Pop Music History: The Legacy of Rock and Pop Music
We, as human beings, have existed in the world for thousands of years. We have existed as icons of scholarship, musicians, athletes, teachers, judges, family members, and other contributors to society. Throughout the millennia of human history, we have seen music. Music is a powerful invention that has inspired many human souls, promoted joy plus happiness, and existed in multifaceted forms. In our time, musical education has been promoted constantly among the youth. There are plenty of studies documenting how music can increase intellectual strength, calm human emotions, and develop creativity that makes the human experience more positive results. There is always a debate in music too. The truth is not in the two extreme views of all music being evil and the other extreme saying that music that promotes evil must be glorified. The truth is that music that promotes honor, joy, love, and respect should be cherished, and music that promotes overt evil must not be respected. As a child, I remember listening to diverse music from The Temptations, Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, and so many other talented people. Modern musical culture in America spread into jazz, the blues, rock, R&B, gospel, classical music, pop music, country music, and other forms of human expression. All of these genres indeed helped to shape the modern world, especially after the end of World War II. After WWII, Rock and Roll grew to the next level to rebel against the bourgeoise society that hypocritically claimed to be for family values but overtly promoted lynching, racial discrimination, economic oppression, sexism, and other evils. With great power comes great responsibility. Many people have been rich in material wealth from musical careers, but their souls aren't happy for various reasons. Many people use dangerous drugs in a hazardous fashion and do other reckless actions to try to compensate for their unhappiness. That is why some working-class people with family, friends, and joy have more happiness than a lonely, insecure super wealthy person. It's a new time in 2024, and we should fairly critique music to improve society as a whole.
Reflections of the Music Industry
There are a lot of reflections on the music industry. One major trend in the music industry is the increase in the popularity of country music among younger people. Back in the day, country music has always been popular. Today, it has grown to a different level for many artists merging country with rap, rock, R&B, and other styles of music. One very talented woman in the country is a Sister from Kentucky named Tanner Adell. When I hear her music, I can tell that she cares about her craft and puts a heavy emphasis on rural culture. I'm not a rural person, but many of my uncles, aunts, and cousins live in rural communities. To appreciate rural life is a prerequisite to understanding what country music all is about. Country music is a form of music meant to express pain, to show honesty, to overcome tribulations, and to celebrate life. Many of us know the songs of country music icons like Garth Brooks, Shania Twain, Trisha Yearwood, Hootie and the Blowfish, Dolly Parton, Tim McGraw, Vince Gill, and Keith Urban. Yet, we have to acknowledge the younger generation of country artists who are making their marks in history like once again Tanner Adell, Kane Brown, Luke Combs, Gabby Barrett, Carly Pearce, Drew Parker, Breland, Gabe Lee, Hardy, Reyna Roberts, Willie Jones, and other human beings. With Beyonce showing country music, it is certainly part of the further growth of country music. Let's keep it real and present the elephant in the room. It is apparently clear that more people are acknowledging the gifts and the roles of black women and black men in the culture of country music. The black country music artists have existed in the world since country music's inception. By the early 2000s, the Billboard Hot 100 has been dominated by American country music with diversity like Kacey Musgracves, Jelly Roll, Kane Brown, and other people.
Another major trend is the increased knowledge and consciousness of contracts and deals in the music industry. More artists reject 360 deals and focus on more independent contracts that are fairer for artists. People want unions, health care, and pensions for hip-hop artists which has been depraved from many hip-hop artists for decades. We have TikTok and other forms of social media being a powerful outlet where musicians in general can express their songs, EPs, and albums. Streaming platforms that show music are more decentralized and commonplace are Spotify, YouTube Music, Amazon Music, and Apple Music. These platforms have increased especially after the COVID-19 pandemic. By this new decade of the 2020s, more comebacks continue to exist like new albums from The Beatles and The Rolling Stones that opened the charts immediately upon release. Many younger Generation Z human beings have nostalgia for old-school music from embracing vinyl again to listening to various legendary music from years and decades ago. In our time, we see a lot of retro pop being popular in the 2020's too. Women empowerment is promoted in hip hop with ice as diverse as Coi Leray and BIA. Afrobeats and Regional Mexican music are popular. Rock, nu metal, and hardcore punk saw growth in this decade too.
My reflection on the current music industry now is that it is about merging genres together as the world is more connected with new inventions, new technologies, globalization, and more access to information than during the past decades of world history. Music is more viewed in business terms at the mainstream level, but there is more awareness among artists and people in general about the necessity for artists to embrace ownership of their property rights, masters, and publishing. Prince was ahead of his time by advocating for musicians of any genre to read contracts carefully, fight for their economic rights, and own their masters. He didn't want people to be too much controlled by record companies. Prince made it clear that he wanted the art of music to be respected. Music is certainly a universal language being embraced by humanity of every color and background. It is certainly our responsibility as human beings to cultivate music to change the world positively, to be inspired to overcome challenges, and to be motivated to live life in a fruitful, positive direction. Music can also promote joy and happiness and we certainly need more joy and happiness in the world indeed. Life is very short, so have fun, do the right thing, and stand up for what is right at the same time.
Legitimate Contributions of Music
Music has made many legitimate contributions throughout the Universe. There are many studies out now that prove that listening to music can reduce anxiety, blood pressure, and pain. Music is heavily structural, and architectural, and it can be mathematical. It is based on the relationship between one note and the next. It can improve sleep quality, mood, mental alertness, and memory too. There is a study published in the Scientific journal called Brain that showed that adults who had a stroke and listened to music daily experienced greater gains in verbal memory and cognition after two months than stroke survivors who listened to audiobooks and those who didn't listen to either music or books daily. Music can overall increase feelings of well-being which may reduce pain perception. Some scientists believe that music can help the human body, because sound waves are ultimately vibrations. Vibroacoustic therapy uses low-frequency sound to produce vibrations that are applied directly to the body. All life in the Universe is made up of light, electromagnetic waves, atoms, and other components that merge to form consciousness. A sound is a form of a wave. People underestimate the power of their voices. People can use their voice to inspire positive energy all of the time from saying a kind word to a person to inspiring people to do the right thing.
There are at least seven scientific studies that have shown people with improvement in motor function in individuals with cerebral palsy treated with vibroacoustic therapy. Researchers from Johns Hopkins in Baltimore have researched the link between music and improving brain function. These researchers have used dozens of jazz artists and hip-hop artists to improvise music while lying down inside an fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging) machine to watch and see which areas of their brains light up. That is why scholars encourage people to listen to a diverse amount of genres of music to challenge the brain in a way to develop creativity. The brain can struggle to understand the new sound. Some findings suggest that learning to play musical instruments strongly influences the organization of the gray matter in multiple brain networks related to sensory processing (like auditory, vision, and somatosensory regions), and higher-order cognitive function. For example, when a human being studies to play an instrument, there are processes like myelination that will develop along with neurogenesis (or the creation of new neurons, and one is synapse function). According to scholar Larry Sherman, music can stimulate new connections in our brains to keep our cognitive abilities sharp and our memories alive. Sherman is a professor of neuroscience at Oregon Health and Science University. Music has always brought people together to appreciate orchestra, jazz, rock, hip-hop, gospel, etc. Music can be about telling a story, or it can be abstract imagination being expressed distinctly. Music is filled with air vibrations filled with molecules flowing in the Universe (the cochlea of the ear collects the sound frequencies, and it responds). Music is made up of rhythm, tone, pitch, timbre, and other facets. There are tons of benefits to the arts and music programs in public schools, private schools, and homeschools. Musical programs for young and older people are certainly paramount in developing our culture and society.
Fair Critiques
In life, fair critiques are real. Showing fair critiques is not about bashing all music, but it's part of human nature. No human on this Earth is perfect 100 percent, and showing legitimate critiques is not about judging people unfairly. It is about being a sign that tells us that we can do better, and it is one of our life's goals to be better than the past. There are two extreme views about music that I reject. One extreme view is that all music is evil, and all music must be rejected from society. I don't agree with that premise at all. Throughout human history, positive, inspirational music has grown consciousness, helped people to gain a great education, and achieved so much goodness on this Planet. For example, countless school and arts programs have saved human lives literally in the world. We know of the biological benefits of listening to music and playing instruments too. A child or adult playing Mozart or playing a gospel song from Mahalia Jackson is not the worst thing in human existence. Therefore, you have some wrong people with paranoia about music so bad that they reject any form of music that is their right. Yet, they are completely wrong in that disturbing opinion. I reject the other extreme saying that there should be no boundaries in allowing kids to listen to adult theme music or that music has no influence at all in society. The reality is that music has an influence on society religiously, culturally, and inspirationally, and that's proven by academic studies for years and decades. In other words, music should not be blamed for all evil in the world, but artists and the rest of us have the responsibility to put music into context. That context is that more people should realize that music should be judged on the merits of its talent (not made a scapegoat for every problem in the world). Likewise, some music should be glorified, but music that glorifies evil and injustice should not be glorified. In other words, I don't agree with music that degrades people, fosters nihilism, and promotes evil in general. Authoritarian censorship makes it worse to combat it. The solution is for people to make the voluntary decision not to listen to it. People have the right to protest music that they feel is wrong, but I don't believe in unfairly suppressing speech (even speech I disagree with). I have to mention how many kids and adults have saved their lives with music.
Acknowledging Pioneers
For generations, we have seen excellence in music. Many of us already know about many legends of music. Yet, many people desire to understand the life stories of legends who built a foundation which 21st century artists thrive upon. In many cases, many of the modern-day musicians are inspired by the icons of the past and present. For example, Mariah Carey was inspired by Brenda K. Starr. In our time, arenas, award shows, large parties, and other celebrations are dominated by men and women artists like Beyonce, Taylor Swift, Selena Gomez, Harry Styles, Ed Sheeran, Travis Scott, Migo, Silk Sonic, Ellie Goulding, Olivia Rodrigo, Victoria Monet, and other human beings. The music industry is still a business, so artists have to know about contracts, lawyers, residuals, marketing, touring, and other professional components of how the business is conducted. There has been a growth of consciousness about these subjects, especially after Prince called for all artists to own their masters and publishing since the 1990's. The following people are icons who helped to shape the culture of music forever.
There is no modern music as we know it since the late 20th century without Stevie Wonder. Stevie Wonder is a genius who is one major architect of modern music of this millennia beyond decades. He is a singer, songwriter, musician, record producer, and he can play instruments too. Being among the greatest musicians in history, he can play multiple instruments like the piano, synthesizers, and other electronic musical instruments. He helped to carry R&B music to the next level in the 1970's. From Motown to stadiums globally, Stevie Wonder has shown great music. Since his early days on Motown with Fingertips, we knew him as a prodigy of musical expression. Brother Stevie Wonder is now 71 years old. He is one of the GOATs of songwriting and singing. He can play the harmonica too. Saginaw, Michigan was the place of his birth, and his mother was Lula Mae Hardaway. The Whitestone Baptist Church was where he sang as a child. The black church has always been a home base of musical legends. His first album was in 1962 called The Jazz Soul of Little Stevie. In the 1960's, he performed greatly. He was a young teen making No. 1 hits on the R&B chart during the 1960's. Uptight was a great song. By the late 1960's and early 1970's, Stevie Wonder wanted to be his own man. So, he made adult records about the love of love itself like My Cherie Amour, For Once in My Life, Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours, etc. In the 1970's, he made classic album after classic album like Where I'm Coming From, Music of My Mind, Innervisions, Talking Book, and Songs in the Key of Life. Songs with funky grooves or with just plain talent like I Wish, That Girl, Living for the City, Superstition, Sir Duke, Do I Do, and I can go down the list represent black excellence at its finest.
The gift about Stevie Wonder is that his music appears to everyone regardless of age or generation. Stevie Wonder is a political activist by fought segregation, promoted the Dr. King federal holiday, and opposed police brutality. He is also the only artist to have won the award with three consecutive album releases. His music talks about the city, love, having children, loving music, social including political issues, and loving life. Stevie Wonder has made music in the 21st century too (with songs like So What the Fuss, From the Bottom of My Heart, and A Time to Love featuring India Arie), and he has talked about living in Ghana. He loves all of his nine children. Stevie Wonder won 25 Grammy Awards, and he was a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winner in 1996. If you want to listen to some of the greatest songs of a man showing his love for the greatness of a woman, listen to his music. If you want to listen to know about love and wisdom, listen to his music.
Queen Aretha Franklin is among the top three greatest vocalists in human history in my view. She was the Queen of Soul whose music touched the lives of black people and other human beings of diverse backgrounds. She can sing, she was a great songwriter, and she played the piano for decades. She lived from 1942 to 2018. Memphis, Tennessee was the city of her birth. Later, she was raised in Detroit, Michigan. As a civil rights activist, she supported civil rights and her friend, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Her father, C. L. Franklin was a preacher and a civil rights activist too. The church and gospel related to her life as Aretha Franklin sang at the New Bethel Baptist Church in Detroit for years. Her music was more than about songs. Her music presented anthems to the whole world like Respect, Ain't No Way, A Rose is Still a Rose, and You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Woman. Songs like Think, I Say a Litle Prayer, etc. have an iconic impact on society to this very day. Aretha Franklin loved music with her albums like Lady Soul, Young, Gifted, and Black, Sparkle, Amazing Grace, etc. Her heart was filled with love and appreciation for the legends that came before her.
Always curious about life, Aretha Franklin loved to study the happenings of modern-day society. She earned the National Medal of Arts and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. She was the first woman artist to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987. In 2019, the Pulitzer Prize awarded her a posthumous special citation for her legacy to American music and culture for more than five decades. She was inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame. In 2022, Rolling Stone ranked Aretha Franklin as the number-one singer of all time.
Donna Summer was more than the Queen of Disco. She was one of the greatest singers vocally of all time. In my personal opinion, she is the 3rd greatest vocalist singer that I have heard other than Mahalia Jackson and Aretha Franklin. One example of her singing the National Anthem at Fenway Park. At live performances, no one of this generation could match her vocally. Before Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey, there was Donna Summer. Donna could sing R&B, rock, pop, disco, gospel, and other versatile genres of music. Donna Summer made many albums among country, pop, disco, and gospel and still won Grammys plus other musical awards. Donna is one of the GOATs. She made many songs like Black Power, Last Dance, On the Radio, State of Independence, and other music. Later, she became a more spiritual woman never relinquishing her faith in God.
It is also important to acknowledge the hero Sister Ella Fitzgerald. She was born in Newport News, Virginia, which is in the 757. 757 is in the house as that is where I'm from. She was a famous jazz singer. Her scat singing was innovative and creative. She was in movies and television shows. She listened to jazz music from Louis Armstrong, Bing Crosby, and the Boswell Sisters. Fitzgerald performed with Dizzy Gillespie, Ray Brown, Milt Jackson, and Timme Rosenkrantz. She won many awards and had numerous achievements. People of every background and from every political spectrum loved her. They not only loved her talent. They loved her down-to-earth personality and her charisma. Fitzgerald was a civil rights activist; using her talent to break racial barriers across the nation. She was awarded the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People Equal Justice Award and the American Black Achievement Award. In 1993, Fitzgerald established the Ella Fitzgerald Charitable Foundation focusing on charitable grants for four major categories: academic opportunities for children, music education, basic care needs for the less fortunate, medical research revolving around diabetes, heart disease, and vision impairment. She has 13 Grammys. Her goals were to give back and provide opportunities for those "at risk" and less fortunate. In addition, she supported several nonprofit organizations like the American Heart Association, City of Hope, and the Retina Foundation. Ella Fitzgerald was a champion to our community. Rest in Power Sister Ella Fitzgerald.
Sister Chaka Khan, and she is 71 years old. As an artist, she is one of the most innovative artists of all time. With her talent and creativity, she has inspired future artists for generations now. People have called her the Queen of Funk, and that is an accurate description of her life. Chaka Khan is a gorgeous black woman with an extraordinary amount of honesty and charisma. She was born in Chicago, Illinois. She is the oldest of five children, whose parents were Charles Stevens and Sandra Coleman. Her parents lived a bohemian, beatnik lifestyle. Chaka Khan was raised in the Hyde Park area of Chicago on the South Side. Her sister would be a musician named Taka Boom. Her only brother, Mark formed the funk group called the Jamaica Boys. Chaka Khan was raised Catholic. His grandmother inspired her to love music by introducing her to jazz as a child. She was a fan of R&B as a child and joined the preteen group called The Crystalettes, with her sister Taka. She was 11 years old back then. Khan attended many civil rights rallies with her father's 2nd wife, Connie (who was a strong supporter of the movement). Chaka Khan would join the Black Panther Party for a time. She left the Panthers in 1969.
Chaka Khan would perform with Cash McCall's group called Lyfe. She then worked with many artists. She later joined the group of Rufus. Rufus released their first eponymous debut album in 1973. Rufus had many hits like Tell Me Something Good, You Got the Love, etc. Rufus had many platinum albums from 1974 to 1979. Some of their greatest songs were Do You Love What You Feel, Sweet Thing, and Once You Get Started. Rufus as a band loved to perform live. Chaka Khan had great vocals and wore many fashion styles like Native American clothing and midriff. Chaka Khan played the drums and bass too. Chaka Khan made a solo debut album with the hit of I'm Every Woman. The song was written by Ashford and Simpson (great songwriters and singers). Chaka Khan worked with Rufus in the 1980's too. Later, Chaka Khan made her 1984 6th studio album I Feel For You. Her songs I Feel For You, Through the Fire, Love You All My Lifetime were very popular. She worked with Quincy Jones on the album Back on the Block and the Waiting to Exhale soundtrack. She toured with Prince for years. In 2008, Khan was in the Broadway adaptation of The Color Purple playing Ms. Sofia to Fantasia Barrino's Celie. By December 2004, Khan was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Music from Berklee College of Music during the inauguration of its president, Roger H. Brown. She released the 2022 song called Woman Like Me. She is a cousin to Lou Rawls and loves her 2 children. Chaka Khan is a gorgeous black woman inside and out.
Chuck Berry was a pioneer of rock and roll. He was called the Father of Rock and Roll. His style and crowd performance were ahead of its time. He made distinctive songs like Maybellene in 1955, Roll Over Beethoven in 1956, Rock and Roll Music in 1957, and Johnny B. Goode in 1958. He was born in a middle-class black American family in St. Louis, Missouri. Later, he was inspired by blues musician T-Bone Walker to make his own mark in musical history. There is no justification for his mistakes. He lived a complicated life. Berry was among the first musicians to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on its opening in 1986; he was cited for having "laid the groundwork for not only a rock and roll sound but a rock and roll stance." Berry is included in several of Rolling Stone magazine's "greatest of all time" lists; he was ranked fifth on its 2004 and 2011 lists of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time and 2nd greatest guitarist of all time in 2023. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll includes three of Berry's: "Johnny B. Goode", "Maybellene", and "Rock and Roll Music." "Johnny B. Goode" is the only rock-and-roll song included on the Voyager Golden Record.
An Ode to Classical Music
There is also classical music being popular. Classical music uses composers, violins, pianos, and other forms of instruments. Back in the day, classical music was played in churches and royal courts during the Middle Ages in Western Europe. A lot of it originated from the religious and vocal music of ancient Greece and Rome. There were extant musical manuscripts that date from the Carolingian Empire (800-888 A.D.). Many abbeys had classical music too. By the Renaissance and Baroque period, classical music used opera, more musical instruments, and more different genres like sonata and concerto. Johann Sebastian Bach used the fugue technique. We know about the Classical period of composers like Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Joseph Haydn, and Ludwig van Beethoven. Classical music has spread into the Americas, Africa, Asia, Oceania, and all over the Earth. Opera houses and symphony orchestras exist globally too. One of my favorite forms of classical music exists from instruments made by composers like Miklós Rózsa. Rozsa was a Hungarian American composer who was trained in Germany and other places of the world. He lived from April 18, 1907, to July 27, 1995. He expressed music in tons of film scores that are classic. He made music for the films of Ben Hur, King of Kings, Quo Vadis, Julius Caesar, Ivanhoe, Diane, etc. His score for Ben Hur is a masterpiece being some of the greatest classical music in human history. The songs in it from Overture to Esther represent greatness in musical architecture. John Barry was a great classical music composer from the UK. He composed the scores for eleven of the James Bond films from 1963 to 1987. He created scores for films like Dances with Wolves, The Cotton Club, Chaplin, The Game of Death, and other movies. Other outstanding film composers are Hans Zimmer, Rachel Portman, John Williams, Ennio Morricone, Alfred Newman, Alex North, and Terrence Blanchard.
There are tons of black icons of classical music from the Medieval Age, the 1700's, and beyond to the present. One legend was Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de SAINT Georges. His life has been popularized in the 2022 film called Chevalier (starring Kevin Harrison). Joseph Bologne was an Afro-French violinist, conductor, composer, and soldiers who lived from December 25, 1745, to June 9, 1799. He was a great athlete being a fencer and dancer. He was born in Guadeloupe in the West Indies. He was the first classical composer of African descent to attain widespread acclaim in classical music in Europe. He composed an array of violin concertos, string quartets, sinfonia concertantes, violin duets, sonatas, two symphonies and an assortment of stage works, notably opéra comique. Following the outbreak of the French Revolution in 1789, Saint-Georges left for England. Upon his return to France, he joined the National Guard in Lille and then served as a colonel in the Légion St.-Georges, which comprised "citizens of color." His social and professional ties to prominent figures such as Marie Antoinette and the Duke of Orléans made him a target of the Reign of Terror, culminating in a period of imprisonment spanning at least eleven months. Saint-Georges passed Brissot's request to the British abolitionists, and they complied by translating their publications into French for his fledgling Société des amis des Noirs. There was the artist Thomas Wiggins, William Grant, Maria Corley, and other people. Florence Price (who lived from 1887 to 1953. She was influenced by Dvoarak, Tchaikovsky, and other European Romantic composers) was the first African American woman to have her music performed by a major symphony orchestra – in 1933. A music critic from the Chicago Daily News heard the work, performed by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and declared it “a faultless work, a work that speaks its own message with restraint and yet with passion… worthy of a place in the regular symphonic repertoire.” Scott Joplin, George Bridgetower, Margaret Bonds (who worked with poet Langston Hughes to celebrate African American culture), Samuel Coleridge-Taylor worked hard in classical music too.
The Love of Truth
The truth is that music is a complex form of expression found in the Universe. It is never monolithic. Some people use music to work out in the gym, some people use music to relax or sleep more effectively, and some people are motivated to dance or be entertained by listening to music too. As time has gone on, we know of the medical and intellectual benefits of music. Thousands of years ago, people used flutes and harps. Today, digital media services like Spotify and TikTok outline distribute music internationally and even in space today. One major heart and soul of music involves black people. We are the origin of all in human history. From our community, John Coltrane presented some of the greatest jazz music of all time like the album Love Supreme. There is Sarah Vaughan who was a jazz vocal genius too from New Jersey. We know about the Motown explosion with The Temptations, The Supremes, and Aretha Franklin describing some of the best, introspective songs about love in human history. Stevie Wonder, Donny Hathaway, Roberta Flack, and other icons are some of the best songwriters and musicians of all time. Also, great musicians exist in every color and background too. Burt Bacharach was a genius composer and songwriter, Selena had a huge following, and Celine Dion had a great career too. Music deals with form, harmony, melody, chords, rhythm, and other elements. Many schools have been blessed with arts and musical programs that have inspired kids to be adult performers, singers, music journalists, music scholars, music educators, etc. It is important to note that music can be abstract. Some people experiment with 808s and other beats to create their own style. There is nothing wrong with that at all. During the 21st century, there is an increased awareness among the people of the contributions of black people, other people of color, women, and people in the four corners of the Earth involving the essence of music. At the end of the day, music belongs to all people.
The Presidential Election Part 2
It may sound cliche, but the 2024 Presidential election remains the most important election in human history. Some people are skeptical and mention the lie that voting doesn't matter, or we can't do anything to change things. Over a century ago, my ancestors were slaves in America who were oppressed and had no income. Now, people came together to fight for the banning of legalized slavery in American society by 1865. If voting didn't matter, why are far-right reactionaries passing abhorrent laws censoring black history, harming human rights in general, and restricting voting rights? So, voting does matter as evil people want to further restrict the rights of Americans to vote. We have just five companies dominating over 60 percent of American grocery sales. That is why in 2022, grocery prices were worse than they had in over 4 decades even though inflation is slowing down now. President Joe Biden is not perfect, and I disagree with him on some issues. Yet, he made much better policies than Donald Trump (who made the racist comment that his mug shot and indictments appeal to black voters) by any metric. Biden has promoted student debt forgiveness policies to help many students pay off their student loan debt (i.e. 138 billion dollars of student loan debt were canceled by President Biden). I am fortunate to pay off all of my student loans, but millions of Americans struggle to do so (and they need real assistance), the infrastructure law rebuilt many places in America, investments in HBCUs, and policies that cut childhood poverty in half. This is an unprecedented change since the Great Society programs of the 1960's. Still, many Americans want to follow Donald Trump, because they are in a MAGA cult. This Trump cult is more vicious than the wicked Reaganism agenda was. We live in a new era of time where complex social and foreign policy issues are heavily discussed and debated like the war in the Middle East and the Trump federal trials (after being convicted as being liable for raping a woman). The IRS wants to crack down on corporate jet users who abuse the tax code. Trump's Project 2025 is clear on what the GOP desires including privatizing Medicare too. Therefore, we have to do our part in promoting democracy, justice, and freedom for all.
Super Tuesday
The Super Tuesday results are in. The results are what most people are expecting. President Joe Biden won every primary on Super Tuesday, except in American Samoa where James Palmer won that primary. Donald Trump won every primary on Super Tuesday except Vermont which Nikki Haley won. The states that people voted on in dealing with Super Tuesday include Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Maine, Minnesota, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia. Donald Trump gave multiple lies in his speech. Trump said that America has the worst economy in the world and Biden is the worst President in American history. The truth is that Biden saw some of the largest job growth in American history with record-low unemployment. The deal is that inflation is high in many areas of our economy, especially involving groceries. Wages are up with unions winning multiple victories recently. Trump demonized migrants who are actually refugees escaping many nations for survival. When Trump was President, he gave a terrible response to the COVID-19 response (when millions of Americans lost their jobs as a product of the disease), and a stimulus plan saved human lives after over 1 million Americans died as a product of the pandemic. The stimulus plan was heavily promoted by the Democratic people.
America has the largest post-COVID 19 economic growth of any nation on Earth. President Biden warns that another Trump term will mean chaos, division, and darkness. Now, crime rates are going down in American locations from Baltimore, New York City, etc. The Trump MAGA cult is one of the worst cults in world history where brainwashed people desire to support Trump unconditionally despite his racism, his habitual lying, his sexism, and his corrupt actions (which is being charged with multiple felonious charges). President Biden's job creation rate is second only to Bill Clinton. Biden will cap credit card fees, cause drug prices to be re-negotiated, cut many students' student loans, and cause many progressive policies to exist. We have a clear choice in this 2024 Presidential election. Our voting rights matter. If anyone supports Trump, he or she is complicit in Trump's evil agenda. Today, Nikki Haley has decided to end her Presidential campaign. Either we go on the path of revenge, reactionary lies, and corporate exploitation, or the path of progressive solutions, equality, justice for all, and democracy.
The Further Developments of the 2024 Presidential Race
President Biden has allowed U.S. airlift of humanitarian aid to Gaza with the cooperation of Jordan and other allies. Of course, more can be done, but this is a very historic moment in world history. America did the Berlin airlift back in 1948. President Biden said that he would create a direct maritime corridor to supply Gaza needs with U.S. sealift. He wants a big increase in aid trucks entering Gaza. Senators King and Reed demanded a U.S. Navy ship for Gaza. This time of massive starvation and deaths of Palestinians has no moral justification at all. There is no excuse for this reality in any circumstance. The WHO estimated that about 25 percent of Gaza residents are at the point of famine and starvation. This means that as many as 500,000 people could face death in weeks along with environmental problems in the region. Starvation is a human crisis and must be taken seriously. As the Trump cult (when Trump is accused of over 90 felony counts and Trump has been made liable of raping a woman) and the Putin regime desire authoritarianism, we desire democracy. The Supreme Court's refusal to allow Trump to be banned from the ballots represents a contradiction of true Natural Law as justice and morality from the Preamble are paramount.
Sen. Kyrsten Sinema will not seek reelection in Arizona, and she calls herself an Independent. This is not shocking news, because that is the legacy of moderates or centrists. The issue with moderates is that moderates never set real trends to truly cause groundbreaking change in human history. Harriet Tubman, Malcolm X, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Sojourner Truth, Ella Baker, and Bob Marley were never moderates. They were revolutionaries who refused to be bound by the status quo. They opposed the agenda of the establishment to seek justice for everyone in building their own legacies as human beings. Many moderates hid behind the sacrifice and contributions of progressives to save face. So, Senate Sinema will retire from the Senate. There is a Senate race between Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego of Arizona and former Arizona Republican gubernatorial nominee Kari Lake. This is a very important race. Sinema was a negotiator for the bipartisan border deal recently. Time will tell on what the Senate race will result in.
It is clear what Putin desires. Putin wants the destruction of Ukraine and annexation of it to Russia as Putin has publicly said that he doesn't believe that Ukraine is a real nation. Many fake leftists say that since NATO made mistakes and did war-mongering, therefore, we should allow Putin to conquer Ukraine. That is a bad policy position as the Ukrainian people have every right to use legitimate self-defense in defending their lands. Medvedev became so extreme that he is an ally of Putin. Putin wants Russia to have its 1991 borders. Putin desires lifetime rulership of Russia along with the suppression of democratic rights in Russia. Innocent journalists and dissidents are in Russian prisons now for just speaking up against the Putin regime. Speaking out against the Putin regime (being found to promote disinformation, hacking, and having agents supporting the Trump movement overtly) has nothing to do with hating the Russian people. The vast majority of the Russian people desire freedom and justice. This dissent against Putin's imperialism has nothing to do with worshiping NATO as NATO's actions in Libya and other places of the world are deplorable and nefarious. It has to do with the Ukrainian people having the right to be free from illegal Russian aggression and making sure that Ukraine is an independent nation with its own self-determination. We reject the Trump MAGA cult too.
After Nikki Haley and Dean Phillips suspended their Presidential campaigns on March 6, 2024, we have a new era of the 2024 Presidential election. Now, the two major candidates are President Joe Biden and Donald Trump along with many third-party candidates to running for office. After the historic 2024 State of the Union Address made by President Joe Biden on March 7, 2024, caused Biden to have a new sense of energy to fight for a second term. In his State of the Union address, President Biden told the truth that we must fight for democracy, Ukraine deserves to be free from Russian invasion, and the super wealthy ought to pay their fair share of taxation. He did the right thing by apologizing for calling a person illegal when no human is illegal. Undocumented immigrant is a proper term. By March 8, Trump won the American Samoa Republican caucuses.
Trump Trials' Updates
Stefanik asked us if we were better off now than four years ago. The answer is that we are better off now proven by the metrics. We have lower unemployment than four years ago. We have a lower overall crime rate in America than 4 years ago. We have fewer cases of COVID-19 than four years. Many people tend to forget that COVID-19 killed over 1 million Americans years ago in a short period. People were forced to live in their homes for months because of the dangers. Four years later, we now have massive manufacturing jobs. Thousands and millions of people died from COVID-19 as a product of Trump's incompetence and bad policies. Stefanik will ignore these facts, because she is a faithful supporter of the MAGA cult. MAGA cult member and GOP nominee to run North Carolina public schools (whose name is Michele Morrow) said once that he wanted a televised showing of the execution of Barack Obama and Joe Biden. This is insanity and evil from her. This represents the fruit of Trumpism in full display. The fake leftists who want no help to Ukraine to defend themselves actually want Ukraine to surrender to Russia and be a colony of Russia too. Ukraine has the right to be free from an illegal Russian invasion.
To break down the legal affairs of Donald Trump, we have to break it down into four major cases. The first Major case is from the New York City case. This case is related to the March 2023 indictment in New York City. Trump faces 34 criminal charges of falsifying business records in the first degree related to payments made to Stormy Daniels before the 2016 Presidential election. The trial is scheduled for a date of April 15, 2024, which could change.
The second case is from the June 2023 federal indictment in Florida. This is about a federal government indictment related to classified government documents, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida. Trump faces 40 criminal charges alleging mishandling of sensitive documents and conspiracy to obstruct the government in retrieving these documents. The trial is scheduled for May 20, 2024.
The third case is the August 2023 federal indictment in Washington, D.C. An August 2023 federal indictment related to attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election, in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, in which Trump faces four criminal charges of conspiring to defraud the government and disenfranchise voters, and corruptly obstructing an official proceeding. This case includes Trump's involvement in the January 6 U.S. Capitol attack. On February 2, 2024, Judge Tanya Chutkan said she would not schedule a trial until the DC Circuit Court of Appeals decides whether Trump is immune from prosecution. On February 6, the DC Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Trump does not have presidential immunity from prosecution. The Supreme Court will decide whether Trump has immunity from prosecution or not. Hopefully, the Supreme Court will make the right decision and say that Trump has no immunity unconditionally.
The fourth case involves an August 2023 indictment in Georgia, in which Trump faces 13 criminal charges related to alleged attempts to overturn Joe Biden's victory in Georgia, alongside 18 accused co-conspirators. The trial is not yet scheduled. Prosecutor Fani Willis is involved in the case against Donald Trump in Georgia. The case involving Fani Willis and her disqualification hearing is over. The judge rules that Fani Willis is allowed to continue to try the Georgia election case against Trump and his allies. Yet, she is ordered to fire Georgia prosecutor Nathan Wade. Nathan Wade has sent his resignation letter to the authorities. The Fulton County judge sent a scathing ruling to both Willis and Wade. Nathan Wade wrote his letter saying that she is proud of the work involving his team investigating, indicting, and litigating the case. Willis accepted the resignation on Friday, praising Wade for his courage to accept the role, even though he didn't seek it. Judge Scott McAfee is allowing Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis to continue on the election subversion case against Trump is very historic. Willis has a technical legal win. Trump and 14 other people still face charges and will have a legal trial. The judge said that Willis's speech at a church in Atlanta could face a gag order over her words on the case. Some people feel like the judge went too far in criticizing Fani Willis's personal life instead of focusing more on the case against Trump. We know what the elephant in the room is. Let's keep it real and show it. A confident, unapologetic black woman like Fani Willis angers many in the establishment. The truth is that any black woman has the right to be confident and unapologetic just like Fani Willis is. The lesson here is that folks have to be careful. At the end of the day, Trump and his allies should have accountability for their crimes against democracy indeed.
The 2024 University Protests
The university protests involving pro-Palestinian activists represent one of the most important events in American history. The conflict in Israel, Gaza, and the West is known by many people of the world. Debate is strident, but the truth is clear. The truth is that Hamas unjustly raped, murdered, and kidnapped innocent Israelis on October 7, 2023, and the Netanyahu regime used excessive force to the point of war crimes against the Palestinian people in Gaza too. More than 2,100 protesters in over 60 colleges in America have been arrested. The vast majority of protesters have been peaceful and desire a ceasefire and liberation for the Palestinian people. Likewise, we condemn the minority of protesters using slurs, using objects to destroy windows and tables in Columbia, and who seek destruction instead of freedom for people in the Middle East. We strongly disagree with Jewish people on campuses to be harassed or harmed. Those who commit destruction against innocent property have nothing to do with the freedom of speech and the right to protest. People have the right to protest injustice, but no one has the right to destroy innocent property or threaten people based on race or creed. Criticizing Zionism and criticizing Israeli governmental policy isn't anti-Semitism, but some folks are anti-Semitic and use coded language in trying to spread hate. The terrorism of Hamas and the epidemic of anti-Semitism in America should not be minimized. Recently, a Jewish student was blocked from going to a class in UCLA. To be clear, most college protesters aren't anti-Semitic, but we have to be on the side of opposing bigotry. Also, we should condemn the excessive police response against some protesters that is blatantly police brutality, and we have tons of evidence showing that reality (from assaults to tear gas being used against protesting human beings). The only solution is a two-state solution with no occupation, a ceasefire, freeing all Israeli hostages, reparations for Gaza and the West Bank to rebuild Palestinian lands, and full human rights for Israelis and Palestinians.
The historic protests in college campuses in America has been part of a movement. It has spread from Columbia University in New York City to Virginia, Georgia, California, etc. What is truth behind the protests? The vast majority of the protesters are not anti-Semitic. They sincerely feel that they want to protest the war in Gaza. They oppose the occupation of Gaza plus the West Bank and other aspects of the Middle Eastern crisis. There is no question that Hamas is a terrorist organization that committed the murder of innocent Israelis, and the far-right regime of Netanyahu is indeed complicit of war crimes in Gaza (like killing aid workers, harming civilian locations in Gaza, and other actions). This is a nuisance issue. There should be a promotion of the freedom of speech, and some officers have used excessive force against protesters proven by video evidence and witness testimony. Fights break out between pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian protesters at UCLA. This has been going on for decades like police repression of anti-Vietnam War protests and the protests during the anti-apartheid movement era. Many campus people were suspended at Columbia University. Also, we are clear to oppose anti-Semitism, and many of the protesters are Jewish people. So, these Columbia students demand the school to divest from Israel and have a ceasefire. We shall see what the future holds.
Hundreds of demonstrators have been arrested at university campuses across America over the past 24 hours. By Tuesday night, about 300 protesters were arrested at Columbia University and City College of New York. More people were arrested at the University of Wisconsin-Madison was law enforcement moved to disassemble an encampment. Pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli protesters clashed on Tuesday night again at UCLA. The protesters used fireworks, poles, and other weapons attacking each other. There were 15 people injured and one hospitalized at UCLA. Classes were canceled on Wednesday to promote safety. Columbia has turned into remote learning for the rest of the semester. Most of the protesters are peaceful people who desire divestment from companies that support Israel, an end to the war in Gaza, and Palestinian liberation.
President Biden has talked about the recent protests. He said that dissent must not lead to disorder. He has support for Israel. Biden wants to balance the right to free speech and his desire for "law and order." Biden is right to condemn anti-Semitism and Islamophobia. I agree with Biden that people have the right to protest, but some of the police crackdowns on the protesters are blatantly part of police brutality. Criticism of the Israeli government is not anti-Semitism, and the Netanyahu regime is a far-right, pro-Trump regime who seeks to invade Rafah. Even Biden opposes Netanyahu invading Rafah. Many encampments remain in America. The police ended the encampment at UCLA recently. There are over 2,100 arrests during the university protests in total so far. Brown students celebrate after reaching a deal for a vote to have divestment with Israel. There are negotiations between Israel and Hamas. The fundamental truth is that protests have the right to exist, the police must not use brutality, protests shouldn't use unjust violence against innocent life and innocent property, and there must be an immediate ceasefire in the conflict in Gaza (along with the Netanyahu regime held accountable for overt war crimes, Israeli hostages released, and a two-state solution).
Nearing the Conventions
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By Timothy
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