JUST ONE WORD OR A PHRASE TO BOOT

I’m not a big fan of those who engage in acts of hypocrisy, or the verbal denunciation of that which on the other hand he or she might be involved in themselves. A few weeks back, that accusation was leveled in my direction,

Now look, I don’t mind being verbally slapped around, especially when it is deserved. Sorry, but it’s hard for me to point at or find a past situation where that’s the case, but let’s just let that rest right there. Hoping the jest is clearly understood there.

I have an old school days friend who makes it his least important role, yet seemingly, a necessary one of his,

I have been known to push back on him at times, but here is the general problem in that regard.  

My background is in the building of homes, or more precisely the innards, if you’ll allow that word picture to steep there in your brain for a moment. The debate in that arena is whether the wall is plumb, or the floor is square, or the tradesman showed up on time.

My friend’s life’s work has been as a sophisticated, tempered, and intelligent lawyer,

leading to an excellence and high skill set when there is a debate to be had. I usually don’t like to entangle my limited wrangling skills with his oft practiced dialectics, and so, without quibbling, I go quietly into the shadows when he challenges one of my comments. As it should be, we go on loving each other and our fondness for great music and its history.

However, in an accusation of hypocrisy on a comment thread under a Facebook post I made concerning the controversy surrounding the Jason Aldean song about small town values, it was in relationship to one word and the phrase it is commonly used in or with, in today’s popular culture. The word: “cancel”, and the phrase, “cancel culture”.  

!! !!Cancel Country Music Television!!!! 

I sure am grateful for my small town!!!!! 

My friend is not one easily drawn into the fray. Often ignored, under other circumstances, usually me being an obnoxious old man and always right, well mostly sometimes, I would not attempt to include him in a debate, or if in doing so unintentionally, would I even think to name him. His inclusion was of his own doing and this, a different level of challenge, I’ll not give the high ground up so easily. Still, with sincere respect, he will be left unnamed. 

So, I spoke directly: 

“This is a culture war. It is a war we did not ask for nor seek out. We did not start it. The opposition will make that claim.” I stated directly to him, “When it is time to stand, I’m sorry my brother, it is time to test whether an accusation is levied with love or disdain.  The words you used seemed to allude to the latter but hoping the former. The response or lack thereof will be telling.” 

What was the comment that ignited my indignation and was the motivation for this commentary? 

As is customary, I post a bunch of pictures/memes on Facebook and many times I should apologize for right now, (sorry!), I don’t pay as much attention to the header or any comment that may be included in the original. I posted the meme that you see above and those words that were included with the picture just below it: 

!! !!Cancel Country Music Television!!!! 

I sure am grateful for my small town!!!!! 

I got lambasted by my good friend for including what was already stamped into the meme. If yawl city folk don’t know what “lambasted” means,

Here is the comment my friend, who will still remain unnamed, wrote in response:  

“And here I thought you were standing up against cancel culture, and it turns out you’re apparently promoting it. Which is it? Are you seeking to advocate for a different approach to your neighbors who you seem to enthusiastically deride, or are you agreeing that their approach to social change is best, and you want to adopt it yourself to cancel them? Or are you acting out a moral tale on stage in which you hope the audience will recognize and reject the hypocrisy of your protagonist? If you’re really just on stage playing to a house filled with your friends and fellow believers, that doesn’t come off either as a serious attempt at social change or as moral courage.”  

Wow, just wow! You do see now my hesitancy to engage. But through the breach I’ll charge. 

But then I thought, “You know, he is partially right”. I shouldn’t be one who enthusiastically derides the canceller and then adopts the same approach. Really, enthusiastically?  So, I responded.

My dear (unnamed friend), you are correct and what is necessary to add and subtract from this post is to be politically active in any fashion you choose, not suggesting from my position what that might be but certainly suggesting the purchase of tickets and products of country artists. By subtraction, spend your time being more productive in life rather than sitting in front of the TV watching CMT. Otherwise, my offering here was to make awareness of a cancel and maybe ought not have suggested a cancel. So, I presented to the “unnamed” in my best conciliatory tone. “Is that better or worse”, I asked.  

No response, maybe he went out to play a round of golf or got busy with some legal affair.  

But I just could not help myself.  

Mr. (unnamed friend), while waiting for your answer to the question, I do want to point out that a Conservative “cancel” is much different than a Socialist cancel.  

On one hand, those of us who choose not to spend our discretionary dollar can handle the criticism as to our activism. It is our money first, and if we choose not to spend it,

we feel true to ourselves not to. The conservative ‘cancel” is not to take away but is an act of non-participation. 

On the other hand, liberal “cancel” is much different.  

Standing against that, seeing or not the difference, in your liberalized world, is the point.  

Still busy? Again, “not easily drawn into the fray”. Bet you know the type. 

The real origin of the phrase might go all the way back to 2006 when a different phrase was coined by Conservative commentator and now lead off for Fox News Primetime News, Laura Ingrahm. That phrase was, “Shut Up and Sing”, in response to another country group, The Dixie Chicks, creating controversy with political statements during a concert in London.  

I want to stop right here and send my condolences to the very talented trio on the loss of founding member Laura Lynch following a car crash.  

US band Dixie Chicks ‘shocked and saddened’ by death of co-founder Laura Lynch | The Chicks | The Guardian 

The key here is the dollar bill, and another example will highlight that fact.  

Bud Light fancied itself a public entity and decided to advertise its product within the parameters of political speech and popular culture. 

The New York Post reported that in just a little over a two-month period, the loss was about 4% and added that Bud Light’s parent company lost five billion. The Daily Mail reported that Anheuser-Busch lost six billion since announcing its partnership with Dylan Mulvaney. Bud Light’s parent company has lost more than six billion in market capitalization since announcing its partnership with the polarizing transgender internet personality. Whatever the true losses were and continuing to be, they are substantial. 

Bud Light had a year it wants to forget. What happens next? | CNN Business 

Unveiled on April 2, the brand’s alliance with the 26-year-old Mulvaney has since incited outrage and calls for a boycott, and now appears to be hitting Anheuser-Busch where it matters most: in the wallet. The question might be asked: “Is a boycott a cancel?” How could it be? 

 Conservatives don’t march in the street (side note: Ya better start) screaming at the top of our lungs to take bud light off the marked. No, we just stop buying. Big, big difference to the way liberal socialists activate influence.

As for the Dixie Chicks. We bought a ticket, we really did not assume to buy our way into a political rally, and if that’s what it was going to be, advertise it that way, or refund, or “Shut Up and Sing”. It just so happens for all the others who may be lured into political “sloganizums” on stage, we are a diverse multifarious group of believers and non-believers in political agendas and backgrounds. We all buy tickets. For your part, assume we are there to hear music. Leave it at that could you?

As for this most recent controversy, my point should have been, “If CMT wants to cancel what we want to hear, let’s just find another venue to listen. That my friend is not a cancel. No one should think to cancel someone else simply because they take an executive action. Simply take your dollar quietly elsewhere. OH! THEY’LL KNOW! Trust me.

The liberal socialist method is to take you off the stage, remove you from the microphone, make you unemployable, even bring the full strong-armed weight of government and law down on your puny little head, screaming at you from atop some toppled statue they brought down, that in their gullible minds built in the university just down the street, ought not have stood as long as it did to begin with. The one they most want to do away with is here, tattered and torn in symbolism, of their hope to create the utopia without the reminders of liberty and freedom, and real “choice”.

See, speech goes both ways, but we Conservatives act on that little word, just a simple little word called “cancel”. Ours is to cancel with our dollar, theirs is to cancel you. using your dollar, In the remaining time we can call this, “America, home of the free”, I will cancel but I will never be part of a cancel culture.  

As for my friend, my trusted advisor, the unnamed? If I’m legally bound to not call you out in this way, even as an unnamed, please forgive, nor deplete my last $22.53 of savings for legal fees. But in fairness, you called me out, not the other way around. For a simple post, insinuating a possible contradiction. What was it again? Oh yes! I seem to, “enthusiastically deride my neighbors” (my neighbors agree with the post by the way). I believe your position is that I’m not serious, and, oh yes, lack moral courage.

Sure does sounds like I’m butt hurt.

On the other hand, my friend, as I commented under your comment, you’re right. I should not have associated myself with a “cancel”. Why don’t you stand here, yes right here, yep, a bit closer now and admit it. There are ways to effect change. Cancel by action of moving your hard-earned dollar to a different expenditure, seems right. Canceling someone’s ability to speak by the full force of government or influence of entities with power over your livelihood or freedom? A question likely left unanswered, as leftists are prone to do. 

Why don’t you tell me where you stand.

For me, I stand here in my small town with Jason Aldean. Not with a culture that intimidates and cancels the very foundational creed by which I conduct my life and livelihood.

You?

  

About Author