One reader sends in this thought-provoking letter:
Any thoughts about the use of the musical stage to promote your own political agenda at the possible expense of your audience? Moral obligation or unfair treatment of a captive audience?
I was at a concert on Saturday night, to see the The Afro-Semitic Experience.
It was a pretty decent show. Some of it was really good and other parts were a little sleepy.
To introduce a song, the bassist first mentioned how all the proceeds from one of the albums goes to Magen David Adom. Then he started talking about polical walls throughout the Torah and history. He contrasted it with all the love stories in the Torah that start around wells. Then two of the guys from the band went around the room and passed out buttons that say, "wells not walls." He didn't mention anything about the security fence in Israel specifically, but the more I thought about it, the more obvious it was. Within a few minutes into the song, I got myself too worked up to enjoy the show and had to leave.
I don't know what your political views are and that doesn't matter.
The venue was at a Conservative synagogue in a very liberal area of town. I realize that I was probably the biggest right-winger in the room. But I saw no indication beforehand that they would blindside me like that.
I'd love to hear what people think about this.
