“Fools,” said I, “you do not know — silence, like a cancer, grows.”
Paul Simon
On June 30th, 2021, Toby Keith released “Happy Birthday, America,” bemoaning the decline of our country and the complacency of its People. Two days later, Aaron Lewis debuted at #1 on the Country charts with the unapologetically raw “Am I The Only One?”
I wrote last month about the Jason Aldean single that riled the Left, “Try That in a Small Town.” The latest song propelled to the top by righteous rage is “Rich Men North of Richmond” from virtual unknown Chris Lunsford (who goes by “Oliver Anthony”).
You’d have to be living a sheltered or willfully clueless life to have escaped the hype and reaction surrounding Oliver Anthony. Like the other songs I mentioned, especially those from Lewis and Aldean, his rallied the Right and triggered the Left.
These rich men north of Richmond
Lord knows they all just wanna have total control
Wanna know what you think, wanna know what you do
And they don’t think you know, but I know that you do
‘Cause your dollar ain’t shit and it’s taxed to no end
‘Cause of rich men north of Richmond
There’s a lot for me to like here, both singer and song. We need more music this honest and this sparse, more acoustic wisdom from Appalachia.
And what are anti-American progressives saying? Right-wing anthem. Hateful. Naïve. Fatphobic. Racist. Whatever — it’s all good. But, for true Americans, if streaming and listening and fist-pumping is as far as it goes, that’d be a damned shame.
I want to revisit a post from last July, recapping the Aaron Lewis concert we attended at The Bluestone in Columbus. Specifically, this:
From the back of the crowd came the chant, “U-S-A! U-S-A!” Lewis reacted without hesitating.
“Chanting ‘U-S-A’ ain’t gonna do a fucking thing!”
And he’s absolutely right. Near the end of his soliloquy he said,
“If we sit here and allow them to destroy the best country that has ever existed on the face of the earth, in the history of mankind, then we deserve to go down with the ship.
“I’ll tell you what — I ain’t goin’ down like that. I ain’t. I will run my fucking mouth until the day I die.”
We can’t expect anything to change if all we do is feel validated by a song.
We can’t be silent. We can’t be tolerant. We can’t “go along to get along,” and we needn’t worry about anyone taking offense. And we sure as hell can’t keep voting for the same “Rich Men North of Richmond” just because there’s an “R” after their names on the ballot.
To restore America, we need revolutionary action unthinkable in decades past. That begins with speaking up and speaking out — fearlessly and without apology.
It’s time, People. Though it’s fine to take inspiration from others’ voices, it’s time to raise our own.
Hey, if the sun don’t come up tomorrow
Hank Jr.
People, I have had a good time
I’m just laid up here in a country state of mind
Despite pleasantly cool post-dawn hours today, I knew it’d get hot again before noon. I made the most of it, enjoying coffee and quiet overlooking The Amphitheater until the rising sun cleared the treetops.
I moved into shade at the north end of the driveway. Behind me, rush-hour traffic at the bird feeder brought music to my morning.
Other than a run to the post office, we had nothing on our agenda today. Often that’s how it starts, only to be foiled by the unexpected. This time, however, it worked out.
On our return to The Mountain this afternoon, I surprised Deb by driving past our turnoff and continuing to Gassville. It was high time we tried KT’s Smokehouse BBQ.
I mean, we know we enjoy an embarrassment of tasty riches right here in Yellville — namely, Blacksheep BBQ and Carolyn’s Razorback Ribs — but it’s always good to have options. We hadn’t heard anything about KT’s, good or bad, so we walked in totally open to the experience.
Oh, man, was it ever an experience — bright and cozy atmosphere, great service, wide selection of fare, and food that was out of this world. I had the pork sandwich with “grass” (slaw) on top and Deb ordered a brisket sandwich, plus sides (slaw, mac’n’cheese, potato salad).
Bonus points for huge portions, unabashed patriotism, classic Country (Cash, Hank Jr.) coming over the speakers, discounts for military and first responders, a triple cooler stocked with handmade meats and Cajun delicacies, and the “Caution” sign in the front window (pictured).
We’ll definitely be back.
The next five-day stretch will be damned unpleasant, according to forecasts — highs between 100°F and 103°F, lows in the 70s. All we can do is manage.
It sure feels good having the electric hooked up, I’ll say that.
Take care of yourselves, Patriots. Stay calm. Stay sharp. Stay free.
#WiseUp #LibertyOrDeath #Ungovernable
#LetsGoBrandon #FJB