because i believe in the power of music

Why TRAITOR?

In my father’s family it was all about presentation… Seeming happy, gorgeous, fulfilled, successful - no matter what. And if you didn’t go along with the program - you were exiled. And if you were proud that your grandfather was Jewish, you were supposed to keep it a secret so the other country club members who only wanted white WASPs or in some cases, Catholics, wouldn’t throw you out. And if you had “diverse” friends (whatever the heck that really means) or liked art, you were dangerous - a threat to their vanilla, super insulated, self righteous, elitist, judgemental culture. It wasn’t a real life. It was a show. Everyone looked nice - and did charity - but they’d leave you for dead if you didn’t fit in and tow the party line. Much like our current political system. And so - I walked out and decided to tell the world about how corrupt, disingenuous, duplicitous, ruthlessly greedy and misguided that entire scene is. Which is the cardinal sin. It’s the ONE thing you DON’T do. There is a lethal kind of protection to keep the secrets of racism, sexism, classism, and anti semitism hidden. By simply telling the truth, I had become the dirtiest word of all - a traitor. I’m the traitor. A traitor to the club that everyone wants to belong to and that rules the world. And it is just as evil as the outsider thinks. It really is.

I like nice things just as much as anybody else. And wealth would be a great problem to have. There is nothin’ wrong with money. In fact, money answereth all things. But it is the LOVE of money that is the root of all evil. When you love it more than your sister. Than your daughter. Than your dog. Than yourself. When you are willing to sacrifice all the precious moments before you, and your own character, and look down on those who don’t have it…that’s when you’re treading the path to hell.

And so, I looked into it. What is this “thing” that my loved ones all belonged to? That was more important than our relationship or our feelings or the truth? What was this thing? Oh, it was the American Dream. So I looked under the hood, and learned my U.S. History, for real this time. And I realized this thing had been twisted from the get go…from the time the founding fathers wrote the most noble love letters to humanity while also being slave owners themselves and seeing women as inferior. And even before that, when the conquistadors landed here and raped and killed and enslaved the indigenous people. And the long, long history of the US government colluding with the sentiment of slavery and the removal of true native people. U.S. History is pure bloodshed. A horror. Why would we ever think we could move forward without properly addressing all of this, while we blindly lean forward towards an “American Dream” that is empty at best and evil at worst? Why on earth would we think this could work?

And so what to do about it? Well, tell the truth first. And then collectively grieve and heal. And maybe, just maybe, then we could make a plan to walk forward, together. And just do what it says on paper, in our founding documents, like MLK said. It is up TO US to walk this thing out, properly, for the first time.

And, so - how? The artists. It is going to have to be the artists. They are the only ones who can fix a culture. - Jen

Please click on the word TRAITOR to learn more. 

TRAITOR 

Dearest Americans,

I wanted it to be a place where ALL men and women could make it.  The farmers. The hard working plumbers, electricians, factory workers, cooks, and service industry folks. You know, the people that make the stuff that keep it all running; electricity, clean water, food...etc. I wanted the intellectuals to continue to build majestic structures of clean, pure, strong thoughts that would continue to guide us into glory.  I wanted the justice system to be real. Fair. I wanted the women to have a chance to become who they are. I wanted children to be safe and free. I wanted us to educate our young so they may know how to not repeat history and how they should and could reinvent the world.  We came here for GREAT. For BETTER. I wanted them to have that. I wanted people to become rich because they wanted to, and they could...if they worked hard enough.  I wanted everyone to have the right to serve God without government or 'religious' rule getting in their way.  I put it on our money. IN GOD WE TRUST. I thought you might catch that. 

And you have done a great job, for an infant country.  But you are no longer an infant.  In fact, you have become the class leader. Every other student is looking at you.  My hope was that they would look TO you.  But the rest of the students are becoming frightened that you have forgotten who you are and what you stand for.  That you have let your own people down and in your race for power, and acquisition of it, have forgotten what made you so great to begin with:  EQUAL OPPORTUNITY.

I believe it is time for a review lesson.  We must go back to the basics; to the dream of the men who started this country and the women who helped create it.  It is time to come back to our own integrity.  To remember what we are protecting so fiercely.  And lead by example, for the rest of the world...the world we left...not so long ago...because we knew we could do it...better. 

America is supposed to be BETTER. 

And the founding fathers didn't have it all right either. Racism was a founding principle here.  Slaves were actually insured by insurance companies - like property!  And..and...and...every other atrocity I could name here. But...BUT...Americans woke up.  They changed their ways.  And I am so very proud.  But you didn't finish the job.  You never owned up.  You must acknowledge this huge crack in our history.  You must be sure to finish what you started and make it right.  Otherwise, we are a broken people..and broken people can't lead the rest of the world into 'better'. 

Look...we weren't messing around when we started this thing.  We were dead serious.  We died for this. PEOPLE DIED FOR THIS.  DO NOT TAKE IT FOR GRANTED.  Your FREEDOM and RIGHTS were EXTREMELY HARD WON.  

Please get it right.  PLEASE.  We are counting on you.  EVERYONE is counting on you.  

I love you. 

AMERICA

BECAUSE AMERICA WAS THE GREATEST IDEA EVER WRITTEN

THIS PROJECT WOULD BE DEVOTED TO VETERANS AND A PORTION OF THE PROCEEDS WOULD BE IN SUPPORT OF OUR HEROES.