I was all of 12 years old when that album came out. Thought it was amazing but had no idea why. Looking back I think the lyrics had a huge impact on me. Some of those songs are still my favorites, although I think a few years later... well, let's just say they changed, I changed, and we both moved on. LOL.

Anyway, thanks for the post. I may have to see if I still have that album somewhere and take a listen again.

One of my favorite albums of all time.....

DU page as well. You're welcome!

I'm married to a South Carolinian, who believes in equality for all. You do exist.

This --->

Glad you're here! Yeah - everybody's pretty doggone stoked about what happened this morning in Charleston! I sang along while watching it, when the crowd started in with "na-na-na-na, na-na-na-na, hey-hey-hey, GOOO-ood-BYE!!!" Reminded me of watching the first Obama inaugural - including the coverage of the bushes leaving Washington DC - at long last. And the crowd sang that song THEN, too, as the helicopter rose into the air to haul their sorry asses back to Texas. And I sang along then, too! GREAT memory! GREAT song!

... and the right wingnuts are crying their little hearts out! They actually believe their thinking represents the majority of the "regular" folks in the US. They are unbelievably stupid and self deluded.

Just think back over how many times you've heard the assertion, either on radio or cable TV or talk shows or it's in video clips or written in columns and blogs - "America is a Center-Right country." And honey child, that's simply not true.

We wouldn't have the trends we see manifesting now.

Just look at the latest Supreme Court rulings - astonishingly leftward-leaning. Reaffirming the ACA, one aspect of fair housing, and marriage equality, plus thwarting gerrymandering.
Look at the newest public opinion polls that are showing a shift in the numbers. The number of people describing themselves as liberals has gone up. By contrast, the number of those characterizing themselves as CONservatives has declined. They're about even now, but I like the direction our side is going.
The numbers show more people are for the opening to Cuba than are against it.
The numbers show people are STILL more in favor of a woman's right to choose than are against it. That fundamental has NOT changed.
The numbers show more people support marriage equality than don't support it.
The numbers show FAR more people believe climate change is not only a fact but is being caused by humans - than don't.
And the efforts on behalf of other issues, from gun safety to police brutality to taking on the big banks are growing louder and a lot harder to ignore. There's this momentum building out there that's pushing all these issues noticeably forward.
Occupy didn't move the numbers much, but continuous pushing by Elizabeth Warren seems to have drawn blood.
Bernie Sanders.
Hillary Clinton leaning farther left.
Anybody else who's thrown his hat into the ring for the Dems is also decidedly liberal except for one guy - Jim Webb. It's simply not about being centrist all the time anymore.
Look at what just happened at the end of this work week - that damn hate rag came down in Charleston, and the grace shown by the living saints who survive their beloved Emanual Nine that transformed just about an entire country for a brief moment. And when did ANY of us think we were realistically going to see the Dixie Swastika actually removed from that statehouse grounds?

One astute observer even warned that immediately AFTER the November 2014 that we all felt was such a horrendous night for our side. Turns out it may have been EXACTLY the opposite:

https://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/11/20/1346224/-GOP-Columnist-The-VERY-Bad-News-FOR-THE-GOP-in-the-GOP-s-Midterm-Victory?detail=emailclassic

Wise observers everywhere like to point out that you're entitled to have your own opinions but NOT your own facts. Sooner or later, the facts will out. They'll even trump Mr. Trump. You can't build a house of cards and expect it to hold up when reality hits.

Wouldn't just let you change your name but keep your post count/status.

if you ask, they may allow you to change it without losing your post count, etc

I was there at the Statehouse, as I was during the big 2000 march. First time in my life I can remember looking at our Statehouse and not seeing that flag. Now, if Nikki would show the same leadership on Medicaid expansion, school funding, taxes.....but I guess we should just enjoy what we all accomplished today.

All the rebel flag beach towels and hats have gone from the windows of the local Wings here in NC!

As a Southerner, I think this is great. That "the South shall rise again" nonsense .... as well as the "frontier West was a great time!" nonsense.... just serves to hold states, territories and regions back. The proper answer to both these memes is:

"No.... you DON'T want to live in the 19th century."

And died. Thank God the country stayed intact because of their sacrifio. Not a one sided war as the south wants to portray.

Thank God your side won the war.
I mean that sincerely.

We are ALL standing on that fallen flag tonight! And proud of it, too. And glad to declare it SO OVER!!!

LONG past time.

...and you are Good People, johnnyreb, no matter the name.

let us know your new nomer.

This will be in the history books and it'll be taught in schools. I'm one of those who thought it wouldn't come down because of all the voting crap so many red states are doing to stop people of color from voting. It's also a time of diminishing rights at the hand of the state legislatures against women and minorities. But the most improbable things have happened this year. Things none of us thought we might live to see. The LGBT part of our American Family is now equal under Constitutional Law and the Confederate flag has been taken off State grounds.

The pendulum has definitely started swinging back and the arc of history is being restored.

2015 has been an amazing year.

It had been all black until our school districts weak attempt at de-segregation. It was only 96% black after and 2% white, 2% "other." I learned that I did not like to be discriminated against myself! "White Boy" became my name and getting my ass kicked became my game. The injustice of being beaten by multiple black boys was not lost on me, but I knew even then why they did it, I had seen white boys doing the same to black boys before. Still, I was able to make friends with some of the black kids and learned a lot about things I was ignorant about. Most importantly, I learned that other than a few cultural differences, they were just like me. They wanted the same things I did.
I also observed that our school got all of the broken down equipment that the white schools in the district had sent over when they got the new equipment. The teachers were unhappy to be there, and I could tell when I transferred back to the white school (we moved to get to a school for my learning disabled brother since the schools at the poor end of town did not have any programs for this), that the classes were way ahead in every book than in my previous school. There was not the same opportunities to excel in the black schools.
In the South now, poor whites get along with black folks much better than the wealthier ones who avoided de-segregation by moving outside of town or going to private schools. It is easy to sit back and talk about "The Blacks" like Donald Trump and say they are lazy, don't want to work, "had the same opportunities I did," but it doesn't make it true. Most whites have no clue what they are talking about, yet they think they do!
I suppose I could have gone the other way and hated the black boys that would abuse me, but I could not since I grew to know them as individuals. I knew that there had never been any "equal" in the "separate but equal" bullshit that was talked about back in the day, not even close.
Thanks Johnny Reb, enjoy your new name!