Cecilia St. King at Democracy Fest

Written by: Cecilia St. King on May 29, 2007 5:30 AM

Linked to groups: NY Department of Peace

 
 Hello, 
 
My name is Cecilia St. King and I am one of the scheduled performers at the upcoming Democracy Fest.  I was asked by Charlene Johnston one of the organizers of the event to let you know what it means to me. 

So I thought I'd open up this blog by sharing with you the words from one of my songs called "Peace On Earth," written by myself, and my friend JC. 

How do you feel at night?
Do you wish for peace?
Do you feel alright?

We're really not that different don't you think?
We all seek to find love we all need to have hope.

So come my friend let's break a little bread.
Tell me 'bout your life, what's on your mind?

We can get along if we try, heah, my heart beats like yours,
your heart beats like mine.

Hello - To my friends in Israel
Hello - To my kin in Lebanon
and Iraq, Iran, Russia, Japan, Korea, Afghanistan

I wish for you to know peace - deep down in your heart tonight

What is prompting me to participate in this upcoming Democracy Fest? I joke the Inauguration Ball, but it is so much more than that, for as my favorite President Dwight D. Eisenhower said, "Politics ought to be the part-time profession of every citizen who would protect the rights and privileges of free people and who would preserve what is good and fruitful in our national heritage."

Democracy Fest. is just that. It is a grass roots organization whose purpose is to teach us the civic responsibility that is lacking in our educational system. I know so many of us feel a sense of hopelessness regarding our current administration. Here is an organization that is giving us the tools so that we can make a difference.

As I get feedback from folks regarding my participating in this event it is wonderful to see how strongly people feel about their politics.

But, somehow the line seems murky. I wonder are we talking politics or are we talking religion? I ask "Where is our tolerance for other peoples beliefs systems? Where is the foundation that this great nation of ours was built on?" How can we expect leaders who govern the masses, to speak the language of only one religion?

Our First Amendment states... "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof..."

I believe the Christians
I believe the Jews
I've got no problem with the Muslims
I've got friends who are Hindu

I've got faith in a feeling
I've got faith in a feeling
Faith in a feeling everything's going to be alright

Gary Nicholson

I sing these words to bring comfort at a time when things my government are doing are not making any sense at all...

...things like the fact that the commission investigating the attacks on America in September 11, 2001 found "no credible evidence" of a relevant link between Iraq and al-Qaida, contradicting President George Bush's assertion that such a connection justified the toppling of Saddam Hussein.

I was running from those falling towers on 9/11. I still have nightmares. To this day I cannot talk about that horrific day without breaking down into tears. Not only did I lose a part of my soul, I carry a permanent scar, literally around my neck from the cancer I got 6 months later ... but I, along with 1000's of others lost a family member. His name was Michael Carroll. He was a firefighter.

But ...
I'm not going to hate, even if I ache inside
I'm not going to hurt someone, even if it's justfiied
I'm not going to lie, even if I've been deceived
An eye for an eye is not the life I choose to lead

Vaughan Penn

In spite of these findings, we're sending in more troops, spending more money, when more than ¾ of Americans say to bring our troops home. So, why isn't our government listening? When is it going to end?

President Eisenhower said, "Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired, signifies in the final sense a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed.

I like to believe that people in the long run are going to do more to promote peace than our governments. Indeed, I think that people want peace so much that one of these days governments had better get out of the way and let them have it."

Where is the united in these United States? As we head into the next election, I ask that we do not divide ourselves into blue states and red states, but that we find unity in returning to the amazing country I know we are.

George Bush has thrown down the gauntlet to each and every one of us. The challenge is this, are we going to rise to the occasion and return America to her rightful destiny?

I'm heading to DemocracyFest to Lift My Voice because when words are not enough music goes deep into the soul and can transform a seemingly hopeless situation.

So ...

 I'm goin to Lift My Voice above the purple mountain majesty.

If I could I would speak for the silent cry from sea to shining sea

I'm going to lift my voice, like a breeze blowing freedom's refrain

I'm going to lift my voice, across the amber waves of grain.  

CSK 

I hope I see you at DemocracyFest

God Bless,

Cecilia

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