Have you seen this article?
Joni Mitchell is back after nine years, and she’s on the attack. In the title track to her new album, “Shine,” Mitchell takes a nice swipe at the Catholic Church by name.
“Shine on the Catholic Church/And the prisons that it owns,” she sings. “Shine on all the Churches/that love less and less.”
Mitchell was never one to mince words, but in her triumphant return on Starbucks’ Hear Records, she doesn’t give an inch."
You can read the rest yourself.
OK. I have a degree in Criminal Justice, and I studied in two countries. There were prisons in both. I toured prisons all over Minnesota as part of my education, and took one tour with a friend who worked at one of them. Fascinating thing; the Catholic Church didn't own ANY of them! Some prisons are, in fact, privately owned; it's a fairly new trend. But the Catholic Church is not in on that business. She does supply chaplains, however, to answer to the spiritual needs of those imprisoned, to uphold their dignity as human beings.
Perhaps we should send a Catholic Chaplain to attend to the spiritual needs of Joni Mitchell...she doesn't really have much dignity left. And I think she's consumed BOTH of her feet in this deal, so maybe she's also in need of a ride somewhere. We should be charitable and answer to that.
But then again...I'm not sure I want to subject some poor priest to her animosity.
You can make your thoughts known to Starbucks', and I encourage you to do so. Here's what I had to say:
Hi. Like Joni Mitchell, I am an opinionated artist. Oh... and did I mention that I'm Catholic? Too bad for you, I'm also a very OPINIONATED and OUTSPOKEN Catholic, as are a good number of my friends and acquaintances. I'm opinionated much like Joni Mitchell, but I learned a long time ago not to stick my foot in my mouth by sounding off about things beyond my comprehension.
Additionally, I've learned not to SUPPORT such loose cannons. That's a lesson Starbucks needs to learn.
It just so happens that, in addition to my strong, opinionated personality, I am Catholic AND I have a degree in Criminal Justice. And, just because I'm curious, could you, or she, tell me exactly WHICH prison is owned and operated by the Catholic Church? My goodness, perhaps I could have gotten a job there when I was unemployed after college!
And more importantly, I'm wondering why Starbucks is supporting and promoting the work of an artist who has made a completely unjust and ill-informed attack upon the Catholic Church?
May I remind you that there are a good many customers who happen to be of the Catholic faith? And those Catholics have lots of friends who are NOT Catholic...but don't like to see their friends insulted. And I'd like to remind you also that Catholics and their friends like coffee. A LOT. And if you hope to do any damange control at all, it may be for the best if you remove Joni Mitchell from your playlist, because another facet of Catholicism is that we like to talk to people, and we are NOT afraid to defend our faith. Especially when it's so easy because the "artist" in question is spouting off, not citing facts.
We, the members of the Catholic faith, have the ability to cite facts and figures in direct refute to what Ms. Mitchell has offered. Now, in all charitibility we may surmise that it is not Starbucks making such reckless charges, but in actuality, as the business carrying her music, in fact, you DO bear responsibility for her words and her position.
Does Starbucks REALLY want to support the unintelligent sputter of a dying artist whose last hope of popularity is that of Catholic bashing? or is that the last hope of Starbucks as well?
Please remove this artist from your association. Thank you.
I sent in my comment under my name because I don't believe in speaking up to such a thing without being willing to take a hit for it. If we stand for what we believe, we have to be willing sign our signatures to it.
Starbucks has a history of doing controversial things, and they do it to MAKE business, because this kind of thing garners attention. There are those who will now be drawn to Starbucks due to name recognition. There are those who will go BECAUSE they bash the Church. Starbucks knows this. This entire thing is a calculated business move, and they also realize that most Catholics are lackluster as best.
PROVE THEM WRONG!
Step up! I think that all or most of my readers are Catholic, so I ask all of you to write to Starbucks here, and tell them of your boycott, and that of your friends. Perhaps some of our non-Catholic friends would be willing to stand in solidarity with us against Starbucks...because, in actuality, they could be next. Perhaps our Muslim friends would be willing to write in to Starbucks and tell them that religious persecution is wrong, and they won't patronize this business anymore, either.
If Starbucks hears from enough people, they might change their tactics.
And it will have more impact if those who address Starbucks mention their faith tradition or lack thereof in denouncing the lyrics of Joni Mitchell.
So those of you who claim to fight for justice...speak up! And Catholics....if you don't speak...who will listen?
