WE CAN!!!
Yes we can...
A United "America"
Democrats, Republicans and Independents together...
Building a new America
We can do it...
"TOGETHER"
Thank you for reading and listening...
will.i.am
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