Dylan and the "medal of freedom" award

[SHRED]

If I were Dylan I would send a letter.
It would be like this:

Mr. President,

As long as Bradley Manning is imprisoned and tortured, as long as drones kill and maim innocent human beings, as long as medical marijuana dispensaries are raided, as long as people are imprisoned without access to legal counsel, as long as these things exist in America I will NOT accept any medal of anything from you.

Sincerely,
Bob

---

But then again the sixties were a long time ago...eh?


--

[still_one]

1. The medal of freedom is given to him for what he has done, not what the administration has done

[SHRED]

2. Exactly

His protest songs mean less to me now.
He would have backed up his protest songs with a letter like I propose.

-

[SidDithers]

3. I'm sure he's devastated that you think he's sold out to the man...nt

Sid

[SHRED]

4. Lol

[spanone]

10. perhaps he's only the messenger...the minstrel. the thought provoker.

it's enough to write the songs, he shouldn't be responsible for setting the world straight.

[PatSeg]

13. Bob Dylan moved away from

protests and politics many, many years ago. A lot of fans felt betrayed, but he wanted to pursue his music first and foremost. I think the change may have been the reason why Dylan and Joan Baez drifted apart (well, think he dumped her actually).

I love Bob Dylan's music, but I think the person is a bit of a jerk. It could be he's incredibly shy, so I'll give him some benefit of doubt. I thought he was a bit obnoxious yesterday, never cracking a smile and keeping his shades on. He didn't have to go the White House to accept the medal, but being he did go, he could have acted like he gave a shit.

[PatSeg]

15. A much different Dylan in 2010 though

Smiling and friendly.

[Bluenorthwest]

20. Bob was never, ever into politics nor did he take part in protests then 'move away'

He has never been politically active, people project that onto him for his work is political at times, and it expresses his opinion. He was not an organizer nor an activist, not even in the way other musicians were. To claim that he was is not accurate.
Bob is an artist, not a political leader. I'll point out that Harper Lee got the Presidential Medal of Freedom from George W Bush. Anyone think Ms Lee should have refused the award or sent a terse note? I think that she, like Dylan, deserved the award.

[PatSeg]

24. I have a vague memory of a press conference

where Dylan was barraged with questions about how his music had changed and he was trying to explain that for him, it was about the music, not any causes.

His music certainly deserves recognition, though I have mixed feelings about Presidential medals. I don't know how necessary or important these rituals are. His music will live long after he's gone, so that should be plenty of recognition of his contribution.

[Skidmore]

19. If you want someone to

piss in your cornflakes, just bring your bowl to GD at DU.

[Bluenorthwest]

21. Did you feel the same about To Kill a Mockingbird when Harper Lee

accepted her Medal of Freedom from GW Bush?

[Honeycombe8]

5. There has never been, and there will never be, a time where nothing bad goes on in any country.

If that's what you're waiting for, you will have a loooooooong wait. That's not how the world is.

If it weren't those things you name (which some people disagree with you about, BTW), then there would be other equally distressing things to name. Other people would have a different list, as well.

Those things have nothing whatsoever to do with an award given by the President.

[SHRED]

7. diffusion and pablum...

...are not an option for excuses towards a man who wrote Masters of War...IMHO

[JVS]

6. If you want to defang potential dissenters, get them to sell Cadillacs and give them medals.

[sad sally]

8. Who'd a thunk that Mr. Bob Dylan would end up with a fancy ribbon and medallion and join the

likes of Sec of Defense Dick-less Chaney and VP Dick-torture Chaney with this "prestigious" award?

[ManyShadesOf]

9. maybe

he knows what's really blowin in the wind. what's he got to prove?

[onenote]

12. Of course you're not Dylan, and he's not you

I'm going to guess that Bob is more talented than you and you're pretending to know what you would do if you were him is the product of your being tired.

[SHRED]

14. You are correct

We are different. I would not accept the award with the letter I posed in my OP. Bob did without a whimper.

The sixties Dylan is dead.

[onenote]

16. More to the point, you would never have the opportunity to accept such an award

So your saying what you would do is empty posturing.

[SHRED]

17. Ad Hominems

Why go there?

[ManyShadesOf]

18. because

you are not him

[cali]

22. sorry, but that was to the point

[Wounded Bear]

23. The sixties me is pretty much dead, too...

I think the 80's killed him.