Between Ted Nugent and Michelle Shocked, the world of music has new sets of villains and maybe deservedly so, and maybe they deserve to be sneered at but still, something about the reaction to rock stars who don't tow the party line hits me as being thought police.
Freedom is ALWAYS the freedom to disagree. Shocked now denies she said what she said, but let's just say it was true.
1. God hates fags
2. They shouldn't be allowed to get married.
And then she goes to San Francisco and gets on stage and says it.
What damage was she doing to homosexuals in a club in San Francisco by saying what she said? How is she bullying the gay community by going to the heart of the gay community and stating her beliefs. Does her music now suck because she doesn't support gay rights? While there is certainly fear of gay hatred leading to gay bashing and murder, even taken at face value.
I'm not being naive here I don't think. The Catholic Churches denouncement of condoms had an impact on AIDS due to unprotected sex and the Church and the Reagan Government's treatment of AIDS as a perverted disease caused so much indifference, lack of funds, and foot dragging it decimated the Gay Community and brought about ACT UP and a world of gay rights activists that has lead us to the current world we live in.
But, rock and roll is a rebellious form of music and it must have room for all thoughts and be judged on its merit. I am not a big Shocked fan but if I was I wouldn't stop listening to her because she thought all Lebanese should be shot dead. Who would be more pathetic? Me or her?
The correct response to Shocked seems simple enough. Stand up and call her out and explain the damage her views has caused the gay community in the past.
We all think we know what the meaning of life is, so here it is. In an objective sense it is to keep the species going, in a subjective sense it is to be who we are. And we need to be that person whether they are heroes or villains, normal or abnormal. whatever we are is what we must be. And we can't be that if we stifle thoughts we disagree with.
Finally, the only speech worth fighting for is the unpopular speech. This is rock and roll, man.