Okay, let me say, straight away, that I am not the biggest fan of country music that you will ever meet. In fact, I rarely ever listen to it, and there are very few country music artists that I am a fan of.
Tim McGraw and Faith Hill are not my favorite country stars, either, although my ex-wife, as well as some friends (mostly women) were big fans.
That said, they have been hugely popular, and on top of the country music world for a very long time. In fact, some crowned them, unofficially, as the royal couple of country music.
Just lately, however, they might have compromised their own popularity by daring to speak their minds on a subject that many Americans feel is polarizing. As a result, they are potentially at risk of seeing their careers take a nose dive, similar to the way the Dixie Chicks basically dropped out of sight following their disparaging comments about then President George W. Bush.
The issue that they spoke out about?
Gun control.
Faith Hill spoke out to Billboard, mentioning the Las Vegas mass shooting last month, and suggesting that the second amendment activists were going way too far in allowing assault weapons and de facto machine guns into the hands of potentially very dangerous people. Here is some of what she said (see link down below):
"In reference to the tragedy in Las Vegas, we knew a lot of people there," Hill told Billboard. "The doctors that treated the wounded, they saw wounds like you'd see in war. That's not right. Military weapons should not be in the hands of civilians. It's everyone's responsibility, including the government and the National Rifle Association, to tell the truth. We all want a safe country."
"Look, I'm a bird hunter -- I love to wing-shoot," he said. "However, there is some common sense that's necessary when it comes to gun control. They want to make it about the Second Amendment every time it's brought up. It's not about the Second Amendment."
"The stakes are too high to not disavow collusion with the NRA. Pull apart the threads of patriotism and lax gun laws that it has so subtly and maliciously intertwined. They are not the same," she wrote.
"Some people may burn your records or ask for refunds for tickets to your concerts," she continued. "Whatever. Find the strength of moral conviction, even if it comes with a price tag, which it will. Don't let them bully you into silence."
I am still not a huge fan of country music. However, I do have newfound respect for McGraw and Hill for speaking out at a time when many other prominent country musicians are very hesitant to do so, knowing how polarizing this issue is, as many country music fans would describe themselves as proud Republicans and gun rights activists.
Tim McGraw And Faith Hill Outrage Millions Of Americans After Latest Comments By Charles Roberts November 13, 2017:
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