In a recent Tales from the Jugular column (link), one of my Maximum Metal
colleagues, Jonah Haze, went on record as a heavy metal Republican. While I
respect Jonahs views, I respectfully disagree on a few key points, and therefore,
would like to go on record as a heavy metal, er.... non-Republican (Democrat would be kind
of misleading, since Im not registered as such). I have no quarrel with Jonah or
anyone else personally; I simply feel that a balancing of opinions is in order if any
discourse we have on the subject is to be truly meaningful. Im not here to preach to
you a myriad of reasons to vote Dubuyah out of office on November 2. This is a music site,
not a political one, and besides, there are plenty of sites out there (i.e.,
www.bushoccupation.com) already providing literally thousands (I kid you not- see
www.thousandreasons.org) of reasons for the mans removal.
The objects of Jonahs outrage (and likely that of many other Republicans) were the
various artists and bands currently on tour promoting the ousting of George W. Bush.
Thats all well and good; after all, this is a free country, is it not? Those artists
have every right to air their views, and those who disagree, likewise, have every right to
voice their outrage. But where was the outrage on the right over politics mixing with
music when over-hyped, cookie-cutter country singers could be heard yacking all over the
radio about the war in Iraq and other matters most of them probably dont know squat
about (Alan Jackson basically admitted as much in his song). I remember the overwhelming
feeling of tragedy still welling in my gut as I first saw and heard Jacksons
tribute to the heroes and victims of the 9/11 attacks. I had heard about
upcoming musical tributes like that, and decided to check one out on TV. I could not
believe my eyes or ears. Here we were, right after the direst tragedy on our soil since
Pearl Harbor. Major media outlets had come forward apologizing for pushing frivolous
reality shows and other mindless nonsense at the expense of substance, and promised to
provide the public with more meaningful content. And what did the victims get in their
memory--a tacky, generic country song by a true product of the corporate machine,
including lyrics that were a phenomenally stupid, and brazen assault on whatever pride I
felt in being an American (I watch CNN but I'm not sure I can tell you/ The
difference in Iraq and Iran ....you have got to be joking!). I saw nothing wrong
with the songs overall sentiment, but lines like this really blew it. Adding insult
to injury was the fact that, being a guitarist, I could tell in the close-ups that Jackson
was not even playing his guitar, but merely hand-synching for the camera!
And just when I thought it couldnt get any more insipid, a friend of mine who was
still unfortunately glued to the local country station, showed me a song that he had
downloaded on his laptop that he thought had a good message. The song was Have You
Forgotten? by Darrel Worley. Now this, I thought, was crossing the line! The song
was divisive, misleading, pandering, and hopelessly one-sided in its blind adherence to
supporting one war, while carelessly mixing in details pertaining to another. And despite
the songs somber tone, the underlying message, to me, was one of unconstructive (if
understandable) anger and fierce disdain for anyone who might disagree. I knew that if
this kind of attitude was fostered on a large scale, it could have truly ugly consequences
for America as a whole. And while I truly regret that we have reached this point, look at
where we are now! On September 11 th, we as a nation had the worlds unbridled
sympathy. Somehow, that almost universal sentiment of sympathy turned to a deep division
of thought not only abroad, but as Jonah pointed out, right here at home. Confronted with
this harsh reality, some unfortunately still choose to scapegoat those with differing
worldviews, rather than hold a mirror to themselves.
Okay, so having said that, how can I in good conscience support the current Rock Against
Bush tour and others of its ilk? Simple: its not just a matter of politics, but a
matter of principle. We are supposedly fighting for freedom abroad. What kind of example
are we setting for countries we hope to democratize if we suppress or intimidate all those
who dare challenge the status quo? It is troubling when certain points of view invite
automatic, knee-jerk hostility- often from people who have no idea whats going on in
the world. Some argue that the artists participating in these anti-Bush tours are no
better in this regard. But again, our forefathers died so that all in this country could
hold whatever beliefs they chose, and not have to suppress those views for fear of
aggressive or violent repression. They can say whatever they want to a captive audience,
of course, but nobody, I repeat, nobody, can force an individual to vote one way or
another. And like I said, Bush supporters didnt seem particularly concerned about
the mixing of politics and music when the Nashville hit factory began churning out pro-war
anthems. As George Carlin once said: Lets not have a double standard here. One
standard will do just fine!
My colleague alleges, furthermore, that the artists touring to promote the idea of ousting
Bush are doing so chiefly, if not purely, to boost ticket sales. I dont know about
the other artists current ticket sales, but Bruce Springsteen definitely does NOT
need to hop on a Bush-bashing bandwagon to sell more tickets! In fact, it
could be argued that he is putting his career in jeopardy over this tour. Think about it:
Springsteen concerts (at least in my area) routinely sell out like no other gigs I can
think of. Every time he comes to town, I always hear people bitching about how hard it is
to get a ticket. On the other hand, I think its safe to assume that not all
Springsteen fans are or have historically been Democrats. And with his current tour being
what it is, it is not exactly inconceivable that a long-time fan of the Boss who supports
Bush might say Fuck this! Im not going to an anti-Bush show! Not exactly
out of the realm of possibility when you consider the Administrations (and many of
their supporters) overt hostility towards anyone who dares to hold a dissenting
view! How is that supposed to boost ticket sales?
To further the Republican case, particularly as it pertains to heavy metal fans, Jonah
correctly points to the Parents Music Resource Center , spearheaded by none other than
Tipper Gore. While I have tended to support the Democrats, and understood Mrs. Gores
parental instinct to protect her children, I agree with Jonah and others who have spoken
out against her actions. Banning or censoring music was not and is not the answer;
Parental responsibility is. And with that in mind, I think we metal fans have reason to be
concerned about what our current administration might do regarding this issue if given
another four years. Weve already seen FCC commissioner Michael Powell (Colins
Son) raise a stink about Janet Jacksons (partially) exposed breast making it onto
television. A rather hypocritical move, Id say, especially after Powell and his
fellow republican commissioners committed a brazen assault on democracy by disregarding
public opinion and changing their rules to let large corporations like CBS to gobble up
even more radio and TV stations, allowing fine content like the aforementioned half-time
debacle to reach a wider audience than ever. (Note: for more on the FCC, check out our
previous article: Clear Channel - Why the Radio Sucks.) Furthermore, Bush
makes no secret of his Christian beliefs. Nothing wrong with that. But what about his
overly cozy relationship with the religious right? Arent these some of the same
people who launched a massive PR attack on Ozzy Osbourne, Iron Maiden and others
throughout the eighties? I seem to remember some members of the religious right even
suggesting that albums by these artists should be burned on sight. And remember Bob
Doles famous speech about the dangers of cultural nightmares of
depravity? Did that not have a troubling prohibitionist air to it?
And that is really what troubles me about this situation more than anything else: The
intolerance for differing views. As Jonah pointed out, the free airing of opposing
viewpoints is a great and crucial aspect of a free society like ours. I couldnt
agree more. And for this reason, I am truly sick and tired of hearing accusations of
treason lobbed at anyone who speaks out against leaders they feel are acting
immorally. I find it highly ironic to be lectured about supporting our troops by someone
who drives around by him/ herself with no cargo in a gargantuan gas guzzler with an
imported patriotic bumper sticker on it, while thousands of brave young men and women lay
their lives on the line every day in a region where we probably wouldnt have as many
conflicts as we do were it not for our dependence on foreign petrol. In times like these,
what is so treasonous about voicing concern for those who are making the ultimate
sacrifice for you and me? Solidarity in uncertain times is a virtue, as supporters of the
war in Iraq are often quick to point out; but we must never forget that solidarity does
not mean blindly supporting the status quo and ostracizing those who dont.
Solidarity means recognizing and accepting our differences, rather than letting them
create animosity between us. Or, to be simplistic about it: People have different
opinions. Deal with it.
Im not telling you to vote for John Kerry. Im not telling you to vote against
George W. Bush. All I am suggesting is that we be wary of unconditional support for one
viewpoint or categorical rejection of another. Moreover, whatever viewpoint we take, we
should all do our part to ensure that everyone gets a fair shake, regardless of their
views. As human beings, we tend to find this task damn near impossible at times. But we
owe it to ourselves, each other, and the world to strive for that ideal. That, to me, is
what America stands for. I actually spoke to Jonah via email (yes, we are on speaking
terms!) about my idea for this article. And while I had a certain message that I wanted to
convey to all of you, I think Jonah said it best, so Ill just use his words!
"No matter what we believe we should speak
if we have a forum. Before we are Democrats, before we are Republicans and even before we
are Americans, we are METAL! And that alone unites us with a stronger bond than blood or
party lines could ever. Raise your fist and yell my brother!"
Amen to that, my friend.
(By the way, while I have enjoyed Michael Moores work, I take no issue with
Jonahs comment about Mr. Moore and Slim Fast.)
Special thanks to Maximum Metal staff for having the decency and integrity to uphold
freedom of expression on this site, and to Jonah Haze in particular for being a good sport
about it.