Frank Sinatra Celebrates America

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1. Joan Kramer says:

   July 4, 2016 at 3:14 pm

   Written by the man who wrote Strange Fruit. The man who adopted the Rosenberg children after their parents were murdered. Performed often by Paul Robeson. And many others. Earl Robinson-cco-author also very radical. http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=2306

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   • Ellen Lubic says:

     July 4, 2016 at 3:30 pm

     Albert Maltz was one of the Hollywood Ten and was jailed for being a Communist. His career was permanently damaged by HUAC.

     And yet, here he is giving the nation a lesson in what freedom means in America.

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   • Ellen Lubic says:

     July 4, 2016 at 3:43 pm

     Billie Holiday – Strange Fruit – YouTube
     Video for who wrote the song strange fruit▶ 2:34
     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4ZyuULy9zs
     Nov 25, 2006 – Uploaded by MonsieurBaudelaire
     Southern trees bear a strange fruit, Blood on the leaves and blood at the …. +The End Boss Lewis Allan Alias …

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2. SomeDAM Poet says:

   July 4, 2016 at 3:47 pm

   “The Declaration of Independence”

   When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of Reformers requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation. (Not really, but let’s pretend that that is indeed true in this case)

   We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all schools are created equal, that they are endowed by their communities with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are proper resources, dedicated teachers (for more than two years, at least), librarians and the pursuit of art, music and recess.–That to secure these rights, school boards are instituted among communities, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed (Not billionaires like El Broad and Bill Gates and nitwits like Campbell Brown), –That whenever any Rhee-form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it (“it” being the Department of Education) and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect true education — or, at the every least to “opt out”.

   Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations (Common Core, standardized testing, VAMs, SGPs, school closings, NCLB, RTTT, Vergara, charters, for profit colleges, student loan sharking, TFA ) and a long list of engineers (Arne Duncan, Bill Gates, David Coleman, Jason Zimba, John king, Michelle Rhee, kevin Johnson, Eva Moskowitz, Raj Chetty, Eric Hanushek, John Deasy, Wendy Kopp [this comment box is not big enough to hold all the names] ) pursuing invariably the same Objects (standardized testing, VAMming and firing of teachers , marketization and privatization of schools, data collection and sale, sales of hardware and software) evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Gatespotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security — and future sanity.

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   • Ellen Lubic says:

     July 4, 2016 at 3:55 pm

     The LA Times today, in the Spirit of the 4th, expands on what you state, dear Poet. Howard Blume delights in using Broad’s donated cash to laud the new 501c3 Great Public Schools Now (which really is ‘private’ charter schools, not public) and explain that they are not privatizing, but rather they are building on the excellent schools as examples for their charters…excellent charters that are the exemplars, that is.

     Considering everything, I find it hard to be cheerful about the Glory of the Coming…..

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   • Ellen Lubic says:

     July 4, 2016 at 3:56 pm

     …too many Grapes of Wrath are stored all over this nation.

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   • SomeDAm poet says:

     July 4, 2016 at 4:21 pm

     “The Gates of Wrath”

     The grapes of wrath reside
     Behind the Gates of Wrath
     There’s nowhere left to hide
     From Gates’ reformy path

     (“reformy math” also works)

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3. miminqueens says:

   July 4, 2016 at 5:03 pm

   HOW could you link to Frank Sinatra when Paul Robeson did it so much better?

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   • dianeravitch says:

     July 4, 2016 at 8:22 pm

     I could be wrong but I think Frank did it first

     We can always watch both

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4. jo says:

   July 4, 2016 at 5:18 pm

   Happy 4th to you.. I have to say my Brooklyn-born mom loved Frank Sinatra( he was her idol the way Barbra Streisand is mine!) and when I was little she played every record and then cassette tapes of all his songs…After a while hearing them so often, I started humming the tunes but this one I never heard of. I don’t remember my mother ever playing this one about America…Thank you for sharing this.

   On Mon, Jul 4, 2016 at 3:01 PM, Diane Ravitchs blog wrote:

   > dianeravitch posted: “I first heard this song at a school assembly. Maybe > 1950. It is a classic. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=UpO6mpYvyqQ” >

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5. Joel Herman says:

   July 4, 2016 at 7:21 pm

   I hate to break up the party but not being born till 51, Dylan was more my speed . Seeing Dylan one last time was on my bucket list. Even though I new he plays few classics having seen him in 09.

   Well I marched in the Democracy Awakening march in April. Would have gone down to join you on July 8th . Except for a pair of tickets to see Dylan at Forest Hills Stadium where he was booed 50+ years ago for going electric. Now nothing could be worse than Dylan who has no voice to begin with, crooning Sinatra in the predicated thunderstorms . In the spirit of the 4th ,much preferred Paul Simon singing America this past Friday thunderstorms and all . Good Luck in DC.

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   • Joel Herman says:

     July 4, 2016 at 7:26 pm

     Knew I do need that edit button

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   • dianeravitch says:

     July 4, 2016 at 10:26 pm

     Joel Herman,

     I heard Baez and Dylan at Forest Hills Stadium 50 years ago. I don’t recall the booing.

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   • Joel Herman says:

     July 5, 2016 at 12:20 am

     Diane:
     I was a bit young to have gone to the concert, though I lived in walking distance . But that concert in August 65 was one of the iconic moments in Rock /Folk history. To me Dylan on an electric guitar was all there ever was. And Dylan’s greatest talent was always his lyrics . Certainly never his voice . His new album is a rendition of Sinatra songs which you might enjoy .
     But on a lighter note ,this was a welcome break from the discussion of the assault on Public Schools and the middle class. Or our dismal choice in November.

     https://www.nytimes.com/books/97/05/04/reviews/dylan-unruly.html

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   • Joel Herman says:

     July 5, 2016 at 12:43 am

     The concert you saw was 63, Google not my memory .

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     • dianeravitch says:

       July 5, 2016 at 12:52 am

       Joel, you are probably right about the date. Joan Baez introduced Dylan, who was her guest, and he was not well known at that time. So it must have been 1963.

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6. Gordon Wilder says:

   July 4, 2016 at 7:25 pm

   I am one of the very few probably who have never been a great fan of Frank Sinatra.
   However,
   this epitomizes a very profound idea VERY relevant today. One of the best things I have ever seen him make.

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7. miminqueens says:

   July 5, 2016 at 8:37 am

   Gordon, I share your distaste for Frank Sinatra, but I love the song. It’s a must every Fourth of July.

   My standard reply to those who see patriotism only on the Right is, look at the patriotic songs written by people of the Left: “This Land Is Your Land” by Woody Guthrie; “Power and Glory” by Phil Ochs; the cantata “Ballad for Americans” by John Latouche and Earl Robinson; and “The House I Live In” by Lewis Allan.

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