Aldean is from Macon, and lives in Nashville. He's not from nor does he live in a small town. He also previously put out a song deriding small towns some years ago. He's a phony.
The video also contains clips of civil unrest from other countries: there's footage from Germany and Canada. It's not all BLM 2020 (possibly none of it).
I understand the point you are trying to make concerning rednecks, but Bessemer is not a convincing example. You evidently haven't lived near Bessemer. I have. Check out the demographics and I'll bet the other Alabama cities and southern cities you mentioned are similar to Bessemer.
There is still redneck racist violence, but only a small fraction of what it was thirty years ago. Rednecks are getting soft.
I didn’t check that but I suspected it because I’m familiar with Birmingham.
Nevertheless, it’s a small town (or at least a small city) and if Aldean’s claims that race isn’t an issue in the song are legitimate, demographics shouldn’t matter.
I suppose although I was trying to make my own point about decline of redneck crime sprees. Race does creep into every discussion these days. Maybe the song should have been written about only certain small towns - not all of them.
Jason Aldean is not a favorite of mine and I do not care for his music, but it is unlikely that anyone was deliberately using the courthouse as racist symbolism. I suspect that most backdrops are chosen for photogenic reasons and that historical implication are not a consideration. Jason's uncle was a conservative columnist for the AJC when such a creature existed. He wrote a column bragging about Jason being nominated for some award after I had already removed Aldean from my country playlist. I believe the uncle's name was Jim Wooten and he specialized in rousing the rabble at the Daily Kos.
Matt and Walter are the highlight of my week, and if it weren’t for them this article would have prompted me to unsubscribe to Racket News. This is another unfair generalization of “Republicans are racists!” that only adds to the ongoing dialogue of divisiveness. I thought Racket News was above this.
I’m not saying Republicans are racist. I’m saying they need to consider how it looks when they reflexively rally to defend (almost) everyone accused of racism. I’m saying they are tone deaf.
Is it okay for them to defend those who are *unfairly* accused of racism? For example, Biden picked KBJ because she's a black woman (because he promised Jim Clyburn he would, in exchange for Clyburn's vital endorsement). The GOP senators who questioned her at her nomination hearing focused on her record and ideology; they didn't attack her personally the way Dems attacked Clarence Thomas and every other GOP nominee. Yet Dems predictably cry "racist!" every time their nominee gets challenged.
Same thing happened with Obama. Every criticism, no matter how legitimate, was met with accusations that opponents only criticized him because they were racist. It was a convenient canard so Dems didn't have to defend his harmful policies.
Why don't Dems need to consider how it looks when they reflexively accuse anyone they don't like of being racist, homophobic, anti-woman, etc.?
Another couple things to note:
Aldean is from Macon, and lives in Nashville. He's not from nor does he live in a small town. He also previously put out a song deriding small towns some years ago. He's a phony.
The video also contains clips of civil unrest from other countries: there's footage from Germany and Canada. It's not all BLM 2020 (possibly none of it).
He might be a phony but not because of what he sings. Singers sing what sells. Actors play roles that pay well.
I understand the point you are trying to make concerning rednecks, but Bessemer is not a convincing example. You evidently haven't lived near Bessemer. I have. Check out the demographics and I'll bet the other Alabama cities and southern cities you mentioned are similar to Bessemer.
There is still redneck racist violence, but only a small fraction of what it was thirty years ago. Rednecks are getting soft.
I didn’t check that but I suspected it because I’m familiar with Birmingham.
Nevertheless, it’s a small town (or at least a small city) and if Aldean’s claims that race isn’t an issue in the song are legitimate, demographics shouldn’t matter.
I suppose although I was trying to make my own point about decline of redneck crime sprees. Race does creep into every discussion these days. Maybe the song should have been written about only certain small towns - not all of them.
Jason Aldean is not a favorite of mine and I do not care for his music, but it is unlikely that anyone was deliberately using the courthouse as racist symbolism. I suspect that most backdrops are chosen for photogenic reasons and that historical implication are not a consideration. Jason's uncle was a conservative columnist for the AJC when such a creature existed. He wrote a column bragging about Jason being nominated for some award after I had already removed Aldean from my country playlist. I believe the uncle's name was Jim Wooten and he specialized in rousing the rabble at the Daily Kos.
I tend to agree on the courthouse. I think they probably didn't know about its history.
I do think the inclusion of the BLM rioting was more intentional, but even that may not have been intentionally racist.
Matt and Walter are the highlight of my week, and if it weren’t for them this article would have prompted me to unsubscribe to Racket News. This is another unfair generalization of “Republicans are racists!” that only adds to the ongoing dialogue of divisiveness. I thought Racket News was above this.
I’m not saying Republicans are racist. I’m saying they need to consider how it looks when they reflexively rally to defend (almost) everyone accused of racism. I’m saying they are tone deaf.
Is it okay for them to defend those who are *unfairly* accused of racism? For example, Biden picked KBJ because she's a black woman (because he promised Jim Clyburn he would, in exchange for Clyburn's vital endorsement). The GOP senators who questioned her at her nomination hearing focused on her record and ideology; they didn't attack her personally the way Dems attacked Clarence Thomas and every other GOP nominee. Yet Dems predictably cry "racist!" every time their nominee gets challenged.
Same thing happened with Obama. Every criticism, no matter how legitimate, was met with accusations that opponents only criticized him because they were racist. It was a convenient canard so Dems didn't have to defend his harmful policies.
Why don't Dems need to consider how it looks when they reflexively accuse anyone they don't like of being racist, homophobic, anti-woman, etc.?