When Stevie Wonder pulls no punches

When I was a kid, I listened to Stevie Wonder albums ... a lot.  I liked all of his music, but the music of his that touched me most deeply were the songs that made a statement on society as a whole.  That was the music that stirred my soul, the music that "funked up" my thoughts on the world around me.

Stevie may have been born blind, but just by listening to his lyrics and the emotion behind them when he sang -- particularly on a song like "Livin' For The City" -- you knew he had a special kind of "inner vision."

In the times when Stevie makes a social statement, he pulls no punches.  He names no particular political parties when he writes and sings about politicians, he just sings against hypocrisy and "doing nothing" when there's much that needs to be done.

I admired him for that then, as a kid, when I'd listen to his music.  I still admire that.

As we approach a big Election Day, this day is for Stevie Wonder, and for the powerful statements that he's made through his songs.