Times Leader
(PA)
Political
nirvana
by
Dan Weller
Book:
"Of Grunge & Government: Let's Fix This Broken
Democracy!"
Author:
Krist Novoselic
Publisher:
RDV Books
Krist Novoselic is best known for his turn as bassist of the
seminal grunge band Nirvana. But what most people don't know is that
he's been active for the last decade since the culmination of
Nirvana; not musically, necessarily, but politically.
While Nirvana was known to put their support behind social causes
from time to time, they weren't outspoken about their political
beliefs to the point where people considered them a "political
band." Novoselic, on this own time, has taken a much more
active role, both locally (he still resides in Washington) and
nationally.
In "Of Grunge & Government," Novoselic approaches
his agenda from a very positive, optimistic point of view. Rather
than listing a barrage of reasons why he feels our government is not
working, he spends these 100-plus pages delineating methods for
making it work to everyone's benefit. Novoselic says it well during
a passage regarding the pitfalls of cynicism: "The positive
ideal holds an appealing dignity. Why kick around the argument of
being against censorship when you can advocate for freedom of
expression? Why disparage violence when you can promote peace?
Essentially the positive ideal is about advancing
possibilities."
While Novoselic does admit to being a registered Democrat Ðsurprising
for him to take pride in one of the two major parties when he was
once a member of a band that most considered either
anti-establishment or apathetic spokesmen for Generation XÐ he
remains ardently non-partisan throughout. He breaks his ideas for
reformation down to their simplest and continually encourages
participation in all forms of democracy, from school board meetings
to state and national elections.
This simplicity makes Novoselic's book perfect for, and perhaps
even aimed at, the youth of the nation. He's speaking to those who
have just come of voting age and may not know what to do with their
newfound responsibility. "Of Grunge and Government" can
even be viewed as a primer for pre-voters, those not yet of age to
take part in the electoral process, but who nonetheless should be
educated about the reality of our system, in preparation for the day
when they can knowledgeably participate.
Novoselic stresses his desire for electoral reform, not
governmental overhaul. He is not in favor of overthrowing the
system, but rather using it for fair representation of all of the
country's citizens, the basic tenet of democracy to begin with. His
aim is to stamp out disenfranchisement and apathy, and Krist
demonstrates that he will not let the negativity which pervades
today's political environment dampen his spirited call for change. |