Pete Seeger, Folk Singer and Political Activist

I note with sadness the passing of Pete Seeger. From childhood memories, I remember singing many of his folk songs growing up as a child. As an adult, I came to know of him as a man of commitment and conviction whose rendition of the song We Shall Overcome became the theme song for the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. I mourn his passing but cherish his contributions to making this a more just, a more humane, ... a better world.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/29/arts/music/pete-seeger-songwriter-and-champion-of-folk-music-dies-at-94.html?_r=0

http://www.businessinsider.com/pete-seegers-history-of-we-shall-overcome-2014-1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-FmQEFFFko

Peace,

P.S. I also note that Mr. Seeger's passing occurred only a few months after the passing of his beloved and devoted wife Toshi. It somehow gives me joy to think that they might be together again somewhere ... somehow.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/12/arts/music/toshi-seeger-wife-of-folk-singing-legend-dies-at-91.html

Hiroo Onoda and Teruo Nakamura, A Contrast in History

Read last week about the passing of Hiroo Onoda. The obituary appeared in the New York Times and can be found at

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/18/world/asia/hiroo-onoda-imperial-japanese-army-officer-dies-at-91.html?_r=0

Mr. Onoda's story has always fascinated me because the notion that a man would continue to wage war for thirty years is beyond my comprehension. When I first heard about Mr. Onoda's story some years ago, I decided to look him up on Wikipedia and read more about him. The following is the current

Wikipedia listing

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hiroo_Onoda

In reading the Wikipedia article, I noticed that there was one Japanese soldier, a Teruo Nakamura, who held out longer than Mr. Onoda so I became curious about him as well. His listing is at

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teruo_Nakamura

In reading the accounts of Onoda and Nakamura, and seeing the disparate reactions to their deeds, I was forced to reflect about the often strange twist of fate that can occur. How strange that one man would be received with such acclaim while another would be so quickly relegated to obscurity.

Life, and history, can be so strange... and unpredictable.

Peace,