... ONE DOES WHAT ONE CAN ...

Este blogue não tem pretensões politicas, mas eu não sou indeferente ao mundo e ao que nele se passa. E quando "encontro" algo, por muito politico que seja, que me faz sentido e que "fala" das coisas que eu vejo, e da forma como as vejo, não consigo deixar de as querer partilhar.
Não votamos, mas talvez devessemos, e não somos governados pelo Presidente dos EUA, quer dizer, até somos, mas aquilo que os Americanos decidirem no dia 2 de Novembro também nos diz respeito.
Por isso aqui fica o meu contributo, nas palavras do THE BOSS, para que o Bush não seja eleito

By BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN

Published: August 5, 2004

A nation's artists and musicians have a particularplace in its social and political life. Over the yearsI've tried to think long and hard about what it meansto be American: about the distinctive identity andposition we have in the world, and how that positionis best carried. I've tried to write songs that speakto our pride and criticize our failures. These questions are at the heart of this election: whowe are, what we stand for, why we fight. Personally,for the last 25 years I have always stayed one stepaway from partisan politics. Instead, I have beenpartisan about a set of ideals: economic justice,civil rights, a humane foreign policy, freedom and adecent life for all of our citizens. This year,however, for many of us the stakes have risen too highto sit this election out.Through my work, I've always tried to ask hardquestions. Why is it that the wealthiest nation in theworld finds it so hard to keep its promise and faithwith its weakest citizens? Why do we continue to findit so difficult to see beyond the veil of race? How dowe conduct ourselves during difficult times withoutkilling the things we hold dear? Why does thefulfillment of our promise as a people always seem tobe just within grasp yet forever out of reach?I don't think John Kerry and John Edwards have all theanswers. I do believe they are sincerely interested inasking the right questions and working their waytoward honest solutions. They understand that we needan administration that places a priority on fairness,curiosity, openness, humility, concern for allAmerica's citizens, courage and faith.People have different notions of these values, andthey live them out in different ways. I've tried tosing about some of them in my songs. But I have my ownideas about what they mean, too. That is why I plan tojoin with many fellow artists, including the DaveMatthews Band, Pearl Jam, R.E.M., the Dixie Chicks,Jurassic 5, James Taylor and Jackson Browne, intouring the country this October. We will beperforming under the umbrella of a new group calledVote for Change. Our goal is to change the directionof the government and change the currentadministration come November.Like many others, in the aftermath of 9/11, I felt thecountry's unity. I don't remember anything quite likeit. I supported the decision to enter Afghanistan andI hoped that the seriousness of the times would bringforth strength, humility and wisdom in our leaders.Instead, we dived headlong into an unnecessary war inIraq, offering up the lives of our young men and womenunder circumstances that are now discredited. We ranrecord deficits, while simultaneously cutting andsqueezing services like afterschool programs. Wegranted tax cuts to the richest 1 percent (corporatebigwigs, well-to-do guitar players), increasing thedivision of wealth that threatens to destroy oursocial contract with one another and render mute thepromise of "one nation indivisible."It is through the truthful exercising of the best ofhuman qualities - respect for others, honesty aboutourselves, faith in our ideals - that we come to lifein God's eyes. It is how our soul, as a nation and asindividuals, is revealed. Our American government hasstrayed too far from American values. It is time tomove forward. The country we carry in our hearts iswaiting.

Bruce Springsteen is a writer and performer.

(The New York Times)

..... Obrigada Marcelo .....