Portside

Which America should we recall on the Fourth of July? The "all men are created equal" of the Declaration of Independence or the gross inequalities by race, class and gender, the crying disparities of wealth, voice and security in real life? Both. Because the lofty declaration is more than a platitude and a snare; it has also always been a goal and a call to strive "to finish the work we are in." Lefty alternatives for the Fourth: songs, thoughts, a little inspiration.

Chokehold Death Protests. Economic Agenda for America. Springsteen: My Oklahoma Home. She's Beautiful When She's Angry. The Feather and the Cannonball.

The Border: Songs and Stories. Freddy Fender - Across the Borderline. Arlo Guthrie and Emmylou Harris - Deportees. Ice El Hielo - La Santa Cecilia. Illegal Immigrants, Dangerous Border — One Story. Deported: Kelly's Story.

Reader Comments - Woody Guthrie; On the Waterfront; McCarthyism; Screenwriters and the Blacklist; Third Party politics; Israel, Palestine, Gaza, Israeli peace movement and War Crimes; Zionism and the Jewish community; Saudi Arabia's role; Prisoners, Parole (or lack) and Obama; Teachers; Food; Thank you, Anonymous and contributions to Portside; Screenwriters and the Blacklist: Before, During, and After - New York - August 22-September 2

July 12, Woody Guthrie would have been 102. The people's artist wrote the words to This Land is Your Land, the peoples' national anthem, and frequently performed with the slogan This Machine Kills Fascists on his guitar..

Portrait of a Haitian Graffiti Artist. What Did You Learn in School Today? Where Have All the Flowers Gone? Woody Guthrie Sez What Songs He Hates.