What's Justice Got to do With it?

I planned to blog about something else today but due to recent events I have decided to postpone the previously planned topic.  On Wednesday, September 16, Mary Travers passed away.  I first found out because her name was a trending topic on twitter.  I had to google the name to find out who she was, so for anyone else that doesn't know she was Mary from the singing trio Peter, Paul and Mary.  She had been diagnosed with Leukemia in 2005 and died of complications arising from chemotherepy.

I realize she was 72 years old; this isn't quite the same level of tragedy as a 20 year old dying in a car crash, but I still found it to be pretty upsetting.  I was upset for partly selfish reasons, I had never been to a Peter Paul and Mary performance before but I was hoping to eventually make it to one.  I obviously won't have the chance to hear them perform live anymore.  Selfish reasons aside, however, I do feel like the world has lost one of its better members.  I've never met her personally but from what I've heard/read she was outspoken and blunt in defense of those most deprived of their human rights.

Originally they were a folk group of the '60s.  In that time I believe it was quite popular for musicians to speak out for peace and justice and it is interesting a lot of the groups from that time frame have disbanded with little being said of them since.  Peter, Paul and Mary, on the other hand, reunited in 1978 in protest of nuclear energy, and they stayed together and performed regularly until Mary's recent passing.  Marys passion to be a voice for the voiceless is what brought her back to her group and what motivated her throughout her singing career and her life.  I hope to live the rest of my life with as much passion.

Shellie Burg