There is one song that more than any represents the people's America, the America of the working class and middle class. The unofficial anthem of the United States has echoed through the decades. On Sunday, January 18th, 2009, that song was sung in Washington, DC, to usher in a new era. This Land is Your Land:

[NOTE: HBO has, ironically, pulled this video of "This Land is Your Land" from You Tube. They have the rights to it. You can watch their footage of the concert here.]

And here are the lyrics as originally written, and as sung by Pete Seeger and Bruce Springsteen to welcome President Barack Obama:

This Land Is Your Land

This land is your land This land is my land
From California to the New York island;
From the red wood forest to the Gulf Stream waters
This land was made for you and Me.

As I was walking that ribbon of highway,
I saw above me that endless skyway:
I saw below me that golden valley:
This land was made for you and me.

I've roamed and rambled and I followed my footsteps
To the sparkling sands of her diamond deserts;
And all around me a voice was sounding:
This land was made for you and me.

When the sun came shining, and I was strolling,
And the wheat fields waving and the dust clouds rolling,
As the fog was lifting a voice was chanting:
This land was made for you and me.

As I went walking I saw a sign there
And on the sign it said "No Trespassing."
But on the other side it didn't say nothing,
That side was made for you and me.

In the shadow of the steeple I saw my people,
By the relief office I seen my people;
As they stood there hungry, I stood there asking
Is this land made for you and me?

Nobody living can ever stop me,
As I go walking that freedom highway;
Nobody living can ever make me turn back
This land was made for you and me.

As I have done before back when Obama was heading for victory in the election, I want to present this anthem of the American Dream through the decades.

Woody Guthrie (original):

Bruce Springsteen (my generation):

Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings: (this generation)

Farai Chideya must love my evil laughter because once again I join another episode of NPRs News and Notes' Blogger Roundtable. And grock knows it's going to be difficult not to laugh. One of the topics we may be discussing? Tom Tancredo.

Tom Tancreado refused to appear on Univisión's Foro Republicano because he's against the "balkanization" of the United States. You can find his intellectually weak rationalization on this TV news interview. While watching that piece of genius, I stumbled upon an actual interpretation of his annoucement put together by a group called "Team Tancredo" (which may or may not be affiliated to the candidate) :

I honestly can't believe these guys are serious. Do we need to remind Tom Tancredo, the son-of-immigrant Italians, and his team to never go there? Two can play that game. Worst part? The following is a "real life" clip :
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This is the last of the videos I shot at Elizabeth Upton's class at LaGuardia Community College. They are recent (and not so) immigrants who are in her English as a second language class (or the CUNY Language Immersion Program).

Here is part one of the series.

Then mozie on to part two.

Sultana asks the questions we all've been waiting for:

The students worked hard at coming up with questions. Sultana is actually asking the question for another student, Malva, who knocked it out of the part but was too shy to get on camera to speak her own words.

So, in the spirit of having them have a bit of a moment in participatory democracy, I asked them to get all together and around Sultana while she read the question off the whiteboard. And this was momentuous because even Sultana didn't want to participate earlier in the class. I think that seeing the others having fun and not being judged (by her teacher or me) for their performance must have given her courage.
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