Graham Nash Interviewed by Dr. Bob Hieronimus
“I enjoy being on 21st Century Radio with my friend, Dr. Bob Hieronimus because we need people who are putting the truth in front of our faces. We need leaders. We need great voices on the radio, and Dr. Bob is one of them.”
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The attached photo was taken at Wolf Trap on July 3, 2014 when Graham Nash and Dr. Bob Hieronimus met backstage. When they met backstage, Graham’s first question was when could he come back as a guest on 21st Century Radio? “Any time!” was the obvious answer, and we expect him back again after the current tour is over. |
All that follows are direct quotes from Graham Nash’s appearance on 21st Century Radio® with Dr. Bob Hieronimus on November 4, 2012 when they reviewed “The Art of Graham Nash” exhibit in NYC. The few bolded lines are paraphrases of the interview question. www.21stCenturyRadio.com
“Global warming: It is a very touchy subject. There has been an incredible crusade of climate deniers that are ruling the airwaves and leading people to believe that it’s inconclusive science, that it’s all poppycock, that it’s just not true. And I believe those people will be seen in the future as incredible obstacles to waking up to the fact that our climate is changing.
And don’t forget it’s not just Exxon or the oil companies. It’s the Koch Brothers, and the other billionaires that have holdings in making money from the environment in coal and uranium. The oil companies are a large part of the problem, but they are only a part of the problem. The biggest problem is the America public so far, do not believe that the climate is changing. And with the superstorms like Sandy coming, it’s getting mad out there. Anybody with a brain has got to make the connection between carbon dioxide in the atmosphere affecting the actual climate of the entire planet.
I wonder how deep the division between red states and blue states is going to actually get. When I fantasize about it I see the blue states becoming a country all on their own and leaving the red states to become their country.
[If Romney had won] climate change would accelerate. Getting rid of regulations is a good bumper sticker, but I really do believe we need a certain amount of regulation to stop people polluting the atmosphere and stop people from making billions of dollars on raping the environment.
Corporations are not people. Citizens United has to be reversed, and we have to investigate the people who brought us Citizens United. You hear about Scalia and Thomas attending Koch Brothers seminars, and you have to wonder whether the Supreme Court is really as unbiased as it’s supposed to be.
“Question Authority” is too narrow. I think it’s important to ask questions, period: of the universe, of whichever god you pray to, of your friends, of your family. I think it’s important to ask questions of your teachers, people who are trying to teach you a different skill set. It’s important to ask questions because that brings you closer to solutions, closer to the answer. Today we’re being completely trained not to ask questions except who won the latest vocal competition and what size is Kim Kardashian’s backside. Those are the only questions they want to hear from us.
The media goes too far into entertainment because they need to sell stuff to stay in existence, but what has happened is you can probably count the people who own the world’s media on a couple of hands. And they don’t want protest songs, they don’t want ripples, they don't want questions. They just want you to lie down and be a sheep and buy another soft drink and another pair of shoes, and you’ll be fine while we rob you.
Genetically Modified Foods: When you design a certain seed that will grow a certain food that is not only resistant to some of the diseases that were killing the amount of food needing to be grown, that’s okay, kind of. But when you build into that seed, the incredible desire for more and more pesticides that gets to be insanely creepy.
My son is experimenting with permaculture, it’s kind of a closed system where, for example, you have a duck pond at the top of the slide hill and the ducks defecate into the water and the water trickles down and feeds the avocado, and then down to the sweet potatoes and yarrow. But the most important thing is that he is able to suggest to people that they can, in fact, grow their own food. He was growing food in his apartment in New York City last time I visited.
It would be really wonderful if big corporations like General Electric paid their fair share of taxes. But we do have to believe it will get better. We have to believe that the stranglehold that these corporations have on this country will come to some kind of better place than it is now. And I think with smart leadership the environment could get better. I can’t give up hope. I just can’t. I can’t constantly deal with the negative. I am always trying to find a better way around it.
On “Almost Gone”, the Bradley Manning song: We are a nation of laws, aren’t we? Aren’t they supposed to be applied equally to everybody? And section 813 part 13 of the military code of justice states, without question, no punishment before trial. You’re entitled to a speedy trial in this country. And that usually means 100-120 days since the time of the alleged offence. Bradley Manning has been in solitary confinement for about 900 days [as of 11/4/12] and his trial is still not going on. He has been tortured without question. A United Nations’ investigation of the case said that without question for at least the first 10 or 11 months of his incarceration he was being tortured. 12 foot by 9 foot white room, bright lights 24 hours a day, being woken up every 5 minutes because he was on some suicide watch even though the psychiatrists attached to his case said absolutely this man was no threat to himself or anyone else. That could be your son. That could be my son.
I wish people would get it straight here. We’re not interested in saving the planet. The planet doesn’t give a shit about us. If human beings disappeared instantly, the planet would still go on spinning and in a couple of million years or so a new life form would emerge to rule the airwaves. We should say we’re trying to save “humanity”.
I hope there’s life after death, but I’m trying to make this life the best I can.
Did you ever see a UFO? : I’m not sure. I remember driving down a country lane once with Joanie about 40 years ago, and we saw something flash through the sky that was going much faster than an aircraft, and no noise and a strange color, but have I seen one? Probably not. Do I believe they exist? I’ll tell you this. There’s no way in mathematical probability, that that we’re alone in this universe. I don’t know what the other life forms would look like, or sound like, or smell like, but I can’t believe with all these billions and billions of planets that we’re alone.
Do we each have an important purpose or meaning in being on planet Earth? Undoubtedly. People just need to know that and find it. Usually it comes from your heart. So many people are working in jobs that they hate. Isn’t the statistic on heart attacks that they occur most often at 8 o’clock on a Monday morning? I wonder why that is. Find what you love to do. Don’t depend on whether it will make you money. Find what you love to do and do that with all your heart, and the money will come later.”
When Graham Nash read this transcript he said "Many thanks Bob... I almost seem smart... And so it goes.... Let's talk on the radio soon my friend, and keep up the good fight. Love to all, G."
Here is Dr. Bob's backstage pass for the Crosby Stills and Nash concert at Wolf Trap on July 3, 2014:
One of Stuart Zolotorow's concert photos of Crosby Stills and Nash.
Listen to our second Graham Nash interview on 21st Century from August 24th, 2014 where we focused on his memoirs called Wild Tales.
