Today February 6, 2012 we celebrate the 67th anniversary of the birth of Robert Nesta Marley aka Soul Rebel aka The Gong…..Man, Mystic, Prophet, Musician, Freedom Fighter.
This man from Jamaica; an island in center of the western Caribbean strode like a musical colossus upon this planet and left an indelible mark upon mankind. His music spoke on behalf of the down trodden, the depressed and distressed, he was the voice of the voiceless.
His music was and still is a catalyst for the cause of freedom and equal rights. Notes from his guitar has provided courage for those who faced their darkest hour and fortified the mettle of those whose belief had waned.
The freedom fighters of Southern Africa have attested to the fact that it was Bob Marley’s music that provided the hope and inspiration during their long arduous struggle.
To this day he continues to be an icon of humanity…..a musical genius who continues to outsell major artistes; dead and living. He was gone too soon but his timeless music will always be with us.
R.I.P brother Bob your work continues……..
Of Madmen & Tragedies
The massacre meted out against the people of Norway by alleged perpetrator Anders Behring Breivik has sent shivers up the spines of a world collective which was shocked by the news of this ghastly deed as it traversed the globe at light speed via conventional and social media.
No, not Norway was the first response…..Not the country with the idyllic Fjords and a population of progressive, modern, liberal free thinkers…..Impossible! One American news network speculated that Al Qaeda had struck again, but as the fog of uncertainty cleared and the details became more apparent it was revealed that this was the doing of a native Norwegian with extreme views about immigration to his country.
The death toll is currently at 92, this includes 7 killed by a bomb detonated at a government office similar to the device used by Timothy McVeigh in the infamous Oklahoma Bombings and 85 who were mercilessly gunned down, after being deceived by Mr. Breivik that he was a policeman who wanted to speak to them.
The scale and magnitude of the massacre is mind-boggling and it is hard to conceive of a human being moving from person to person firing rounds of ammunition into fragile flesh but alas the nightmare is all too real.
This has been another wake up call to those among us who are of the view that terrorism exclusively wears an Arabic face and worships Allah. Extremism comes in many guises and by all accounts Mr. Breivik is the average neighbor next door and he identified himself as a Fundamentalist Christian.
We all must remain vigilant in these times because failure to do so can indeed have tragic outcomes for we live amongst monsters.
Read this article which gives some insights into the planning of this crime against humanity.