JOUR 420: B#5

The Death of Laurel Canyon, and the Everlasting Influence in Music

Every good thing eventually comes to an end...

It can be argued how much "good" came out of the drug, sex and rock infested Laurel Canyon, but the influence, importance and impact on future music in undeniable. 

As time passed in the Canyon, rock stars died off and new musicians with new music began to rise. The '60's and '70's era was coming to an end.

In the final chapters of Michael Walker's, Laurel Canyon, he talks on the decline of the era; as the generation that followed after the hippies and the baby boomers, known as "Gen. Y."

Buffalo Springfield

Walker went on to explain that after The Beatles', The Byrds', The Doors', and the Buffalo Springfield's and the performers of peace, love, sex and anti-war began to fade away. More simple and heavy rock songs replaced music about war and peace, and then hip-hop began to make its impact in the music business.

While these Laurel Canyon rock classics began to diminish, there is no doubt that the music made in Laurel Canyon during the 1960's-70's greatly influenced music forever...and that is a great thing. This may be the best part of Laurel Canyon, because its music continues to influence us today.

"But Brandon, I don't like any of that old hippie music?! How could it possibly influence me and the music that I like?!?!"

The answer is simple: All of the artists that you and I enjoy listening to were simply influenced by classic music, especially the music from Laurel Canyon, and without that music, we would never be able to hear the same songs or artists that we enjoy today.

For example, I may not like listening to the Beatles, but other artists that I enjoy listening to may have never existed if it wasn't for The Beatles.

A great connection that I have to this is hip-hop and rap. Not only do I love hip-hop and rap music, but from the 1980's to today, it has been the most influential music genre since rock n' roll from the 1960's-70's.

From the rhythm and poetry aspect, to the art of storytelling through music, hip-hop has had a tremendous influence on modern society and culture.

But anyways, how can you tell if an artist was influenced by certain musicians or artists?

One answer is "sampling." When a musician samples a song, they take a portion (or "sample") of an older song recording, and use that in some way for their own music. For some, it can be used to create a dope beat, and for others, it's a way to pay homage to older artists.

Here are some examples of classic songs that were sampled in hip-hop:

1. Ray Charles' I Got a Woman (1954) was sampled in Kanye West ft. Jamie Foxx's Gold Digger (2005).
2. Aerosmith's Walk This Way (1975) was sampled by Digital Underground ft. 2Pac's Same Song (1991) and was re-covered by Run-DMC in 1986. [Compare and contrast the similarities between the 3 songs...link to video of Same Song in song name]

3. Otis Redding's Try A Little Tenderness (1966) was covered by Kanye West & Jay-Z's Otis in 2011. [Once again, compare the two and spot the similarities; link to Otis music video in song name].

As a matter of fact, here are some very famous rock songs from the Laurel Canyon era, that have been sampled heavily in hip-hop [Comparisons to original song are in song titles]:

• The Beatles, Come Together has been sampled in over 30 hip-hop/rap songs.
• Queen's, Another One Bites the Dust (1980) has been sampled in 51 hip-hop/rap songs.

• Queen's, We Will Rock You (1977) has been sampled in 105 hip-hop/rap songs.
• Examples include: Till' I Collapse by Eminem ft. Nate Dogg; We Will Rob You by Raekwon; When Will They Shoot by Ice Cube.

• Mountain's, Long Red (1972) has been sampled in a total of 497 hip-hop/rap songs, and is currently the 11th most sampled song in history.
• Examples include: 99 Problems by Jay-Z; Wouldn't Get Far by The Game ft. Kanye West; The People by Common; It Ain't Hard to Tell by Nas; Love Yourz and Fire Squad by J. Cole; Chain Smoker by Chance the Rapper; and Shut Em' Down by Public Enemy

For these reasons, the influence of music in Laurel Canyon was one of the best things to ever happen in music. Even though I am not a rock fan by any means, I am a fan of it's influence, and am truly grateful for its impact in all other music genres and in American culture.

So to all those classic rock n' roll groups....thank you. I'll still probably never listen to your music, but nonetheless, thank you.

JOUR 420: B#4

The Drug Life

Drugs and music -- they seem to go hand-in-hand...or at least that was the notion in the early days of rock music. 

Everybody has heard the expression Sex, Drugs, and Rock n' Roll. There's even a TV show on FX with that same title. And beginning in the late 1960's into the '70's was the hippie belief that all of these elements, when brought together, created the perfect mix. Almost all musicians in the rock industry, and then in the music industry as a whole, realized that drugs were part of the normal way of living, and for many, it didn't have the best ending.

They might have functioned thinking: "I didn't choose the drug life, the drug life choose me." But this quickly led to addiction for many, and eventually their downfall.

As Michael Walker describes in his book, Laurel Canyon, "Whenever cocaine actually arrived, there is universal agreement that it leeched whatever charm and innocence, real or imagined, the canyon scene still possessed. Whereas pot and acid were seen as tools of enlightenment...(Walker 156)." 

Drugs such as cocaine, LSD, heroin had become the "preferred refreshment" in the industry.

I am not going to include marijuana in all of this, because it is not a lethal drug. Weed was very popular back in the hippie movement, and remains very popular today, but there has not been a single musician who has lethally died or overdosed on marijuana (just ask Willie Nelson and Snoop Dogg).

Jimi Hendrix

In the 1960's, there were only three drug-related deaths to famous musicians. In the 1970's, the drug death toll skyrocketed. Some of the famous names that died from overdosing included Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison (The Doors), Gram Parsons (The Byrds), Elvis Presley, and Sid Vicious (Sex Pistols).

There were certain old school artists that I enjoy listening to up to this day, which include musicians such as Rick James and David Ruffin (The Temptations). 

David Ruffin

After rising to stardom as the lead singer of the Temptations, Ruffin gained a large ego and eventually was kicked out of the band. Part of the reason for this was because of the drug addiction that he had gained. In 1991, Ruffin was found dead with cocaine in his system. James on the other hand did not hide his love for drugs. He was one of the first artists who created a song entirely about weed (Mary Jane). Over time, interesting stories would surface about James' drug-life with loose women and other crazy factors. In 2004, James died of heart failure, and his autopsy revealed that he had up to seven drugs in his bloodstream at time of death, including cocaine.

There hasn't been much slowing down in drug-related deaths. From the '70's into the 2000's, there were many lives taken due to overdosing. This undoubtedly had an impact on the average music listener. For the people who loved certain musicians so much, that they wanted to be like them or relate to them as much as possible, even if that meant through drugs. With that said, there is no denying that drugs influenced music and pop culture forever. 

So where do we draw the [white] lines?

Well, first we have acknowledge that not every musician was a drug addict. Some had risen above the peer pressure of the industry and took a stand against the culture. The group Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five for example created the song White Lines (original music video) to warn against the dangers of cocaine.

Artists such as Eminem was once heavily involved in drugs and alcohol, but eventually came clean, and writes about his addiction through multiple albums, most notably Recovery. One of his biggest motivations was not only his health, but living a better life for his daughters. He tells this story through the song Not Afraid, where one of his rhymes includes:

It was my decision to get clean, I did it for me

Admittedly, I probably did it subliminally

For you, so I could come back a brand new me you helped see me through

And there were artists that were completely anti-drug: As mentioned many times in the book, Frank Zappa was beloved by the hippies, but never used drugs himself. Artists such as Bruce Springsteen, Gene Simmons, Rod Stewart and even Tyler the Creator have all identified themselves as anti-drug musicians. 

Although there has always been some kind of a voice against the drug movement, I think that as time has passed, today's music industry is still filled with drug-addicts simply due to the peer pressure and the constant stress of the industry. Maybe not as much as it once was in the 1970's-1990's, but it's still there. This doesn't just include cocaine, heroin, or LSD as mentioned in Laurel Canyon, but more than ever, there seems to be deaths related to prescription drugs.

The most recent example of this was the death of Prince in 2016. He was never addicted to drugs such as cocaine or heroin. But rather, he died from an overdose on Fentanyl, a very strong yet highly addictive pain killer.

Prince

Drugs have influenced the culture of music, and that influence still remains today, as more and more drugs come from the streets and the pharmacy. Hopefully, the voice against life-threatening and addictive drugs can grow stronger as well.

A Tribe Called Quest makes a Powerful Return

A Tribe Called Quest makes a Powerful Return

The new 2016 album from A Tribe Called Quest, "We Got It From Here...Thank You 4 Your Service."

The legendary hip-hop group that fused the sounds of jazz and the street so well in the 1990's is back, and clearly, the Tribe does have it from here. Their first album since The Love Movement in 1998, the announcement of their new album, We Got It From Here...Thank You 4 Your Service, was released on November 11, 2016 and happened to catch many by surprise. 

The album was announced by Tribe member Q-Tip over social media. He posted the following letter on Oct. 27, 2016:

Many ATCQ fans, and lovers of old school hip-hop were more then excited about the news of the release, but also realized that the Tribe were focused on more than just music: In 2015, the group performed together for the first time in 18 years on the Tonight Show...however, it was also on the same night as the Paris bombings (Nov. 13, 2015). This event would greatly influence the ground work for We Got It From Here... Thank You 4 Your Service.

This "final album" announcement was dedicated to honor loved ones, social injustice and political influence.

Something Old, Something New

The original members of A Tribe Called Quest:
Jarobi White (left), Q-Tip (back), Phife Dawg (front), Ali Shaheed Muhammed (right).

A Tribe Called Quest had always stood out from the crowd; original and unique in their sounds, lyrics and beats, they avoid the mainstream music avenue. In this album, ATCQ combines a interesting mash of sounds, mixing old school hip-hop, jazz, R&B, rock, east coast influence and a plethora of new beats that give a futuristic sound. This combination, as odd as it may be, mashes together nicely, making the listener feel like they are somewhere in between the past and the future.

In Memory of Phife

Making this album more emotional for the group and for their fans was the sudden death of group member Malik Taylor, most commonly known as Phife Dawg. Taylor had passed away on March 22, 2016 from complications of diabetes at age 45.

Phife Dawg

"It was all coming together nicely and as you may know, we lost our brother, may God rest his soul on March 22nd. But he left us with the blueprint of what we had to do," Q-Tip wrote in his announcement of We Got It From Here...Thank You 4 Your Service.

Although Phife Dawg had passed away eight months before the album's release, his contributions to the album were all new. Q-Tip went on to write that the lyrics from Phife Dawg were not "just recycled Phife bars;" they were pure, untapped Phife Dawg.

Phife Dawg came up with the name of the album, and although the other group members didn't fully know what it meant, they stuck with the title to honor their "partner in rhyme."

The song "Lost Somebody," was dedicated to the life of Phife Dawg. It's hook repeats the message:

Have you ever loved somebody?

Way before you got to dream?

No more crying, he’s in sunshine,

He’s alright now, see his wings.

Jarobi White and Q-Tip admitted that it was one of the most difficult songs that they ever had to record.

Tribe Collaborators

Busta Rhymes

For the new ATCQ album, not only did all of the original Tribe members come together, but brought in some very strong power from the rap industry to contribute on the album. The most obvious contributors are Busta Rhymes and Consequence, who's music were heavily influenced by the Tribe.

Consequence

"So we collected ourselves and along tribesmen, Busta (Rhymes) and Cons(sequence)...we completed what will be, obviously the final A Tribe Called Quest Album," Q-Tip wrote.

In addition to Busta Rhymes and Consequence, the album also includes vocals and raps from Talib Kweli, Kanye West, Anderson Paak, Andre 3000, Kendrick Lamar and even Elton John.

The Deeper Message: Politics and Social Injustice

Yet of course, before the death of Phife Dawg, this album was intended to target social injustice, racism, inequality, and politics. Throughout the album, there is a sense of a revolt or a revolution that is bound to occur. This is heard very clearly in their song called "We The People."

We The People may be the most political song on the album, pointing out police brutality, racial and religious discrimination, equality and threats of deportation. The main hook sung by Q-Tip states:

"All you Black folks, you must go,

All you Mexicans, you must go,

And all you poor folks, you must go,

Muslims and gays, boy, we hate your ways,

So all you bad folks, you must go."

The first song on the album, The Space Program sets the tone for the rest of the album, claims that there's a "Mass un-blackening" in America at the moment.

Whateva Will Be is a very dark-toned song with a great beat, detailing that only the strong survive in this world and how each member of the group describes the world being stacked against them as black men.

The Killing Season, which includes the vocals of Consequence, Kanye West and Talib Kweli, discusses social injustices such as police brutality and the discrimination of American solders. One of Jarobi White's lines in the song says, "Connection to the sun so strong the relationship is lusted for

Causes men to suffocate, I can’t breathe no more," which is a direct reference to the death of Eric Garner, who was suffocated to death by an NYPD officer. Another lyric from Consequence states:

The old lady saw us on the lawn with the Henny,

Turn the pool party into the one from McKinney,

Might've been racist like the waitresses up in Denny’s,

Swore we had twelve gauges, automatics, and semis,

Now they wanna condemn me for my freedom of speech,

'Cause I see things in black and white like Lisa and Screech,

Presidents get impeached and others fill in the throne,

But veterans don’t get the benefit of feelin' at home.

The track Conrad Tokyo which features Kendrick Lamar, outlines economic and political issues with influences the 2016 race for president of the United States at the time. Phife Dawg delivers the following lyric on the track:

Rather watch the Nixon shit than politicians politic,

CNN and all this shit, gwaan yo, move with the fuckery,

Trump and the SNL hilarity,

Troublesome times kid, no times for comedy.

To close out the album, the last song is titled "The Donald" which is both a political reference to newly elected President Donald Trump and what also happened to be one of Phife Dawg's nicknames within the group.

Overall Review

The album as a whole gives different themes and emotions: From humor to serious issues, from politics and injustice in America, to the life and death of a close friend or of family. Amazingly, the lyrics that Phife Dawg provides in terms of politics and social justice issues somewhat foreshadowed the election results of the presidency in America. Then there are other instances where the legendary rapper's absence from the group is clearly felt. We Got It From Here...Thank You 4 Your Service is a great album for both old school hip-hop veterans and fans of today's rap and the futuristic sound, uniting multiple generations of rap and hip-hop, and proving that hip-hop music can still provide meaningful messages with deep meaning. This album can definitely have an influence in the industry and in America for time to come.

JOUR 420: B#3

The Hippie Occult that Changed Everything, and a Deeper Look into Pop Culture Tragedies

The 1960's, filled with rock n' roll music, love, peace, sex, drugs and the birth of the hippie movement. During times of struggle in the decade -- riots, war, assassination -- many felt that they were able to overcome; that their message of love and peace would prevail.

That all changed in in the final months of 1969.

A man with a broken childhood and a criminal past moved into Laurel Canyon. His name was Charles Manson, and he moved there after becoming obsessed with groups such as the Beatles. He taught himself how to play music, began writing songs, and seemed to fit in naturally with the hippie movement in Laurel Canyon.

Charles Manson

But Charles was different. He didn't function under that "All You Need Is Love" mentality. He began recruiting members to his "Family," which were usually young, attractive girls from privilleged families, and who were "damaged" in some way (life at home, trying to live the hippie life, etc.).

Michael Walker, author of Laurel Canyon, described Manson's philosophies as "a hash of biblical revelations, Scientology, and his own song lyrics." (Walker 121).

This was not a religion. This was an occult.

And when Manson didn't get the record deal he dreamed of, he influenced his followers to commit brutal murders. The first being of actress Sharon Tate (who was eight months pregnant at the time), along with everyone else in her house,,,a total of five others...one whom was shot, and the other four all stabbed 102 times. The word "PIG" was written on the front door with Tate's blood. The second attack came the next day, with the murder of Leno and Rosemary LaBiancas. Leno was found with a carving fork sticking out from his stomach and the word "WAR" carved into his skin. Rosemary was stabbed 41 times. Smeared in blood on the walls were the phrases, "DEATH TO PIGS" and "HEALTER SKELTER" (one of Manson's theories).

He and his followers who took part in the crime were eventually arrested and convicted, and their trial is a whole other story. The people of Laurel Canyon became paranoid. They wondered: "How could they have done something like this? They seemed so normal...like one of us." 

Manson being escorted to his arraignment in connection to the murders in 1969. 

Contrary to the hippie beliefs, Manson and his followers didn't think as highly about love, peace and no war as his counterparts did. So when they heard about these crimes, it was a total shock to their system. It began to break down the hippie movement of the '60's.

One of the most interesting facts that I caught in this situation was that Manson's "Healter Skelter" theory was based off the White Album from the Beatles, in which he believed that they were directing a personal message to him of an apocalypse and race war to come.

The Beatles....the group that brought so much joy to America, and helped ease the pain after the assassination on President John F. Kennedy, influenced these massacres? Was the problem their music? Did they really have subliminal messages that warned of war and apocalypse?

What was the Problem? The Music, the Message, the or Movement? Would this have happened even if is wasn't in the midst of the hippie movement? Was the music and the messages given through them the reason for blame?

Here's my answer...................................................................................................................No.

This incident would not be the first time that people claimed music had influenced them to do something unthinkable, such as murder. Over time, situations such as this have caused a lot of debate, as to if the artists who create the music, pop culture itself, or the listeners are the ones to blame.

Here are just a few very well known examples of this pop culture/murder influence:

Mug shot photo of Mark David Chapman

• Mark David Chapman, who murdered Beatles member John Lennon. He was found and arrested while reading the book, "Catcher In The Rye," and compared himself to the main character in the story, Holden Caulfield.

Mug shot of John Hinckley, Jr.

• John Hinckley, Jr., attempted to assassinate President Ronald Reagan in 1981 after obsessing over the film, Taxi Driver in 1976. The reasoning? To win the affection of actress Jodie Foster, who played a prostitute in the movie. Hinckley had stalked her for months before the murder attempt.
• A Russian-roulette scene in the movie The Deer Hunter, which was said to have influenced a rash number of suicides in 1978.

Richard Ramirez

• Richard Ramirez killed 15 people in the Los Angeles area, who was dubbed "The Night Stalker" before his capture in 1985. A self proclaimed lover of heavy metal and a Satanic worshiper, he said that he was a fan of music that incorporated Satanic innuendo in their music and imagery, and noted that his favorite song was Highway to Hell by AC/DC.

James Holmes

• James Holmes, who obsessed over the superhero Batman and his nemesis, The Joker, stormed into the Aurora Colorado Theater for the film The Dark Knight Rises; He was dressed in heavy armor and opened fire where he killed 12 people and injured 70 others.

So who is to blame for all of this? Pop culture? Even though many might be able to make a case to blame it, and I believe that some of these situations (such as AC/DC's, Highway to Hell) do have can have many negative influences, it is the person who commits the terrible act, not the pop culture.

The songs that AC/DC wrote, the films mentioned above and the White Album from the Beatles never instructed for someone to kill somebody else. These were the acts of people who were either crazy, mentally unstable, and/or demonically possessed. No one is to blame other than the actual murderer.

I believe that these situations still exists today, and that unfortunately, tragedies such as these will emerge every once in a while, with a killer claiming that they were influenced or told to do something by pop culture. There are still cults that exist today such as the well known Santeria, or even some that establish themselves as religion such as Scientology (which happened to be one of Manson's influences). 

What is important here is being able to recognize this, and always remain vigilant at all times, because you never know who may be "influenced" by pop culture in the wrong way next.

JOUR 420: B#2

The Music Revolution

As Gil Scott-Heron famously said, "The Revolution will not be televised," the music that came from over half a century ago brought change to the music industry that would forever impact America.

It's truly amazing to think how certain musicians and artists can change the entire music industry. The 1960's and the times described in Michael Walker's Laurel Canyon was not just a change from the music in the 1950's, it was a revolution.

A few artists stick out to me more than others: The Beatles and Elvis Presley. They were the biggest game changers in the industry, not only because of their talent, but because they were so different from what America was used to. Or as Michael Walker described it, "white popular culture."

The Beatles became one of America's favorite bands in the 1960's, and their music still remains popular to this day; the Beatles performing Revolution (below).

Just as Jazz had become the revolution in the 1920's, rock and roll emerged and sliced "through the meringue of white popular culture." (Walker, 43). Bands such as the Beatles, Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones came from England and brought something special to America. Their music, especially the Beatles, were one of the biggest influences in Laurel Canyon, influencing and inspiring many bands such as the Byrds and many others. 

Something that I found very interesting was the fact that the Beatles came to America just three months after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, and in a way, served as a tonic for the American people. Chris Hillman, a member from the Byrds had even said, "I feel like the Beatles actually healed us. It was almost God-sent that they came over." (Walker, 8).

Elvis Presley greatly influenced rock and roll with his "black-sounding songs" and with provocative or sexual dancing. Presley performs Jailhouse Rock (below).

Elvis on the other hand, was both popular and controversial at the time because he was very provocative. Walker described Elvis Presley as "a white hillbilly singing black-authored, or more typically, black-sounding songs, his courtly country manners betrayed by the unrestrained sexuality of his performance." (Walker, 43). Before Presley, there was the influence of Chuck Berry and Little Richard in rock and roll, which broke open the door (and some racial barriers in music), leading to genres such as blues, R&B, soul, pop and hip-hop.

Little Richard, was one of the first entrepreneurs to rock and roll, influencing artists such as Elvis Presley. Little Richard performing Long Tall Sally and Tutti Frutti (below).

In a way, their music was a change from the normal American life. It led to more musicians and bands that created music with meaning. They lived fast and wild lives, and for many young people, it was a way to rebel against the boring life they knew. 

My Perspective on the Classics

When it comes to old school music, or classic hits from the 1960's, I am one of the only 20-year old's that absolutely loves them. In fact, I prefer music that ranges from the '60's through the '90's over any music from today. My favorites come from the Motown and classic soul era.

Motown Records in Detroit, MI.

With that said, I never liked the Beatles. I could never listen to their music without getting annoyed or bored...

...Whoa, everybody calm down, put away the pitchforks and torches. That's just my preference. I'll tell you right now, that I would rather listen to the Beatles than most of today's music. I was influenced by soul music, because that is what I would always hear growing up. I'm sure that if I was born and raised in the '60's, my perspective would be different.

Although, I didn't like their music, I always respected them as musicians and their influence in America. Without the influences from The Beatles and Elvis Presley, many of the artists and groups that we know so well today, would never have existed, and that includes many artists that I love.

They started the biggest music revolution in American history. I think we're due for another one, and hopefully, we will get one soon.

JOUR 420: B#1

A Voice for Media, and the Golden Message to the People

I must admit, I am not usually one to watch Hollywood award shows. On January 8, 2016, Hollywood celebrated and recognized talent with one of the biggest award shows in the industry, the 74th Annual Golden Globes Awards. On that same day, I actually watched the entire award show...which is actually the first time that I have ever finished watching any award show.

As the show went on, I found myself bored most of the time, and constantly asking myself questions such as: How many awards is La La Land gonna get? What is this movie or film that I have never heard of in my life? Who is this actor/actress that I have never seen in my life? Was that a joke and was it supposed to be funny? Do 90% of Hollywood actors have British accents? How do people watch these things? When is this going to be over with already?

Most of the movies or shows that were nominated for awards I had never heard of. Therefore, this award show didn't matter much to me...that was until actress Viola Davis began to introduce Meryl Streep as the recipient of the Golden Globes Lifetime Achievement Award. 

The first thing that grabbed my attention were the two actresses themselves, as Davis and Streep are very recognizable and strong acting figures. After a very passionate and heartfelt introduction speech by Davis, Streep took the stage, and had a message that many may have not seen coming.

More than halfway through her almost seven minute speech, Streep had a political message to the American people, to Hollywood, and for journalists. She didn't have to say any names. Everyone in America knew exactly who she was talking about: President-elect, Donald Trump.

She told the story on how he mocked a disabled New York Times reporter, an incident that many Americans are familiar with, followed with a message and a call to protect journalists, their rights, and their voice for others.

"We need the principle press, to call them on account...that's why our founders enshrined the press and its freedoms in our Constitution. So I only ask the famously well-healed Hollywood Foreign Press, and all of us in our community to join me in supporting the committee to protect journalists, because we're going to need them going forward, and they'll need us to safeguard the truth," Streep said. 

As a journalist, this message meant so much to me, and many other journalists as well. I don't look at her message as an attack on Trump or Republicans, but rather someone who simply believes in what's right versus what's wrong, and wants to protect journalists and the press as a whole. That is a big deal. More than ever, it seems as if the media has been given a bad name and reputation, and in many ways, have been looked at as the ones who want to ruin reputations with lies and false stories. The recent election and responses from Trump have only worsened this situation.

The misconception that all media is "crooked or corrupt" could not be further away from the truth. The platform of journalism should give people the right to tell real-life stories: The truth, un-biased, reporting the news, in order to inform the American people and to serve as their voice.

There may be some journalists right now who are afraid to do that, especially after this election, because they know that they may very well be attacked by others who believe that they are attacking a political party or candidate out of bias. I am grateful that someone who is well-known and respected such as Meryl Streep, felt obligated to protect journalists, and serve as a voice for them during these controversial times in America.

Test Blog

This is a test...