'Let's impeach the President for lying and misleading our country into war'- Neil Young

On Wednesday I saw Neil Young’s film, “CSNY/Déjà Vu,” a documentary that goes along with his “Living with War” CD. “Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young” is a folk rock band that originated in 1969. The band expressed their protest against the Vietnam War and “the establishment” through their songs. According to wiki, Neil Young’s “release of ‘Ohio’ following the Kent State shootings in 1970 marked the boldest musical statement made to that date regarding the Vietnam war, calling out Richard Nixon by name and voicing the counterculture's rage and despair at the events.

CSNY/Déjà Vu took the viewer on the road with the band (of now over-the-hill, graying and overweight men) as they toured America in 2006 and incorporated their political and anti-war beliefs with their songs. It was most shocking for me to see how in the 1970’s when CSNY’s songs “Ohio,” “Soldiers of Peace” and “Long Time Gone” were played, the crowd would erupt together and praise the band for not only their amazing music, but their anti-war and counterculture stance. Almost 40 years later when the band played Young’s “Let’s Impeach the President” off his “Living with War” album at a concert venue, literally half the crowd stood and sang along and waved their fists, and half the crowd stood and walked out cursing CSNY for speaking out against the Iraq War and turning the concert into a political rally.

So, I left the film wondering who else, if not musicians or even artists in general, can so passionately and powerfully speak out and use their music to reach a mass of people and express a message? CSNY has been a band who spoke out against violence and war since the beginning so why should an audience member expect any different? The same is with other musicians: Buffalo Springfield, Bruce Springsteen, Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, Country Joe McDonald and Chicago. Should not these artists be able to practice the freedom of speech? However, where is the line drawn between freedom of speech and manipulation?