Yes, We Do Bruce!

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Recently, Bruce Springsteen was interviewed about his new album, "Wrecking Ball". He spoke about the lead song of the album, "We Take Care of our Own." Bruce said that he is asking the question, "Do we take care of our own?"  I am not sure of whom he is asking the question.  If he is asking me, I have to answer, "Yes boss, I have a wife and a 9 year old girl that I take care of daily.We have another daughter who is living on her own, paying her bills and working, and still another daughter in college who we send money to monthly.I have a son who I took care of who is now serving his country as a Marine.  So, yes boss, I am taking care of my own.  I can not only answer for myself, but I can also testify to what I see in my community.  Bruce seems to say no one is doing anything for anyone when he says, "There ain't not help, the calvary stayed home, no one hears the bugle blowing." Bruce sounds like a politician blowing out glittering generalities out of his own bugle. I will give a couple of examples of what is happening here on the ground in my community.  A group of men started a ministry to the homeless which grew into what is now called LAHIA. (Love and Hope in Acion). They feed, clothe and provide many other services for the poor. You can visit their site: http://lahia.org/  My church donates food on a weekly basis and friends from LAHIA pick it up once a month.  This is just a small example, and all of us know there are countless faith based or community based organizations doing this type of work every day in all 50 states.  Relationships are built through this, people know faces and names, and they care about each other. We are the calvary Bruce.  Stick it it your bugle. My wife is a school teacher who not only dontates her time and energy sacrificially going way beyond what she is paid, but she also bought clothes for a less fortunate student who she cares about deeply. She is my local hero.  This goes on all the time throughout the country. My parents' church in Lakewood, NJ, right in Bruce's backyard, has a big food bank where they also give out clothes, baby supplies etc. all of the time, every day. This goes is happening in every community.  And, I know Bruce is aware of this because he always highlights a local charity in every city he plays, and from what I am told, all the T-Shirt money goes to local charities.   So, I am not sure what Bruce is talking about. Is he throwing his hat into the political fray and talking politics here? In other words, is the question being asked of our government?  If so, he is asking the wrong entity  because the government can't even take care of themselves; they are broke, flat broke, and one of the reasons they are flat broke is because they are trying to take care of those they have no business taking care of.  We are in a big mess because the government, for the sake of  their own power and greed, has tried to be all things to all men giving anything to anybody that will vote for them. In other songs, Bruce seems to go after corporate greed, bankers and "robber barons."  I heard no mention of the corrupiton in Washington and his own democratic party that he seems to support each election, so if this album is asking the question of those who want smaller government, less spending, less government interference, I have to say the album is a bunch of political rhetoric, and Bruce is no better than the politicians, no better than the government. The only difference is Bruce is not broke.  The government can't save us, and they can't take care of us. They need to get out of the way and give power back to us in our communities--we do a much better job because we are motivated by faith, hope and love, not power, pride and greed.  So, the anwer to your question Bruce, for me and those I love is yes we do.
PS. I am going to see Bruce in Tampa this month and I am looking forward to a good concert; Bruce and E Street are still the best band in the land, musically speaking.
Also, I invite all my readers to leave examples of people taking care of their own in the comment section.

Comments

VTLady said…
I can't agree with you more Bill. Unfortunately, the Government seems dead set to try to take over all charities. The HHS mandate on the Catholic Church to provide coverage for all contraceptions, including abortifacients and defying the conscientious objection and going against the first amendment is the straw that broke the camel's back. Now, all Catholic institutions; hospitals, universities, Catholic Charities will have to be secularized or eliminated. These have been this country's largest faith based charities and now the government will be taking these over. Keeping charity close to home, to local churches and other institutions of civil society is the cheapest, most efficient way to run and to give the most money and resources to the people who need it and do it most effectively. In the Bible, Jesus calls on us to give of ourselves. He doesn't tell us to give to Caesar so that Caesar can give to others. He emphasizes our individual relationship to God, not a "collective salvation" as our current President advocates for. Liberation Theology is a Marxist concept which eventually leads to a State Religion, something the founders of our country tried hard to avoid. I enjoyed reading your commentary. I hope more people get this message.
March 3, 2012 at 6:33 PM
A Child of God said…
My community (Vero Beach) is full of local heroes that do the work they do never looking to be named for it or recognized for it. Funny thing is that most of those in the trenches of our community are those with very little for themselves. Like Bill's wife, mine loves to find the overlooked person and meet the need they have. She does so when she can without the person ever knowing it was her. So Bruce, though your music rocks!!!, I must say... please don't speak for me and mine because we're not just looking out for our own, but we're looking out period. That's what Jesus calls us to do, whether you, Bruce, see it or not. Bill, Great piece by the way.
March 3, 2012 at 8:26 PM
Anonymous said…
Hi Bill, That was a great Blog you wrote about the Boss. I haven't heard the new album and doubt that I will buy it. I like his music, but don't buy much music any more. I've got too much now. I agree with your ideals about taking care of each other. If we all would take care of those who really need it and none of those who are too lazy to get a job or better themselves we'd have a much better nation. I remember growing up in Little Falls, NY back in the 50's and my mother ranting and raving about certain families who were on welfare and had been for a few generations, just because they knew it was the easy way to subsist. My mother and father and grandparents were all factory workers who worked many more hours than the 40 hour week that is standard now to get where they could afford to send my brother and me to college and have a nice home. Most of that desire in America is long since gone. It's too easy to sit on your fat ass with your hand out.and if the first one passes you by, then there will be somebody else right along soon. Don't get me started. Thanks for a great blog. T.
March 11, 2012 at 5:56 PM
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