Eric Church spoke out about the NRA and politics. The reaction shows why country stars stay silent.

[riversedge]

I would buy his work if I was a CW listener. I feel sad for him.





Arts and Entertainment Analysis
Eric Church spoke out about the NRA and politics. The reaction shows why country stars stay silent.


https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/arts-and-entertainment/wp/2018/08/01/eric-church-spoke-out-about-the-nra-and-politics-the-reaction-shows-why-country-stars-stay-silent/?utm_term=.ab5b6ccbc867
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The interviewer asked if Church, a gun owner, had changed his mind on guns after the shooting. Church responded, “A little.” He added, “I’m a Second Amendment guy. That’s in the Constitution, it’s people’s right, and I don’t believe it’s negotiable. But nobody should have that many guns and that much ammunition and we don’t know about it.”

Church gave many thoughts about the topic, and the story added that, “Church says he supports a few common-sense reforms. Closing gun-show loopholes. Improving background checks. Banning bump stocks.” Then, there was this excerpt:

“There are some things we can’t stop,” he adds. “Like the disgruntled kid who takes his dad’s shotgun and walks into a high school. But we could have stopped the guy in Vegas.” As for why nothing’s been done? “I blame the lobbyists. And the biggest in the gun world is the NRA.”

Church says he’s not a member of the NRA and never has been. “I’m a Second Amendment guy,” he emphasizes again, “but I feel like they’ve been a bit of a roadblock. I don’t care who you are — you shouldn’t have that kind of power over elected officials. To me it’s cut-and-dried: The gun-show [loophole] would not exist if it weren’t for the NRA, so at this point in time, if I was an NRA member, I would think I had more of a problem than the solution. I would question myself real hard about what I wanted to be in the next three, four, five years.”

Although Church gave a long answer about the lack of action on gun violence in general, most people — and stories about his interview — zeroed in on “Las Vegas” and “the NRA” in the same paragraph. Headlines rolled in, most commonly along the lines of: “Eric Church blames NRA for Las Vegas shooting.”

Reading the story, that isn’t what Church said. But in this era of sound bites spreading rapidly online from increasingly questionable sources, it doesn’t matter. Nuance simply doesn’t translate. After misleading headlines and oversimplification of his comments, guess what happened next?

The standard country music controversy checklist ensued: There was some support and gratitude that he spoke out, but lots of anger from fans. A social media frenzy. Fights in comment sections. Claims of boycotts (“@ericchurch your NRA comments are simple minded and wrong headed. Your music is going in the shredder tonight.”).....................................

[Aristus]

1. I don't see any reason to think of him as especially heroic.

He's a 'Second Amendment' guy. (He said it repeatedly, as if trying to stave off enraged gun-fucks).

He's walking a relatively safe path that costs him nothing.

[appalachiablue]

2. A few days ago I saw him or another CW artist who spoke out.

Their effort is meaningful and appreciated; any shade for this is foul.