Hmmm…

Probably should leave this alone, but I’m not as impressed as most people seem to be by what this officer said.

According to him, in the last day or so, he has since been placed on administrative leave and is pending being furloughed.

And while I will say that what the officer said in the video above was well-spoken, and is clearly the "truth" that he believes, it’s what what he DIDN’T say that has left me quite disturbed.

What he didn’t say is that we should stop arresting black and brown people for not social distancing in the minority filled parts of the city, while passing out masks and gloves in white parts of the city. 

What he didn’t say is that we should stop covering up the murders of Ahmaud Arbery.

What he didn’t say is that we should continue to shelter in place, social distance, and follow the rules so that we can all get through this global, once-in-a-century, pandemic together, and that officials, governors, mayors, et al., are doing the best they can, under circumstances that are quite frankly, unprecedented with no rulebooks for modern history.

Instead, what I got out of it, was a bunch of right wing militia clichés about “freedom”, “tyranny”, and “liberty” while quoting some 200-year-old document written by slaveowners who didn’t classify anybody other than "white men" as humans, and felt women did not have the strength nor brains to vote or even work.

A document which by the way, went on to remove the freedoms and liberties of the original native Americans living on this land, while inducing it's own form of tyranny over them.

But Tyranny…?  Germany...?

Please.... cops aren’t being asked to slaughter Jews, no one is being asked to gas homosexuals, by handing out citations to businesses violating shelter in place. 

What I wanna know is, where was this dude standing up for everyone’s “freedom” and “liberty” during the Black Lives Matter protests? During the Standing Rock protests for Native Americans? When Trayvon was shot by a self-appointed neighborhood watch person?  Or when a 12 year old Tamir Rice was shot for playing with a toy gun? Or when Eric Garner was choked to death for selling cigarettes on a street corner?

Were those not freedom loving Americans?

Where was he when a Jewish synagogue in Pittsburgh or a church in Charleston South Carolina was attacked by a white terrorist?  All those pieces of shit always stand against tyranny too.

Why is it only now when a bunch of straight, white, males who are “inconvenienced“ does he think the police should suddenly stand up for everyone’s “freedom“ and “liberty“.

If this administration/country followed in the footsteps of other first world countries and offered national  health services, while covering 90% of that nations citizens wages (UK, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, France, Germany) rather than Americas profit-over-everything approach, while bailing out the zero-tax-paying giant corporations with billions, while simultaneously fucking the small businesses, people wouldn’t have to worry about protesting to go to work.

No one would be forced to make the choice between losing their job / healthcare, or getting sick and possibly infecting / killing, an entire ecosystem of family, friends, elderly people around them.

What I DID hear him say is that anybody who is defying the governor or the mayor (orders that people worldwide are following) are somehow some kind of “patriot” and “hero”. 

I disagree. 

In my opinion, anyone defying these orders is a selfish cunt who was basically telling me “fuck you, I am more important than you”, “I do not respect you”, and “We are NOT in this together“

Nevermind that this guy, just like most of the protesters very conveniently leaves out, that the rules and guidelines these governors and mayors are following are the same ones that the White House / Trump admin (and even the president himself) has said to follow, but then of course pivoted on, and now deflected to governors, now that this administration realize that COVID-19 is primarily affecting black and brown people.  

And it must be said, has deflected responsibility to governors, so that the Prez can try and rebrand himself as the "hero to the people”, while making the governors the bad guys and gals.

Instead, what he DID say is, cops should stand with anybody who defies these orders, because that’s the “right thing to do“. While simultaneously implying that anybody who ISN’T defying orders is some type of sheep who loves tyranny and ISN’T doing the right thing.

And by standing with these protesters, many of whom are violent armed militia’s who aren’t really “protesting” at all, but testing, threatening and intimidating RIVAL political public officials like democratic governors and mayors, does that mean that these public officials (ALL of whom are ALSO freedom loving Americans) freedoms are not worth protecting? 

Can you imagine Obama openly and angrily encouraging protesters (like say, BLM activists) to storm Republican governors houses and state houses like our current leader has?

Liberties get changed all the time to suit the needs of the people.  You can't drink and drive anymore. You can't smoke in restaurants anymore. You have to wear a seatbelt. Have to wear a helmet. Call it tyranny, or call it the greater good.

And does that mean that this dude stands against anyone else who is trying to be a good citizen in the middle of a global pandemic?

Does that mean that those people who are choosing to shelter in place and follow the rules are now the enemy because they DON’T have what he calls "the American spirit of defiance” and thus don’t deserve protection?

I am one of those people.

I believe that this pandemic is going to last at least two years, I’m choosing to shelter in place and social distance and will continue to follow the rules and guidelines. I will not endanger my fans, my band, my family, or my crews lives to work, and while hoping for the best, am expecting no active touring to happen for at least 2 years. Hell, I’ve actively begun looking for other work, I got bills to pay just like everyone else. A lot of responsibility falls on my shoulders, the possible loss of touring for that amount of years will be heartbreaking and will likely bring us to financial ruin, but peoples lives are more important.  

We gotta ask ourselves some tough questions: when one groups “freedom" infringes on another groups “freedom”, who’s freedom is it right to protect?

Do we stand with the violent armed nationalist or regular law abiding citizens?

Because you can't stand with both.

Or do we just side with whatever white person screams “I am an American patriot” the loudest?  

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