My apologies in advance for contributing to the saturation of articles here about the Las Vegas tragedy, but this particular piece by Rosanne Cash, published in the New York Times, is just too good to not pass along. Rosanne Cash: Country Musicians, Stand Up to the N.R.A.
I admire Ms. Cash for her combination of intelligence, common sense, and eloquence. Here are the excerpts:
There is no other way to say this: The N.R.A. funds domestic terrorism.
A shadow government exists in the world of gun sales, and the people who write gun regulations are the very people who profit from gun sales. The N.R.A. would like to keep it that way.
The laws we have in place to prevent the procurement of military-style weapons by mentally ill citizens are laughable by the standards of any civilized society. But even those pathetic restrictions would be eased if the N.R.A. had its way. This week, a vote is going to the floor of the House of Representatives that would loosen restrictions on gun silencers and armor-piercing bullets.
Last year, I performed at the Concert Across America to End Gun Violence with Jackson Browne, Eddie Vedder, Marc Cohn and the Harlem Gospel Choir, and we got death threats. People wanted to kill us because we wanted to end gun violence. That’s where we are: America, 2017.
I know you’ll be bullied for speaking out. This is how they operate. Not everyone will like you for taking a stand. Let it roll off your back. Some people may burn your records or ask for refunds for tickets to your concerts. Whatever. Find the strength of moral conviction, even if it comes with a price tag, which it will.
Her late father recorded Steve Earle’s song, “The Devil’s Right Hand”, with The Highwaymen: