Statement by the President on the Passing of Pete Seeger

[kpete]

THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 28, 2014

Statement by the President on the Passing of Pete Seeger

Once called “America’s tuning fork,” Pete Seeger believed deeply in the power of song. But more importantly, he believed in the power of community – to stand up for what’s right, speak out against what’s wrong, and move this country closer to the America he knew we could be. Over the years, Pete used his voice – and his hammer – to strike blows for worker’s rights and civil rights; world peace and environmental conservation. And he always invited us to sing along. For reminding us where we come from and showing us where we need to go, we will always be grateful to Pete Seeger. Michelle and I send our thoughts and prayers to Pete’s family and all those who loved him.

Statement by the President on the Passing of Pete Seeger

[Boomerproud]

1. Pitch perfect.

n/t

[WheelWalker]

2. +1

[yeoman6987]

26. Outstanding

He is so good at so many things. Thank God for this President.

[Zen Democrat]

3. "For reminding us where we come from and showing us where we need to go,

we will always be grateful to Pete Seeger."

Perfect words.

[jwirr]

4. One of my 60s heroes.

[tblue]

5. "to strike blows for worker’s rights and civil rights; world peace and environmental conservation"

That's the platform right there. That's the core of our values. That should be the nonegotiable priority of every Democrat elected. Nothing matters more. You mess with that, you are not standing with Pete Seeger. Thank you, Mr. President, for putting it so succinctly.

[Titonwan]

9. Totally agree. n/t

[BlancheSplanchnik]

13. ++++

Me too....agree

[1000words]

18. Beautifully stated

[murielm99]

20. We have people like Springsteen and

the Dropkick Murphys because of Seeger. We need to continue listening to his message and trying to live it.

[mylye2222]

6. A sad day for all of us

Another great soul and singer leaves us. RIP Pete Seeger, you'l be missed.

[calimary]

11. Welcome to DU, mylye2222.

Glad you're here. Yeah, another legend - gone. Reminds me of how I felt when John Lennon was killed. "DAMN!!! We STILL NEED THAT VOICE!!!!!!!!"

[JNelson6563]

7. Very nice.

[Titonwan]

8. His hammer was his banjo & guitar

On the other side, brudda.

[Hekate]

10. Listening to his music in this tribute thread...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024399268

... and choking up.

[Chiyo-chichi]

12. A lovely and fitting statement.

Pete's Banjo has been my avatar for some time.

Making it to the Newport Folk Festival is still a bucket list item for me. Unfortunately, if I ever get there, I won't get to see Pete.

His wife, Toshi, passed away last summer.

He was still performing as recently as November.

R.I.P., Pete and Toshi.

[Titonwan]

16. Ehh

You still have him in your heart. That's what really matters, so when you go you'll still hear him. Thanks for sharing.

[Titonwan]

14. Digby has a good one up about my man Pete

http://www.digbysblog.blogspot.com/2014/01/a-tiny-historical-note-about-government.html
THAT'S the America I want to live in- where you are, you know... free.
Fuck the NSA.

[kpete]

15. me too, Titonwan

freedom


and peace,
kp

[Titonwan]

17. Thanks

Just got my fourth 'post removed' in the last month, so I may go radio silent, shortly. (note to self- stop harassing the cheerleaders)

[lastlib]

19. "And he always invited us to sing along."

A most eloquent tribute to a GREAT American!

Pete, you are irreplaceable. In these times, we will deeply miss your powerful voice for justice. May you find on the other side what you always wanted for us.

[truedelphi]

21. I am glad to hear that his aides could so

Quickly inform him as to who Pete Seeger was.

[Fortinbras Armstrong]

28. I'm pretty sure Obama already knew

And your sneer is uncalled for.

[truedelphi]

29. then why, pray tell, are the current day reincarnations of Seeger

Last edited Wed Jan 29, 2014, 06:50 PM - Edit history (2)

Spending their lives on the chopping block?

Seeger is someone who protested the HUAC hearings, by his exemplary silence under questioning.
Seeger's silence might not seem so very brave to us now, as we all know now (in hindsight) that the HUAC was disbanded. But at the time Seeger chose to be adamantly uncooperative, he had no idea if he would be merely blacklisted, or eventually thrown in jail.

The 21st Century version of that protest, as exemplified by the actions of whistleblowers Thomas Drake, by Ms Manning, by Edward Snowden, shows no will on the part of the President to intervene.

In fact, it is frightening to realize that when Chomsky and others point out that this Administration has the worst record of any Presidency to date on the matter of whistleblowers (With the one exception being Tricky Dick,) that is indeed the truth about this Presidency being told.

[Fortinbras Armstrong]

30. There is a difference in kind, not just in degree, between, say, Snowden, and Seeger

Seeger never released thousands of classified documents, if for no other reason than Seeger never had access to such documents. Seeger was not a whistleblower, he was a protestor, two completely different things.

Personally, I applaud the administration's take on whistleblowers. I also say that if you are going to break the law, you should be prepared to take the consequences, as Seeger was. Now, I agree that many documents are classified for essentially trivial reasons. I am a former army officer, and am well aware of the uses and misuses of secrecy. I once had a report I had written classified Top Secret because if it got out, a general would be embarrassed.

But if you allow people to breaking the rules without consequence, then breaking the rules becomes the province of brats instead of heroes. A civilized society needs a conscience, and conscience cannot be developed without martyrs -- real ones -- against which a nation can measure its crimes and sins. (Yes, I have read Thoreau's Civil Disobedience, and even Edmund Burke's Vindication of Natural Society.) Pete Seeger was, in a way, our conscience; Edward Snowden is not.

[truedelphi]

31. oh yeah, whatever. n/t

[Fortinbras Armstrong]

34. Translation:

Truedelphi has no meaningful response, so he blows one off.

[truedelphi]

32. BTW the NSA is illegal. Period

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024388396
And it’s not illegal just because it violates the Constitution – although it does (the Fourth Amendment, specifically). The illegality of the NSA’s telephone metadata program is much clearer and even more disturbing than that. The program is illegal because no law authorizes bulk collection of phone record data. To the contrary, several laws forbid it. Understanding that the program is illegal doesn’t require fancy lawyer arguments about the frustratingly terse and vague provisions of the U.S. Constitution. It requires only that you read section 215 of the Patriot Act, which is the statute identified by the NSA as providing congressional authorization for its programs. We read it. It is surprisingly clear. And it does not authorize the NSA to do what it’s doing.
####

But keep right on defending him.

Some of us consider it a travesty that "our" government officials tell us Snowden is a traitor.

A traitor, by definition, releases information to the enemy.

Weeks before Snowden ended up in Russia, he released info to us, The American people.

So if it is true he is a traitor, then it indicates "our" government officials do not think too much of us.

[Fortinbras Armstrong]

33. When you say "the NSA is illegal. Period"

You are merely displaying your ignorance.

Some of what the NSA does may be illegal, but the NSA itself is perfectly legal.

The illegality of the NSA’s telephone metadata program is much clearer and even more disturbing than that.

The legality of the NSA telephone metadata program may be disturbing, but the legality of it is certainly open to discussion.

On the other hand, Snowden's acts were patently illegal. The morality of those acts is open to discussion, but there is no question about their legality -- he broke the law. Illegal and immoral are two quite different topics.

Anyway, the NSA has NOTHING WHATSOEVER to do with Obama's statement on Pete Seeger's death. You should apologize for your wholly uncalled for sneer at Obama's statement on Seeger's passing.

[Cha]

22. THank you, President Obama..

We were fortunate to have Pete Seeger for a long time.

[Dark n Stormy Knight]

23. K&R! Very nice.

[ellisonz]

24. R.I.P. Pete Seeger

[deminks]

25. Pete Seeger always had his walking shoes handy, Mr. President. nt

[RoccoR5955]

27. Pete was a TRUE American Patriot.

That's my thought, and I am sticking to it!