Saturday, March 10, 2012

Kris And Willie

I got turned on to a video on YouTube showing Willie Nelson honoring Kris Kristofferson with the Veteran of The Year Award in front of a very military audience.
Willie's comments were magnificent, bringing tears to Kris's eyes. When he came up on stage to accept the award he wrapped his arms around Willie and sobbed. Two very real men who have lived honest, raw lives and understand each other perfectly.
It brought tears to my eyes because I love them both. And respect them. Check it out. If you don't care to because you are indifferent to who these men are, I will have you exterminated.
Willie is an Air Force veteran, Kris is an Army veteran. People don't think about that, hell, a lot of people probably don't even know that. And a military awards dinner is the last place a lot of people would expect to see these two.
They have each come along way since those days, fighting with their words for peace and genuine humanity. But it was obvious in both of them that they appreciated their military experience.
Toughness is something generally assumed of those who serve in the military and rightfully so. Just hanging in there with the discipline, rules and sacrifice of the self for the common good, the high expectations and the work it takes to achieve them, is not easy. If you go to war it all gets cranked up to the ultimate level.
Looking at Kris and Willie standing on that stage together, it struck me that here were two tough men in their own right, in their own way, who could compare equally to anybody in that room. Because they both had to fight for their careers, being ignored by the country music world until they just decided to do it their own way. Which they did with a vengeance.
They became successful by having the guts to say what needed to be said, by having the guts to be honest, to challenge, to shine a light on hypocrisy and cruelty and corruption. And to sing about love and commitment and heartbreak and triumph and vulnerability.
These are two hugely talented men who came from a time when country music meant something. When they walked the walk and talked the talk. As opposed to today's wimpy ass country singers who care more about looking pretty than about trying to affect somebody's life in a positive way.
Kris Kristofferson has a long history of speaking out against American military and political  policies, and supporting foreign movements that were extremely unpopular to unthinking Americans. He has always had the guts to take the heat because he knew he was standing up for the right cause. So it was very cool to see him in that room accepting that award. It shows that intelligence can prevail, that a man who fought against a lot of what that audience stood for can still be recognized by that audience for his strength of character.
As opposed to being mindlessly reviled for daring to question, which is the response many people have adopted.
Willie said Kris believes that "The better angels in all of us should prevail and will if you stand up for them."
Says it all, baby.
You had a room full of military careerists who believe in one approach to protecting and saving lives. War. Participating in it or, hopefully, trying to prevent it.
You had two guys who have pursued another approach. Words. Music. Activism.
These two guys are on my list. The list of humans who have deeply affected me. There are people on that list that, when they die, I will reflect silently and deeply. There are those who will flat out make me cry. Kris and Willie will draw tears.
Regardless of what you think about them, their music, their beliefs, even their appearance, if you have an ounce of intelligence you have to respect them.
They are a dying breed. Men strong enough to speak honest words of criticism and stand behind those words. Men who live lives  that reflect what they believe in.
It felt good to see Kris getting The Veteran of the Year Award. To see Willie offering it.
It felt good to know the military believed that Kris deserved it. I'm sure that honor is not given lightly.
It felt good to see those two men in that room being applauded and appreciated and respected.
Things like that give me hope.
I need more of that.

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