I Won’t Be Getting Patriotic This Weekend, But I Will Be Doing This

Last updated on: August 16, 2018 at 2:21 pm by Zach Hoag

I Won’t Be Getting Patriotic This Weekend, But I Will Be Doing This 2018-08-16T14:21:38-05:00 Zach Hoag

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

If I could point to one moment, one watershed experience in my youth that single-handedly shaped my understanding of life, of politics, and most importantly, of rock and roll, it was when Neil Young and Pearl Jam performed “Keep On Rocking in the Free World” at the 1993 MTV Video Music Awards:

First off, can you believe that actually happened at the MTV Video Music Awards? Something that authentic? Something that pure? I mean, MTV is now a horrendous conglomeration of reality TV and over-produced pop music videos with absolutely ZERO soul. Hell, there’s hardly any music at all, not to mention rock and roll. But the early 90’s were different. Rock was being restored.

And so was a kind of raw realism about the American society in which we find ourselves – the consumeristic, militaristic way of life that makes us an empire like so many empires before us. The grunge movement was recovering something that was lost after the liberated 60’s gave way to the lost and addicted 70’s and finally grew up into the compromised and greedy 80’s.

It was recovering the blast of musical empire resistance innovated by the likes of Neil Young.

In this performance the spirit of that previous generation and the spirit of my own generation converged, and I was forever changed.

And I haven’t been able to shake that resistant spirit since.

So this 4th of July weekend, when many Americans will be celebrating a war of independence that allowed us to create our very own empire, I won’t be getting too patriotic. Don’t get me wrong, I’m grateful to live in this country. There are freedoms offered that other places don’t have, to be sure.

But God Bless the USA is not a banner I can wave. Because these freedoms are too tangled up in the web of a violent and greedy empire.

What I can do this weekend, and most assuredly will do, is keep on rockin’ in the free world.

keep on rocking in the free world

Previous Post

July 1, 2015

Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf? Same-Sex Marriage and Blinding Evangelical Fear

Next Post

July 22, 2015 Planned Parenthood Is Not the Problem (At Least, Not Exactly)

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Uncategorized

Select a Month December 2018 August 2018 July 2018 July 2017 May 2017 January 2017 November 2016 October 2016 August 2016 July 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 March 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 March 2011

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz