I should start this post with a disclaimer. I am not a swiftie. I’m pretty sure I couldn’t even name one of Taylor Swift’s songs. I’m not here to disparage her talent. No doubt her songs are great, because she has such a huge fan following. It’s just that I’m getting older, and I have to use my flagging energy wisely. As a result, pop culture has sort of fallen by the wayside for me.
But when I heard that Swift openly endorsed Kamala Harris for president, I had to admire her courage, in the face of this nation’s sometimes violent polarity. She spoke her truth, knowing full well that the world would hear her. In doing so, she said (among so many other things), “I’m voting for @kamalaharris because she fights for the rights and causes I believe need a warrior to champion them. I think she is a steady-handed, gifted leader and I believe we can accomplish so much more in this country if we are led by calm and not chaos.”
That single endorsement drew 337,825 visitors to the vote.gov website, but the actual number of people who then followed through and registered to vote is unknown. Still, that gesture was a valuable one to society. Voting, regardless of who you vote for, is one of the most important things a person can do.
Swift also has an impressive record of charitable giving. She has made a huge impact, financially, by supporting various causes related to disaster relief, libraries, animal rescue, sexual assault survivors, cancer, and has helped fans in various ways when she has heard that they were struggling. There is no question in my mind that she is a good person.
Taylor Swift, if you’re reading this (highly doubtful, but a girl can dream), I’d like to suggest two additional ways you could make a significant impact. 1) There are hundreds of thousands of rape kits out there that have gone unprocessed for lack of funds and understaffed DNA labs (along with a blame the victim mentality, but I digress.) You could make a huge dent in that, and every rapist that is taken off our streets is one less rapist that can go on to attack more victims. And 2) there is a growing number of homeless people in America in general, and in Seattle in particular. With your celebrity and the money that brings you, you could all but wipe out the current homeless problem, particularly for women and children, by creating tiny house villages, more beds at shelters, increased mental health and rehabilitation services, job training and placement, and providing nourishing meals and warm clothing for those who wish to or have to remain on the streets for whatever reason.
The more specific your targeted charitable deeds are, the more impact they will have. And the more you speak out about various issues, the more attention they will get. The Beatles knew this. (And I only mention them because they are the earliest example of celebrity generosity that I can remember, and I can name quite a few of their songs.)
On September 11, 1964, the Beatles refused to do a concert in Jacksonville, Florida if the people in the audience were not integrated. The venue was insisting on segregating the audience, in blatant defiance of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which had been passed two months earlier. Finally the venue owner caved in and allowed the integration, so the concert went on.
There were few black people in the audience, and most of them sat stiffly, terrified that they might accidentally rub elbows with a white person, and a riot would ensue. Still, it was a start. After that, all the concerts were integrated there.
(As a side note, those concert tickets were 4 to 5 dollars, which blows my mind. And the venue was outdoors, and the remnants of Hurricane Dora were passing through, so the concert went on in 45 mile per hour wind gusts. Ringo’s drum set had to be fastened to the stage. And apparently you could barely hear them over the screaming fans, due to the crappy sound system. What a story.)
Even the influence of the Beatles only reached so far, though. When they heard that the hotel they were to stay in was refusing rooms to the black members of their opening acts, they chose to fly out immediately after the concert. They never performed in Florida again, except for their second appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show, which was shot in Miami.
The Beatles as a whole, and the members individually, went on to stand for causes that they cared about, and all of them have participated in charitable giving throughout their lives. Many other celebrities are known for their philanthropy as well. Just off the top of my head I can think of Oprah, Justin Bieber, Zendaya, Elton John, Angelina Jolie, Audrey Hepburn, Sandra Bullock, Bono, Jackie Chan and John Legend. The list goes on and on. People who use their force for good can make a difference in this world of ours.
Having said that, though, I’d be remiss if I didn’t point out the one sticking point regarding all this philanthropy. The rich have never paid their fair share of taxes. Yes, that gives them more money for philanthropy, but that means that we, the people, via our elected representatives, don’t get to decide how this wealth gets spent, and meanwhile the tax burden falls on our shoulders.
Yes, the rich can do good things if they choose to. In doing so, they get all the subsequent warm fuzzies and the PR boosts, but meanwhile, less attractive needs are not met. This country’s basic infrastructure, for example, is crumbling, and since that’s not a sexy cause for charitable giving, it will most likely continue to crumble. Oh, and by the way, the charitable giving that these rich people do then allows them to write it off on the paltry amount of taxes they pay in the first place.
Jeff Bezos is a prime example. He claims he will give away most of his money to charity. But that remains to be seen, and he can change his mind at any time. I have two really good reasons for doubting this generosity of his. 1) He made his wealth on the backs of Amazon workers, and they continue to be treated abominably. And 2) The minute he learned that his tax rate was going to increase in Washington State, he ran from Seattle like his a$$ was on fire.
Here’s a man who could probably reduce homelessness in Washington State by half in a blink of an eye, but instead, he ran like a dog away from the state that has been so good to him. He moved to Florida, a tax haven for the wealthy. Jeff Bezos is at an income level where no amount of taxes will effect his quality of life one little bit. The only reason he doesn’t pay them is that at his core, he’s motivated by greed.
So, yes, use your force for good whenever you can. But do your civic duty as well. It may not hit you in the feels quite as hard, but it’s desperately needed. Don’t forget, you’re driving on these roads, too. You should pay for your carbon footprint at the same rate the rest of us have to.
#taylorswift #jeffbezos
I may not exactly be your best resource for pop culture, but I can and did write a heck of a book. Check it out! http://amzn.to/2mlPVh5
Leave a Reply