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I am a blue collar kid. I grew up with 5 little brothers and sisters and my dad worked 3 jobs sometimes to make ends meet. He also read Mark Twain to us as kids, and quoted Shakespeare. There was a time when the poor had their own opera houses, played beautiful music on their own instruments, and wrote and read poetry and appreciated beauty, truth, and art. The turn of the century changed much of that, when the wealthiest snobs (GOP type robber barons) decided to extend the work week and force many people into jobs working 7 days a week, and many immigrants didnt have time for leisure or art. Then, the robber barons and their fatcat friends decided to co opt art and music and thought they owned "culture". Well, they dont, and they didnt. The music of the soul is free, and cultural elitism comes straight from the wealthy 1% who think they own Beethoven, Bach, Rachmaninoff, and Twain... No, they dont. Its just as much my music as anyone elses. I also own the sun rising, the moon at night, and the poetry of Rimbaud and Baudelaire. I grew up poor. I chose to learn on my own, because I had parents who, despite their poverty, still believed in teaching their kids to read and learn and search for beauty and find a gentle spirit in all things. My father always told me that money does not buy anyone class, and he was right..(see: Ken Lay, Enron CEOs) You dont need money to read Twain, or Shakespeare. You dont need money to create a symphony. You dont need money to write poetry. You dont need money to sing. You dont need money to dance. You dont need money to paint your own version of the Sistine Chapel on your own garage door if you are in the mood. Your soul isnt for sale, and having a soul that embodies beauty and truth doesnt cost a dime.
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