The second assignment in my class is for students to address what they could say in a song that might get them in trouble, maybe in jail or cite a person they believe wrongly convicted and explain so using lyrics. It is exciting when students get this assignment, inner flames sometimes break out into forest fires. Interestingly, what some believe a perfect answer, I do not always find so likely to get them punished – which is what I’m actually after. What I hope they see\/ consider is the hegemony of where we live and how art interfaces with it. Some choose abortion rights or gay rights or Palestinian rights or black lives matter as if standing on a stage publicly declaring a supportive view for any of them, circa Toronto 2024, gets your legs broken and your mother killed like Fela Kuti singing Zombie in the mid 70s. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Coincidentally lawyer Alan Dershowitz was Triggernometry’s recent guest. When asked about freedom of speech, “I am completely committed to freedom of speech, I think you can burn your own American flag (but) you can’t burn someone else’s American flag. Karl Marx caused many deaths, so did the bible but you can’t ban Marx and you can’t ban the bible so you have to tolerate a lot of really bad free speech,” a good answer. The third assignment next week is reviewing the documentary “Rumble: The Indians Who Rocked the World”. Usually students discover connections between 20th century popular music and Indigenous people, but the recent 5th Estate doc querying whether Buffy Saint Marie is Italian American or Indigenous Canadian changes some of Rumble’s story. New ethical dilemma. The polarized positions I observe on social media, makes it a decent issue for assignment number two.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"