Hip-hop artist Common aka Elam FERGUSON on TV's "Hell on Wheels" paid tribute to the civil/racial unrest in FERGUSON, MISSourI...which brings us back to August 23rd, 1989, the Bensonhurst neighborhood in Brooklyn, NY. Yusef Hawkins, a 16 year old African-American, and three friends there to buy a car, and wrongly identified by a mob of white youth who suspected Yusef of dating a white girl in their area are beaten with baseball bats; Yusef is eventually shot and killed in the altercation.
The marches and written accounts of the protests sound far more disturbing than what has been taking place in FERGUSON, and yet there were no arrests, injuries or deaths as a result. Use of Police force as seen in FERGUSON didn't exist in N.Y.
Although not directly related to the events in Bensonhurst, several weeks later over labor day weekend more racial unrest as Greekfest (African-American fraternity/sorority beach party) attendees in Virginia Beach, VA. were met with police force, and riots ensued. The television footage of the conflict that weekend is strikingly similar to what we have been seeing in FERGUSON.
Virginia Beach, VA. is home to the NEPTUNE Festival (started in 1973), and a 34' statue of The King of the Deep (2005)
1989 also resonates with 2014 in a couple of other symbolic ways. Former Beatle, George Harrison released his second compilation album: Dark HORSE: 1976-1989 (Dark HORSE Records). The Dark HORSE has gained much attention this year with Katy Perry's music video & performance at this years Grammy Awards. It was reported that in July of 2014 in Los Angeles, the memorial George Harrison tree had died and would need to be replanted. The cause of the trees demise, Beetles.
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George Harrison's 5th Solo Album was released in 1974, and also titled Dark HORSE
On July 4th, 1989, then fourteen year old actress Drew Barrymore attempted suicide. Earlier this year in late July, Drew's half-sister Jessica was found dead behind the wheel of her car of an apparent drug related overdose. Researcher Loren Coleman covered this story over at his blog "Twilight Language" in a piece entitled: The Paradise Syndrome: Celebrity Suicides.
Other events from 1989 worth nothing:
- February: Iran's Ayatollah Khoneini places bounty on Satantic Verses author Salman Rushdie
-March: "California Quake" amusement ride opens at Universal Studios
1st sea test of TRIDENT 2 mISSIle self-destructs, Cape Canaveral
Worst U.S. Oil Spill, Exxon's "Valdez" spills 11.3 million gallons off coast of Alaska
-June: "Dead Poets Society" opens (see Robin Williams)
Tiananmen Square Massacre. Chinese troops Kill nearly 1,000
Then President Ronald Reagan is Knighted by Queen Elizabeth II
1st of the modern "Batman" movies opens
-August: Pete Rose banned from Baseball for life/betting scandal.
-September: Hurricane Hugo caused $10 Billion damages and left an estimated 107 dead
-October: STS-34 launches (ATLANTIS 5)
-November: Major Conjunction of Venus, Mars, Uranus, NEPTUNE, Saturn and the Moon
The Fall of the Berlin Wall
-December: Mikhail Gorbachev & George H.W. Bush declare end of the Cold War
Worst Canadian Mass Murder, Marc Lepine kills 14 at Univ. of Montreal
U.S. Invasion of Panama
Earthquake, Newcastle Australia. 11 dead
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6 comments:
Thank you for this post. I, too, recall the events of summer 1989 quite clearly. I was in Washington, D.C. on 7/4/89 and watched the fireworks. I was listening to a lot of George Harrison today, while driving my car nicknamed "Beatle George" (my son came up with it. I was thinking particularly about "Cloud 9," the album that came out in 1987. Excellent album. My favorite George album (other than "All Things Must Pass." Was particularly focusing on "When We Was Fab." Two lines get me "The microscopes that magnified the tears" - is this about the breakup of the Beatles or something else? And I had just been listening to Bob Dylan (a fellow Traveling Wilbury) and his 1965 album "Bringing It All Back Home" and the song "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue." George references that song in "When We Was Fab." But why? Perhaps we'll never know. It's been a George kind of day. This post is really resonating with me. Thanks again!
@Andrew. Hey thanks for checking in and glad that my post was able to touch you. I am always kind of amazed how much The Beatles synch with most things. This isn't the first time they have surfaced during my Trident research that goes back to 2007.
Funny, I had dug up your interview yesterday on 42minutes. I have been reading your stuff and was glad to find some audio with you. Interesting stories. Your presentation is refreshing.
Welcome to The Looking Glass.
Very cool, Todd. I appreciate you writing me. And that "Yosemite Sam Transmission" was something else. It triggered a whole post, for me. Check it out!
http://www.reddirtreport.com/dust-devil-dreams/smithereenies
And one more thing, just as I was posting my "Smithereenies" post on Twitter, the first Tweet I see is from @GeorgeHarrison. A sketch of the young Beatle done in pencil. I couldn't believe it. George has been on my mind all day, a lot more since I read your post. Thank you!
It's been a George Harrison kind of week. http://www.reddirtreport.com/dust-devil-dreams/dark-horse
April 24, 1989 Tom Petty Releases first solo album -Full Moon Fever- though it features contributions from members of his backing band the Heartbreakers, noting member George Harrison. Also the first single released being "I won't back down" A message of defiance against unnamed forces of difficulty and possibly oppression. Due to its themes, the song was played often on American radio following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
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