As a matter of fact, we might as well be from completely different planets. And then you are filled with a sense of alienation and helplessness, as if America the Country has been dislocated, like a broken arm, from the actual country you see every day around you. Perhaps these people on TV represent someone in this big country, but it sure isn't you.

Golem has just returned from a three-week tour during which we drove nearly 7000 miles and saw quite a bit of America. And I can tell you - those "folks" on TV do represent somebody in this country. Real people. We drove through places in the midwest where there were anti-abortion and fundamentalist billboards every few miles along the highways. We were shocked, but why? The people behind those signs didn't show up at the Golem shows (at least I don't think they did!) because Jewish folk-punk from New York probably isn't their cup of tea - but they're out there, and guess what? They elect politicians who represent their interests. It's not rocket science. To have people in courts, in Congress, in the White House, who represent what is important to you, you have to vote for them. Period.

The language that Golem sings in, Yiddish, was once a language of intense social activism in America. There were Yiddish-speaking trade unions, collectives, organizations that protected workers and the interests of the poor and victims of discrimination. The Jews in Eastern Europe were treated so despicably by the authorities and the societies around them, that they jumped at the chance, in a new land, to stand up for themselves and finally have a voice. With assimilation and comfort came, of course, apathy. We're not struggling anymore, so why bother? Today, people know only a few nostalgic words of Yiddish, at best, and as for social activism...... well, now someone like me actually has to write and urge people to vote! Just to vote! But don't bother, if you're too busy and don't have time. Just don't be surprised anymore when you turn on the TV.