Simply a Bouquet of Words

A narrative on the policies of the day

Simply a Bouquet of Words Sep 9, 2020

  

  It is plain good sense to console and extend sympathy to George Floyd’s family when witnessing the

cruelty he underwent and also the unnecessary killings of the many whose empathies have been mistaken

for anarchy.  Where my understanding is left out to dry is the reaction we see by some who claim to be demonstrating and protesting in response to all of this. It is erroneous to reasonably protest violence by the pursuit of violent acts that only harm innocent victims. Such are the lonesome few and those who have

nothing better to do who condone this behavior as a means to justify their cultural heritage. We have all

seen the posters with the slogan “Black Lives Matter”. 

A legend true to form.   I can simply reply with the expression and slogan “Which Lives Don’t”?

   

  In my younger days, growing up in the fifties, race and ethnic origin were not social factors, or were they an impetus for love or hate, like or dislike. The music of my youth had its own mantra.     “If joy is the language of heaven above then down here doo-wop’s the language of love.”  

  

 You can still enjoy the number one performers of the 1950’s responsible for these wonderful tunes that gave us all such pleasure.  Jerry Butler, the Iceman, has four doo-wop shows on YouTube where he celebrates fifty and fifty-one year anniversaries of these legends. They include entertainers from Arlene Smith and the Chantels to the Zodiacs with so many in between.   

Nearly 85% of these top groups were black. Keep in mind that these were the top groups only. I can’t even begin to count those who did not make it to the top of the charts. But I bet that for every 100 groups that played music in those days, 85 groups would have been made up of black entertainers. Not that it made any difference at all back then. We didn’t love and admire these guys and girls because they were black. Ethnicity never entered our minds and was never a deciding factor. We loved them all and admired them because of the way they made us feel. Doo-Wop was an expression of love, a new evocative language, and a celebration to enjoy!

  We loved and admired these guys and girls because of the talent they nurtured. We admired their diligence. We admired their industrious persistence. They worked hard on the street corners developing their unique sounds and they continued in their work because it was a natural thing for them and we looked up to them with an inspiration that would enrich our lives and memories.

  In those days it made no difference at all what the color of your skin was and I will always wonder why it is such a big deal today. Just as I will always wonder how demonstrations and protests can turn to violence. This behavior can only be premeditated and engineered as such.

In my teenage years in the sixties we had plenty of rallies, protests, and demonstrations, many of which were anti-war and not anti any specific war, but all wars. Those who joined in were called peaceniks and hippies by the media but what did we care, we were not media freaks, just freaks! 

  

 We assembled in large groups in the parks, sat on the ground, listened to whoever was playing music, and smoked grass. All was peaceful, all was in good faith, and all in the hope that the world situations would improve. We lived on love, we preached it, and spent time sewing the seeds of love believing the peace in our hearts would grow. We learned that those who cooked up hate were people obsessed with hatred. They were very few in number back then and are few in number today. Some need to heed the words of the Silhouettes back in 1957 and “Get a Job”. 

  

 There are several compounds (of speech) that do not put out fires. It’s a shame that the media continues to pour on what burns the longest and the brightest, what makes money and sells news, and perpetuates their agenda whether it be the truth or kindling of lies. 

  I’m so saddened by those who feel they have fewer opportunities in life because of their background, and for those who say they do not have the equality of freedom because of their color. Our Black brothers were the heroes of my youth and will forever be held in high regard.

Do you think that the Nicholas Brothers cared as much about being black as they cared about their chances to show off their talent to dance?  I don’t.

We often hear so much talk about personal freedoms and individual rights.

I so much wait to hear talk about personal responsibilities and duties to one another. 

Perhaps then, we can have an intelligent discussion on the policies of the day and enjoy the

“Peace of God that passes all understanding”.  In the very best of faith,

          Richard Knickerbocker

          Dartmouth, Massachusetts