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Live Interview with Nora Callahan - September 17, 2004Mike: When and why did you write Our Own Kind? Nora: In May, not long after the story broke. The photos were horrific, but I remembered seeing the so-called 'training tapes' out of a private prison in Texas back in 1998. Abner Louima, came to mind, the Haitian who was sodomized with a toilet plunger stick, in a NY City Police precinct bathroom. The police were the ones who raped him. I was surprised that our military were abusing prisoners at Abu Ghraib and taking trophy photos -- then suspected that the abusers in Iraq had been guards in our prisons, before soldiering in Iraq. And they were -- from top military, to the rank and file. Special military intelligence officers had been US prison guards, too. CIA specialists as well. But, it was the personal account of one man that suffered sexual and physical abuse that led me to write a song, and then share it with others. Haider Albabidi, an Iraqi prisoner at Abu Gharib was forced to strip, blindfolded, then knew that someone was performing oral sex on him. When his blind fold was removed, he saw that it was his best friend. How do you talk about that? Mike: How do you feel that this song will affect people? Nora: That's a will see. My voice isn't a professional singer's voice - I enjoy writing songs though. The words and music carry the song, and it's words of truth and I think that truth always has an affect on people. It's my apology to the victims in Iraq, and my promise to the prisoners in the US. I promised to voice their stories, their anguish. Mike: You've been involved in the struggle to end the drug war for many years now. Why music, and why now? Nora: Why now? What's after menopause? [Laughter] Music is a higher form of communication, you can say a lot in small verses. People can learn a song -- have some words handy all of the time. My hands hurt from all the typing. Prisoner mail so upsetting, I was holding my breath. People ought to sing more, and there are new messages to share with the public. Our movement is pretty stoic, and when Chuck and I traveled 30,000 miles to over a hundred communities, now and then a musician showed up. Those were usually the best meetings. Music communicates. Humans sing -- human drug law reformers ought to sing, too. When I was young, I used music to communicate my heart and missed music in my life. Now that the November Coalition has two interns with the same love of music -- why not now? Mike: What does 2M stand for? Nora: Two million, too many and music that matters. Two sets of M words, with two meanings. People will remember it, and back in 2000 -- when the US reached the dubious distinction of world's leading jailer, we were there to mark the day in mid February. People shouldn't forget -- a pathetic milestone in the 'free' and 'democratic' US of A. Mike: What's next? Nora: It depends on our supporters. If they want all the songs I've written the last two years produced, they can pre-order a CD. The free download of Our Own Kind, is out there, now, via the Internet, and if enough people get it to radio DJ's, and request it played -- we'll get enough orders to keep Katana and Josh on with us through the winter to compose arrangements, and then off to community meetings and colleges to perform it through 2005. If you would like to help, you can pre-order the CD from our website at november.org. At the very least we'll produce the songs as downloads. Mostly? Mostly we want to get the message out -- Leaders must stop the injustice of the drug war. Prisoner abuse is part of that injustice. Invite us to your community to share this message, and study Bottom's Up, a guide to grassroots activism. We are the 4th branch of government, we are We the People, we have to get organized. If songs will help people stay in the struggle for the long term -- we'll share them. Activism isn't cheap, but we operate on a shoestring. Sadly, people don't pay for information -- we hope they'll give generously for a cause and enjoy some homespun music, too.
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