Michael Franti Quotes
I think that fear comes about when there's things in the world that we want to change, things we're scared or angry about, and we can't change them, and so we become fearful; we develop anxiety.
Franti, Michael. Interview. Yoga Journal, 28 Aug. 2008.
Ernest Hemmingway was one of the first writers to observe this problem which would be felt by so many as the pace of change in politics, science & technology, economics and warfare would end centuries of people feeling that humans had control over the world.
The Netherlands and Belgium then belonged to Spain. However, Protestantism was spreading to the Netherlands. The Duke of Alva was a Catholic fanatic and advised the King to send him and an army into the Lowlands to root out and kill the heretics. In contrast, the Duke of Feria counseled allowing the lowlands tolerance and warned that if the Inquisition and Alva’s army were introduced and would be feared as Alva wanted, the might get desperate and do unexpected things like revolt. The King, a Catholic fanatic himself, sent Alva and the Inquisition. In the next 12 years, fear spread throughout the lowlands. Finally, the people became so desperate that they did revolt and the lowlands gained their independence and Spain lost their most important and European possessions.
Michael Franti is an American rapper, musician, poet, activist, documentarian, and singer-songwriter, known for his participation in many musical projects, most with a political and social emphasis, including the Beatnigs and the Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy. He is the creator and lead vocalist of his current independent project, Michael Franti & Spearhead, a band that blends hip hop with a variety of other styles including funk, reggae, jazz, folk, and rock. He is also an outspoken supporter for a wide spectrum of peace and social justice issues, and he is especially an advocate for peace in the Middle East.
