A Symbol Of Hate

     Okay, what I'm about to say will probably anger some of my southern friends, but here goes...

     

     The confederate flag that you love to wave as a symbol of your heritage is actually a symbol of hate and divisiveness. You may not want to see it that way or admit it, but it is. Like the swastika before it, which was actually an ancient symbol of well-being before it was hijacked by Hitler, the confederate battle flag has become a symbol of supposed racial superiority and hatred of those who are different from you. From now on, it will never be anything but that.

     If you are more bothered by people who are offended by the waving of the flag than you are by the people who turned your symbol of heritage into one of hate, then you are part of the problem. 

     That is the sad truth.

Junk 'Em If They Can't Take Folk

"I've said it before and I'll say it again
Junk 'em if they can't take folk..."

I came up as a musician during a time when songs meant something, and they often had important things to say. Granted, some of my songs are just goofy little ditties of no social importance, but I also write songs that say things that I feel like need to be said. I have a hard time divorcing who I am as a person from who I am as a musician, mostly because I feel like I shouldn't have to.

I have been told that I shouldn't put "Jesus Wouldn't Do It That Way" on my new CD, or that it should be last, so that I don't lose people before the end of the CD. There were people who complained about "Not In My Backyard" on my "One More Night In Nashville" CD, because I castigated corporations who shipped jobs out of the country and big box stores that ran Mom & Pops out of business. I was told "If you weren't too lazy to cut your own grass, they wouldn't have had to shut the factories down and send jobs overseas" by someone who totally didn't get who the bad guys are. I have lost "friends" on Facebook who sent me requests because they liked my music and assumed I thought the same way they did, until they found out I didn't, and were mortally offended. I have received death threats from former "fans" because I supported Bernie Sanders.

I'm sure there are people who are upset that I encouraged folks to buy music from Bandcamp on August 4th because a portion of the proceeds would be going to help the Trans community. Too bad! I'm still going to write songs, and I'm still going to be me. Those two aspects of who I am are not mutually exclusive in my book.
If you can't enjoy my music because of who I really am, that's on you. If you can't enjoy my music because it sucks, that's on me.
Have a nice day...and listen to some music.