What is the fight over Jason Aldean’s new song “Try That in a Small Town” really over? Is it simply a battle over a music video and its content? Or is it instead a dramatic escalation in the war for the soul of America that shows those who still believe in the America of the Founding aren’t willing to back down and give up?
According to Lee Greenwood, singer of “Proud to be an American” and proud Trump ally, it’s so much more than just a fight over Aldean and his music video. Rather, it’s a war for country music and free expression that the right needs to win.
As Greenwood puts it in a powerful op-ed for Fox News Digital, the fight ostensibly over the song is really part of a much, much larger battle. In his words: “Make no mistake, this isn’t just about Jason – who is a friend, and I’m also a fan – this is about all of us in country music.”
And beyond just country music, the fight for the song and what it represents is indicative of the massive attack that the left has launched on freedom of expression. Whereas Americans used to know why freedom of expression is so important and respect it out of an understanding of that importance, now the anti-American elements have taken hold and continually ratcheted up the war on it.
As Greenwood put it, “Freedom of expression is under attack. We are increasingly seeing it throughout our culture. Yet, freedom of speech and creative expression are essential to a free country — it’s the American way of life. Canceling artists is anti-American, it’s insidious and if it gains a foothold, it will take another generation to weed it out.”
Then, discussing how he plans to fight back, Mr. Greenwood said that he aims to use his music to fight for and celebrate American values and those who fought and died for them overseas. Describing that plan, Greenwood said, “In response to the cancel culture, I’m committing the rest of my life to freedom of expression, to country music, and to America’s veterans who’ve died and served to protect those freedoms. That is why I’m inviting all Americans to join me in going to AdoptAVet.com and sending Veterans to the movies this Veterans Day for a special salute to country music, a genre which celebrates all that is great about America.”
And, perhaps most importantly, Greenwood called on those who have the real power in modern America to step up and start fighting for what is right and what values America needs: CEOs. With the emphasis placed on the economy and those who drive it, along with the power that those who command financial resources have at their disposal, a culture war victory is only possible if the masters of the economic universe come down on our side.
So, Greenwood called on them to do so, saying, “I also encourage CEOs of companies to step up and join us in supporting America, freedom of expression and free enterprise, by buying out a theater for Veterans in their communities. Without patriotic American companies’ support, the cancel culture mob wins every time. We must send a message to every queller of free speech that their actions are not welcome here and as my song says, ‘…that the flag still stands for freedom, and they can’t take that away.’”
Featured image credit: Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=564946
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