Our new video, "A Place Beyond the Pain", produced by Ian Robertson of Star bright angels has over 100,000 views, 7,900 likes and 8,400 shares on the Star bright angels Facebook page since being posted yesterday. The lyrics for the video are from "Song for Brandon", which you can hear on this site. You may watch this beautiful video either on Star bright angels Facebook page or at our FB page:
facebook.com/Music4Peace-1188930261123202. For more information on our Fundraising and CDs, check out our Fundraiser page.

My song "Shine A Little Light" is now available for listening on the songs/videos page.

I now have a Facebook page with  new poems created from my song lyrics and colorful backgrounds from 'photobucket'. You can find the page by searching on FB for "poemsbychuckmessinger".

 As an avowed "liberal democrat, in the wake of the Paris attacks, Roseburg shootings and other tragedies, here are some of the beliefs and contradictions I wrestle with: Please feel free to share any thoughts/conundrums you have.

• I want to see more gun control laws passed and enforced, including mandatory background checks and limiting availability of assault weapons and rifles. However, I also want to be sure that college campuses, schools and other public buildings are kept as safe as possible from violent attacks. How can we keep our children, teachers, and other loved ones safe if we don't have armed guards on campuses?
• I do not believe in the 'death penalty', however I have no qualms about executing people who commit crimes such as the Paris shootings, bombing in Boston, and other mass killings.
• I believe we are all 'one family' but I have trouble feeling forgiveness or mercy for individuals and groups who commit hate crimes, plot to terrorize or murder another person(s) based on religious or other belief systems.
• I do not want the government intruding into my private life and conversations but I also want security agencies to have every means at their disposal available for identifying individuals capable of committing terrorist attacks and having the ability to identify and thwart potential attacks before they happen. How much monitoring and information collection is appropriate in our current times?          

I have added the lyrics for 2 more songs- Shine A Little Light and Peace Begins at Home. They are available in the Song Lyrics/Poems section.