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To the readers of this article which features me a principle artistic resource....I had a brief conversation with Mr Witherspoon at intermission of my concert in December at the Clearwater Coffeehouse, during which he did not uncover his role as journalist or intimate that he was writing an article. I told him at that time that I was only aware of the song in a peripheral sense ... having heard it sung over the years... but never really examined the text! I believe I also said during our "conversation" that I was not able to definitely say, given that I did not have the lyrics in front of me, whether the writers were referring in any way to a point of "race" meaning "ethnicity or "color"... but that certainly in songs where that is the case, (of which there are many!) one would have to think seriously about changing the lyrics in present day presentation! I suppose that is the point of the conversation from which he pulled my "Hell, No".. quote! Since it was, in my mind, a conversation about the broad topic, the song escaped my scrutiny until he sent me a link to this publication yesterday. I read his piece, looked up the lyrics, gave them a read as well as some historical text on the period,and while what he says about that time in history is certainly on the mark as far as the mood and events in the country and the plight of African Americans, it is also quite clear, at least to me , that they have NOTHING to do with that song. It is, in context, very clearly talking about the HUMAN race, the struggle of women for equality and the conflict between women and men in that pursuit! Had he emailed or called me prior to posting this, I would have had the opportunity to offer a more informed opinion! I feel that he has misrepresented me and my views for reasons of his choosing and that he also has misrepresented the Clearwater Coffeehouse, its aims and conduct in the music community His use of my name and picture in the piece gives those who read the piece a distorted image of my ability to negotiate the rather challenging and charged issue of race relations and political songwriting! I do not feel that the piece does justice to this particular song or to a topic which is certainly ripe for discussion. I leave this unsatisfying exchange with yet another lesson in present day journalistic practice, artist/public relations and the difficulties we all face in the never ending evolution of human dialogue! Yours in truth Reggie Harris