The venue hall “Schleyerhalle” - named after Hanns Martin Schleyer, a former member of the Nazi parti of the 2nd world war. It is no more a surprise to me that in Germany, a hall is named ‘in honour of’ such a person.
I am German, too and I have my experiences in this country: since years I am caring for my father who is very ill due to strokes, and he is treated like an unwanted object – as a family member who is caring full-time, I am placed on the same low social ladder, too. An older lady I know (now 70) is locked up since 2 years - totally against her will - first in psychiatry, now in a closed home, just because she was “senile”. Since 2 years she is being mistreated with Zyprexa/Olanzapine, before that Haloperidol (both drugs severly harmful for people with dementia). Before her internment she still had been leading her life fully by herself, independently, peacefully, doing no harm to anybody, cooking well, baking cakes, paying her bills… living in her newly built big apartment (which she owned), which she had bought for the purpose of living there for the rest of her life so that nobody could throw her out…but in Germany it is very easy to lock “unwanted people” up, especially when they have money (which was very interesting for some close family members who took over the power). Do you think you can free the old lady in a 2 years long court process, she being locked up against her will? Sadly, no. I am even forbidden to take her for a walk – since 2 years – she is doomed to be locked up in this cage, her will and life force broken by now, because the government and judges want that, facts and witnesses totally ignored or twisted. I had to learn that “one flew over the cuckoo’s nest” ist rather real on a state level. The result/ruling for my 2 years long court case was fixed from the very beginning - before it even started, the dice loaded in such civil law cases, the situation feels devoid of rights and common sense (and the good woman, the old lady, has lost). I have no more words for such atrocities. Only public media may bring some air of “democracy” into such situations…
Is the following pure coincidence? …the lady gets her “medical treatment” forced upon her against her will from the neighbouring mental clinic of Hadamar. I like to be aware of the past. For those who are interested in this „historical“ information or perspective:
Hadamar is a town in Hessen, Germany, it lies between Cologne and Frankfurt am Main. Hadamar is known for its mental hospital, in which more than 14,000 physically and mentally disabled people were murdered during the Nazi era. A gas chamber and crematorium with two ovens were installed in the cellar. On 26 March 1945 US Forces captured the town of Hadamar. In the institute's pharmacy 10 kilograms of "Veronal" and "Luminal" (sleeping pills) were found, used to kill the victims. Members of Hadamar's personnel were put on trial in 1945 in Wiesbaden, and in 1947 in Frankfurt/Main. They were found to be responsible for killing approximately 10,000 persons. During the 1950's all prisoners were pardoned.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hadamar_Clinic
http://www.deathcamps.org/euthanasia/hadamar.html
http://www.gedenkstaette-hadamar.de/web ... p-1/i.html
http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php ... d=10006174
To put it into words, there is a lot which is “unnecessarily nasty”.
The paper (human) rights are not for everybody – when there are interests involved:
In Stuttgart that night and the night before: peaceful demonstrators, among them a lot of young people, being voluntarily hurt and injured by police forces, in spite of the fact that the demonstration had been legally applied for and confirmed by the city beforehand on time, it was not a spontaneous happening. The police finds it totally legal to physically attack peaceful demonstrators, who are being injured possibly having to cope with lifelong side-effects. Well the fight seemed fixed, and the trees have fallen.
Somehow I had soaked this atmosphere up. I could still feel some tension during the concert. Anybody having similar feelings, or was it just me being too sensitive?
And I cannot help having a slight bitter taste on my tongue when meeting the German gorilla like security. After my desperate attempt to throw my flowers onto the stage had failed (they had touched the stage, then fell down in the area in front) I boldly went to pick them up during the last song of the 1st part to throw them again – until my arm was severly gripped and held back by a security member, and I was warned. Well, the police is allowed to spray pepper spray into people’s eyes, and I am “arrested” for throwing flowers?
During the beginning of Suzanne, the woman and other members sitting in the 1st row in front of me lit some candles, until security forbid the lightning of the candles. They had to blow out their thin green candles which just burned for a few seconds …
Leonard and the band were strong. Still i am wondering whether they were slightly influenced by the overall atmosphere in Stuttgart, too?
I am glad that Leonard mentioned the “clashing of the armees”:
to introduce Born in chains:
lets be true to one another…for the world which seems to lie before us like a land of dreams, so various, so beautiful, so new, has really neither love, nor light, nor joy, nor hope, nor certitude, ..when we are here on a darkling plane where ignorant armees clash by night.
I was born in chains….
to introduce Anthem:
thank you so much for your warm reception here tonight, it’s a great honour to play for you, and it is a privilege to be able to gather in places like this on occasions like this, when so much of the world is plunged in chaos and suffering.
I have stood on a street with a sense of compassion and solidarity as the trees which you cherish have been destroyed – wild clapping of audience – it is not my right to interfere or even comment on these municipal affairs but, …ring the bells that still can ring…!!!!
(here is my attempt , please correct me if there are mistakes in the words)
writing this down, I’m getting too emotional so I better stop now …and I am sorry for my wider comment/social critique which is not merely concert related. Men shall know commonwealth again from bitter searching of the heart…
since the light of the tour is moving east, fortunately, we still have the darkness and leonardcohenfiles to lift the spirit up
wishing all those who are fortunate to attend the future concerts, a truly wonderful time.Nicole
