DU Dedication

Until the philosophy which hold one race
Superior and another inferior
Is finally and permanently discredited and abandoned
Everywhere is war, me say war
That until there are no longer first class
And second class citizens of any nation
Until the color of a man's skin
Is of no more significance than the color of his eyes
Me say war
That until the basic human rights are equally
Guaranteed to all, without regard to race
This a war
That until that day
The dream of lasting peace, world citizenship
Rule of international morality
Will remain in but a fleeting illusion
To be pursued, but never attained
Now everywhere is war, war
And until the ignoble and unhappy regimes
That hold our brothers in Angola, in Mozambique,
South Africa sub-human bondage
Have been toppled, utterly destroyed
Well, everywhere is war, me say war
War in the east, war in the west
War up north, war down south
War, war, rumors of war
And until that day, the African continent
Will not know peace, we Africans will fight
We find it necessary and we know we shall win
As we are confident in the victory
Of good over evil, good over evil, good over evil
Good over evil, good over evil, good over evil
--Bob Marley & the Wailers

"War" is one of the greatest songs by Bob Marley and the Wailers. The lyrics to the song, which was written by two of Marley’s band members, comes from a speech that Haile Selassi 1, the Emperor of Ethiopia, delivered to the United Nations General Assembly in 1963.

Selassi, born Tafari Makonnen in 1892, was a descendant of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba. He became a hero to anti-fascists when he spoke to the League of Nations in 1936, and referred to the use of chemical weapons against the people of his nation as the "refinement of barbarism." TIME magazine named him "Man of the Year."

In 1966, Selassi visited the beautiful nation of Jamaica. Among those who were in a crowd of poor people who listened to him was a young man named Bob Marley. As a result, Marley converted to the Rastafarian religion, and would become its best-known spokesperson.

In 1967, Selassi traveled to California. He delivered the same basic speech there, that he had to the UN. He started of by saying that this was a lesson that life had taught him, that he wished to share with the people of the United States.

At a time when the world is suffering from the advanced refinement of barbarism, this message rings true. It is an anthem that honors those dedicated to the struggle for human rights and who are engaged in the Good Fight. These people do not use violence or chemical weapons: instead, they rely upon rational thought, respect for others, patience, and perseverance.

Today, we need voter education and registration in order to win in November. In the six weeks before a presidential election, the editorial page of most newspapers becomes more important. The reason why is because the letters-to-the-editor become the "most read" section of the paper.

There is but a short time to register people in order for them to be able to vote in November. We need to work towards registering the people that Bob Marley served as a spokesman for: the poor, who live in neighborhoods marginalized by the larger society.

Listen to your Bob Marley CDs. Write LTTE, and spend time registering voters.

Thank you,
H2O Man

Win.

is our strength.

You never disappoint me.

The song seems appropriate for DU:GD-P today.

this has to be one of my favorite posts ever.

Thank you.