Soap Box

Like me, no doubt most of you have heard the controversy over the video for Jason Aldean's song “Try That in a Small Town” being pulled from CMT. And if you’re anything like me, you had the same thought I did, 

“CMT still plays music videos?”

Once upon a time you could at least count on “Pure Country” or “Urban Cowboy,” three times a day, but every time I scan through CMT on the channel guide these days I’m greeted by vintage sitcoms or movies like “Ghostbusters” or “Beverly Hills Cop 2.” 

But I’ll take their word for it, there may be a 30-minute block sometime between 2 AM and 4 AM where all the latest music videos get to shine.

But Jason’s video and song have been decried as racist, divisive, bad for country music, and bad for America. 

Hmmm… somehow this all sounds familiar…

In August of 1989, the CDB released “Simple Man,” a song that began as a potential title song for the Patrick Swayze movie “Next of Kin,” the producers passed on the song, but a few slight changes by Dad reworked the song into a song that got people’s attention, to one extreme or the other.

It was his fastest-rising song since 1980’s “In America,” but for everyone who loved the song’s anti-crime theme and the condemning of liberal judges who turned habitual criminals back out on the streets there were a handful of loudmouthed critics who felt he was advocating vigilante justice, but it was more about taking violent criminals seriously.

“Simple Man” got a lot of publicity, good and not-so-good. Dad said on stage that he had been called a fascist and a Bible-thumper, to which he claimed that he read his Bible every day, but he never thumped it, and he emphasized the “thump” by thumping his microphone.

In the 1980s, Dad had the knack for putting his finger on the pulse of the heartland of America, a part that had been largely ignored by the mainstream which seems to think that if it doesn’t involve one of the U.S. Coasts, then it’s not important.

Over thirty years later, the song still resonates, especially today. The song seems to be describing our nation today, when instead, it was a much simpler and less chaotic time than we face today.

It’s not surprising that “Simple Man” is still one of the CDB’s most popular songs, and in YouTube views and streaming services, it’s consistently in the top three CDB songs.

Then in May, Jason Aldean released “Try That in a Small Town,” a song that didn’t really seem to ruffle anyone’s feathers until a music video came out recently showing security camera footage of violent criminals robbing stores, and rioters - excuse me - “peaceful protesters” from 2020, Antifa/BLM types.

Because of the BLM connection, many have painted the Aldean video as racist, although, I don’t recall seeing anyone’s skin color, because all of the attackers were masked up.

I know there have been problems with police brutality, and I would never say that all cops are good, but I would also stand up to anyone who says all members of the law enforcement community are bad, but here’s what BLM doesn’t want you to know. BLM is Antifa and Occupy Wall Street, etc... They are the militant wing of the leftists which began with radical groups like the Weather Underground from the 1960s. 

In fact, BLM co-founder Patrisse Cullors says she and co-founder Alica Garza are “trained Marxists,” decried the “nuclear family structure” and aimed to “dismantle the patriarchal practice,” which was later scrubbed from the BLM website.

Not to say that all who have followed the BLM protests and riots are in it to promote the organization's agenda, but the agenda is there whether they realize it or not.

The bottom line is this, neither song mentions race, and both songs are anti-lawlessness and anti-violent crime.

It’s as simple as that.

A video of a young African-American man being shocked at the line in “Simple Man” advocating hanging drug dealers was surfacing on social media in 2022 with many piling on by saying that when Dad says “drug dealer” he really means “black people,” however, a brilliant young up-and-coming country singer named Joel Patrick “The Legendary Black Redneck” quickly shoots that down by saying that if you hear "drug dealer" and immediately think “black people,” then YOU are the racist.

I can’t wait to hear what Joel says about Jason Aldean’s song and video, I know it’s gotta be good.

Stand firm, Jason.

What do you think?

Let’s all make the day count!

Pray for our troops, our police, the Peace of Jerusalem and our nation.

God Bless America!

#SonyReleaseHonkyTonkAve

#BenghaziAintGoingAway #End22

—  Charlie Daniels, Jr.

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