Paula Kirman's Blog

Posted by Paula Kirman

RALLY IN SUPPORT OF US WAR RESISTERS

Saturday January 26 @ 1 PM

Bloor Street United Church, Toronto

300 Bloor Street West (Spadina or St. George subway)

Join communities across Canada on Saturday, January 26 to demand that Parliament pass a provision allowing US war resisters to remain in Canada and to call on the government to cease deportation hearings for resisters already in Canada.

With the recent Supreme Court decision to not hear appeals of resisters it's urgent that we raise political visibility now. The opposition parties should unite on this issue and do what's required to "Let Them Stay!"

Getting the attention of Parliament requires that all Canadians of conscience stand up together and be heard. At the rally we will write hundreds of urgent letters to our MPs.After the rally we plan to march to a nearby post office to deliver the letters and to send the message that our demand will be heard: Canadians of conscience support US War Resisters and demand that we "Let Them Stay!"

For more information visit http://www.resisters.ca.

Posted by Paula Kirman

"In The Land of Freedom is an English translation of the song "En El Pais De La Libertad by Argentinian singer/songwriter León Gieco. For those of you who know Spanish, here is a version of the original song.

Speaking of Spanish, that is a language I am currently trying to learn. A great way to learn a language, I have found, is through music. So, here is another Gieco song, "Tema De Los Mosquitos" sung in Spanish. The gist of the song is this: the animals are all interacting with each other in their various ways, while the hunter watches them and comments that this is life, before he proceeds to kill them. I think somewhere in there is a metaphor for the way we carry on in our lives, oblivious to the dangers that surround us and threaten our survival.

One more: a few months ago I performed the song "I Only Ask of G-d" at a rally to protest Security Certificates in Canada. Again, it was a Gieco song translated into English. "Solo Le Pido a Dios" is likely his most famous song. I decided to give it a try in Spanish. Here is a really cool version of Gieco performing it.