Got a question I've been asking. I don't necessarily ask anyone in particular... it's just a question, and I've been getting different opinions from various people. I wondered if I put it out here, if you guys would chime in at The Forum section and voice yours.

No matter which end of the spectrum your particular feelings happen to run on any of the turbulent or dark events of the past 2 years... a "pre-emptive" war, (possibly the seed for WW III), the World Trade Center attack, the collapse of Enron in which thousands of people lost their life savings while others walked away with hundreds of millions and the apparent lack of any accountability, or all of the corporate corruption that's surfaced recently... the last Presidential election, the question of drilling for oil in the Alaskan wilderness... I could go on, but you get the idea. There's been alot of shit goin' down all around us these past 2 years.

Now, I'm not stating any opinion on either side of the fence regarding any of these things, and that is not what my question is about. Here's the question...

Where is the "young" voice in this country? Where has it gone?

Where is the next Neal Young or Bob Dylan or Stephen Stills or Joan Baez or Joannie Mitchell or John Lennon or... where is the young voice today who cares... who has an opinion? Where are the young artists who, even if it doesn't change anything, are at least willing to try through their art or music? It used to start with the young people. It used to start with less-jaded, idealists who, for whatever resons they felt in their hearts, actually stood up at a microphone and said or wrote or sang... SOMETHING.

After 9-11 I thought it would surface again. I really did. I was anticipting that awareness, the passion of youth. But, it seems we keep running Britney Spears and Emminem and Christine Aguilera and Mary J. Blige and J.Lo up the flag pole, and Gap commercials depict young America wearing the clothes of the 60's and singing the songs of the 60's and guys hair is getting longer again... but, I don't know... it all seems so fake. It all seems so... I don't know...

I'm not saying it's a good thing or a bad thing. I'm simply looking around me these days with a little bit of wonder and I thought I'd share it with you. Wondering if anybody is wondering the same thing.

Anyway, I'll see you all on Thursday night, I hope.

Thanks for everything.

Anyway, what do you guys think?