Imagine That -- I’m Still Anti-War

callen

PJammer4life said:

Eddie is a good man..someone's gotta take the torch from John Lennon....

Ed may feel enough internal pressure already. Let's not add.

callen

dancinacrossthewater said:

Bring the message of cross-cultural communication and tolerance into the affected area. Don't yell from the sidelines.

Pj's a band. They play music just happen to have unique ability to talk to many young humans directly. Some times it helps ? Sometimes it doesn't. They have absolutely no responsibilities and take on more due to their good hearts and empathy. Peace needs to come from inside but from all citizens of the world, not from my favorite band.

Sarava

callen said:

PJammer4life said:

Eddie is a good man..someone's gotta take the torch from John Lennon....

Ed may feel enough internal pressure already. Let's not add.

His own words brought on the torch passing from John Lennon. But that''s a good thing. They are both great men.

callen

PhillyCrownOfThorns said:

Drowned Out said:

PhillyCrownOfThorns said:

MayDay10 said:

Great words. I'm sure people will twist it around as negative somehow... those people must work for Lockheed Martin

So the release clarifies what for those who were upset?

I agree that it does nothing to clarify the controversy. He basically continued his speech; let his words stand. He did make it clear it wasn't addressed to any one nation, but didn't absolve those who felt slighted. It seems like some people want a pass on their violence. He isn't biting.
Good for him.

I am not looking for a pass on violence.

I am even more curious now that he (and others) have had time to digest the reaction.

He chose not to be silent in a reaction. Kudos. But didn't address the negative reaction at all. Frankly, he just took a piss on it. I am sure there are many that are happy about that.

The simple way to silence a lot of the outrage is to place blame on Israel and Hamas for putting people in harms way.

Anti war... $$ wasted... Peace and love!

Done. Story over.

But for some reason, that wasn't included. Or maybe I'm just naive...

It's a band. They play music. Freakin awesome music I might add. Ed and the band don't owe anyone anything, period.

F Me In The Brain

You keep doing what you feel is right -- this what each of us has the responsibility to ourselves and to our trusted/loved ones to do.
As another great artist wrote about the Masters of War --

You've thrown the worst fear
That can ever be hurled
Fear to bring children
Into the world
For threatening my baby
Unborn and unnamed
You ain't worth the blood
That runs in your veins.

BS44325

The initial analysis of Eddie's word here were correct.

http://community.pearljam.com/discussion/235373/jerusalem-post-ben-red-completely-off-base-in-criticism-of-eddie-and-pearl-jam/p1

An anti-war speech and nothing more. I think the Jerusalem Post and Ben Red owe Eddie Vedder an apology for referring to it as an "anti-Israel diatribe".

rgambs

PhillyCrownOfThorns said:

Let's try today. Please people... Take your feelings of the conflict out (hard to do... I know).

Eddie has long called his communication with his fans "a dialogue". A-two way street... It is one of the reasons I have continued to enjoy PJ. There were a group of fans upset about the meaning of his words. The reaction actually caused Eddie to think and draft a response that did nothing to quell the outrage... Only pissed on the audacity of fans to actually question our fearless rock god!

So I ask again... Why not address those people specifically who were outraged? It is possible to support the suffrage of the Palestinian and Israeli population while denouncing war by Israel and Hamas. These two are absolutely mutually exclusive in the context of peace and love... One world... Flags flying in unison at shows... No war!

Eddie- sorry but this is some weak ass sauce that you brought to the table. Seems to me that you can't condemn a government like Hamas or Israel (by name) because you are actually too afraid to offend all of your liberal "peace-loving" buddies.

Drop Rodger's leash!

Note- just because some of my comments were answered and taken to another level. Eddie is a loving guy with a huge heart. I aspire to help as many people as he has in his life, and have done some pretty good work at the age of 40. He is not anti-Semitic as some would lead you to believe or some want to paint me as believing.

I just think his spin is bullshit and no different then we hear from our governments.

dude/dudette LET IT GO! Just because you feel that way doesn't mean much...seems like most do not agree. I personally think your take on this is childish. When your words get twisted you repeat them and let them stand. You dont allow the twister to make you ammend your statement. You repeat and move on. Calling out Hamas and Israel only legitimizes the arguments that are going nowhere. Just enjoy a beautiful statement from a man who is CLASSY ENOUGH NOT TO DOUBLE-DOWN OR BACKPEDAL, smart enough to make their anger look childish with his calm pleas for peas.
Personally i love it! And it opened so many eyes to the fact that blind support for israel doesnt have to be the future like it was in recent past. The tide is turning just like it is on same sex relations, drug prohibition, and money in politics.
Rock on Ed and never stop speaking your mind, on albums, on stage, and in life.

The Waiting Trophy Man

PJammer4life said:

Eddie is a good man..someone's gotta take the torch from John Lennon....

Yes and JL would be proud.

BS44325

eldarion75 said:

you know that 'oh noooo' feeling when one of your team scores an own goal? thats what this feels like...

Your problem is that you were under the assumption that Eddie played on your team. He doesn't. He is anti-war in total and doesn't embrace one side over the other. Accept it. He doesn't owe you or anyone else more then that.

JimmyV

rgambs said:

When your words get twisted you repeat them and let them stand. You dont allow the twister to make you ammend your statement. You repeat and move on. Calling out Hamas and Israel only legitimizes the arguments that are going nowhere. Just enjoy a beautiful statement from a man who is CLASSY ENOUGH NOT TO DOUBLE-DOWN OR BACKPEDAL, smart enough to make their anger look childish with his calm pleas for peas.

Yeah, this is I think the strongest takeaway from his statement. It may have been inspired in part by Israel, but it was never solely about Israel. He doesn't have to apologize to anyone who chose to read more into his words than what was there. He also doesn't have to reaffirm support for the Palestinian cause when that too was not part of his rant.

Pretty sure I wouldn't have handled this in as classy a fashion as did Eddie Vedder. I am impressed, sir.

BS44325

eldarion75 said:

He did an immense backpeddalling 'here's what I meant to say' and for that he's going to get shit from every direction. I love the guy and even I dont buy it. And it'll especially come from the pro Israel side. They're gonna dance all over him for this. He's basically backed down and now is going to be accused of being a coward as well as an anti Semite and all those other bullshit words those guys like throwing at anyone who disagrees with them.

I'm pro Israel. I never needed Eddie's response. I understood that he was anti-war and was not choosing a side. This is not "backpedalling". It is an affirmation in words that might be easier for you to understand. I'm not dancing or accusing him of being a coward or an anti-semite. Some of us on here were mature enough to understand the original speech and to recognize that Eddie wasn't raising a banner in support of your cause.

T-Bone 82

I really don't know how to feel about all of this. Generally, I feel kind of numb to the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East. That may sound apathetic, but I think I'm just war-weary and hopeless that it will ever end. As long as the religious fervor remains, there will be conflict and bloodshed. To me, that's just the harsh, sad reality and I feel powerless to do anything about it in my everyday life. I have enough of my own issues and problems to deal with that I can't even fathom spending hours of my day thinking or reading about it. I hit the highlights, read the headlines, and occasionally delve into a full article. To preserve my own sanity and well-being, I don't go much further than that.

I respect Eddie's efforts in communicating his feelings to a large group of people. I've read his comments on stage (haven't watched the video yet). Sounds like the profanity-laden speech probably didn't convey his true feelings. I'm sure he got caught up in the emotion of being on stage and what he let rip came across as angry and anti-Israel. His written response to the backlash was well-crafted and thoughtful and I certainly agree with just about all of it.

Bottom-line, he has a right to his opinion. The way he went about it is going to rub some people the wrong way and he has to live with the backlash. I respect him for standing up to it and clarifying his opinion. I just hope he has come to terms with the things he cannot change in the world.

badbrains

BS44325 said:

eldarion75 said:

He did an immense backpeddalling 'here's what I meant to say' and for that he's going to get shit from every direction. I love the guy and even I dont buy it. And it'll especially come from the pro Israel side. They're gonna dance all over him for this. He's basically backed down and now is going to be accused of being a coward as well as an anti Semite and all those other bullshit words those guys like throwing at anyone who disagrees with them.

I'm pro Israel. I never needed Eddie's response. I understood that he was anti-war and was not choosing a side. This is not "backpedalling". It is an affirmation in words that might be easier for you to understand. I'm not dancing or accusing him of being a coward or an anti-semite. Some of us on here were mature enough to understand the original speech and to recognize that Eddie wasn't raising a banner in support of your cause.

Sure you did, that's why you've been responding on this thread topic. And if you think ed DIDNT raise a banner then you are truly delusional. Look at how many people are reading up and informing themselves on this conflict now. Maybe that was his intention all along. Raise awareness of what's going on. I still dnt understand how people think this wasn't about Israel/Palestine. Nothing he wrote in the imagine peace has "vetoed" my original beliefs. If anything, he didn't back pedal like some (Rihanna & D Howard) but sort of said he's anti-war and you can do with it what u want. Would've been a lot better for all if he just came out and specifically said Israel/Palestine but he has his reasons and I'm sure they're good. Reading the comments on the YouTube video would scare just about anyone.

JimmyV

The thing that I think hasn't been stressed enough is that Ed is still in Europe and still has another show to play. We don't know what kind of threats, legitimate or otherwise, have been made. We don't know what the security concerns are for tomorrow. Yet he stuck to his message and did not backtrack. As I said earlier, I am impressed.

RoleModelsinBlood31

Thanks, Ed. I'll always listen when you speak.

BrokenGlass

http://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1986/03/23#.U8fgSrGmU4c

lolobugg

BrokenGlass said:

http://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1986/03/23#.U8fgSrGmU4c

very cool

hedonist

JimmyV said:

The thing that I think hasn't been stressed enough is that Ed is still in Europe and still has another show to play. We don't know what kind of threats, legitimate or otherwise, have been made. We don't know what the security concerns are for tomorrow. Yet he stuck to his message and did not backtrack. As I said earlier, I am impressed.

Yeah, seems to me he didn't backtrack but clarified/added to what he initially said.

Shit, how often do we all go back and edit our posts? Or make our words and intent clearer?

An aside - I got totally thrown by your change in avatar, dammit. Funny how we associate these things.

quimby20

Sarava said:

callen said:

PJammer4life said:

Eddie is a good man..someone's gotta take the torch from John Lennon....

Ed may feel enough internal pressure already. Let's not add.

His own words brought on the torch passing from John Lennon. But that''s a good thing. They are both great men.

Eddie will never be John Lennon.... Period

quimby20

So Israel is at fault???? SMFH
http://www.cnn.com/2014/07/17/world/meast/mideast-crisis/index.html?hpt=hp_t1