In Solidarity |
on
February 06, 2017
We tend to keep our tone fairly lighthearted here at 8tracks, but there are times when the real world sticks its ugly head directly into our ivory tower and forces a response. Alongside some very admirable peers in the music and tech industries, we’re compelled to publicly express our dismay this week over an abhorrent explosion of xenophobia in our nation.
Knowing full well that not everyone who reads this will agree with us—but ain’t that the beauty of opinions?—we’d like to echo the sentiment of our friend Ethan Diamond, CEO of Bandcamp, in saying that an immigration ban, especially one that targets specific religious and ethnic groups, “is not simply immoral, it violates the very spirit and foundation of America.” We find it particularly troubling to see the announcement of any official policy supporting the oppression of ethnic minorities take place during a time that our nation has reserved for the annual celebration of African American history. The painful irony of this juxtaposition is absolutely not lost on us.
Some of our readers will no doubt say that 8tracks shouldn’t meddle in politics. We’ll do our best to preempt those statements by referring to the words of Richard Rutherford in the final paragraph here, and reminding everyone that music has long been the loudspeaker of political messages, particularly in protest. We are nothing more than a conduit for those same messages. And so, taking a cue from one of our favorite artists, we’ve assembled a collection of music that celebrates the culture of the cradle of civilization and, specifically, the nations represented in this absurd and inhumane immigration ban:
We stand staunchly in solidarity with the oppressed around the globe and proudly celebrate the culture that gave rise to all of modern civilization. We are a free nation of immigrants whose strength is unquestionably in our diversity of ethnicity, language, religion, and culture. Without that, our entire identity is lost.
3 comments on In Solidarity
erowind December 28, 2017
Late to the game with this article, but thankyou guys , seriously.
⃠gratiea September 26, 2017
Thank you for taking a stand and choosing a side. I'm proud to be a longtime listener and fan of this site. The political and the personal are never separate and claiming otherwise is an exercise in privilege.
⃠stampedewon investor September 26, 2017
@gratiea Couldn't agree more. Thanks very much for your continued support!
⃠gratiea September 26, 2017
Thank you for taking a stand and choosing a side. I'm proud to be a longtime listener and fan of this site.
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