i used to work with (immigrant & working-class) viejitos in sf. and loved it! ancianos + political protest is a great mix actually. but sometimes issues do come up...i got this note from my former co-worker the other day, with subject line i channeled your spirit, regarding a demonstration he helped to organize against the ihss budget cuts.
At our rally the other day, it was very big and hectic a rather enthusiastic Russian senior kept rushing up on me (while I was a the podium) wanting to know if he could sing “God Bless America” because “ameerika is best county in world” and he wouldn’t leave me alone. I was getting really irritated and I thought “How would [diabólica] handle this?” so I held up my palm and said very directly and russianly “You are not allowed to sing that song here!” and I didn’t hear anything more from him.
thanks.
aw, thanks to you, james, for the compliment! and may i suggest the following song as an alternate hymn ;) very recognizable, lyrics available in multiple versions & languages...
the internationale : billy bragg
i wanted to post a really cool swing version of this song which plays during the ending credits of michael moore's capitalism : a love story but couldn't find it anywhere. so you can have billy bragg's anti-racist version instead, and catch the other one en el cine!
foto : grandmothers of the plaza de mayo. buenos aires, argentina. aside from the ones i used to work with in san francisco, some of my favorite viejitas militantes in the world.
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