Shannon Watts of Moms Demand Action strikes again, and she should stay in her lane. The cancel culture is getting old. She’s been on her rant now for a week, and all she has done is skyrocket Jason Aldean’s song to number one after Country Music Television (CMT) yanked “Try It In a Small Town” due to cancel culture.
I tweeted, “PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE keep it up. You’re his best advertising EVER!”
What is the controversy with “Try That In a Small Town?”
To put it as simply as possible, the controversy isn’t about the song but the fact that Shannon Watts from Moms Demand Action disapproved of the lyrics.
What does Jason Aldean mean by “before all this bullshit started happening to us?”
A) A quadrupling of guns in circulation since the 1960s
B) Weak gun laws that endanger women and Black and brown people
C) Demographic change giving power to women and people of color https://t.co/ZeZe7buM3J— Shannon Watts (@shannonrwatts) July 22, 2023
I wouldn’t know the country singer she went after, Jason Aldean, if I fell over him, but the other night a younger female friend asked me if I heard about the total SH** SHOW on the news about the song “Try That In A Small Town.”
Nope, I had no idea. I’m not a country music fan, I’m not female, and I’m over his age demographic. Basically, he’s not in the sphere of things I would follow.
I usually wouldn’t cover something like this, but I see this controversy from a unique perspective because of my upbringing.
The town I went to grade school in had a population of around 1200, with a high school of about 3000 people. Now I go back and forth between Chicago and Dallas, with a combined population of about 18 million. To say I’ve seen both sides of the track is an understatement.
The lady who lashed out against Aldean was born in Rochester, New York, with a surrounding population of around 1 million. You may have heard of her, Shannon Watts, the founder of Moms Demand Action. Supposedly, the song is racist and supports vigilantism.
Off to Google I went. I watched the video and didn’t understand why it was such a big deal. I get it; the lyrics aren’t for everyone, but I could relate since I’m from a small town. As a matter of fact, it brought back some memories I had long forgotten.
Having grown up in a small town, you helped your neighbor. Hell, I remember getting produce and milk from other people’s houses and leaving money. The honor system was the norm.
If you needed a tractor, tools, or whatever, you’d go to a neighbor and borrow theirs. I couldn’t even find someone to ask a couple of times, so I just borrowed what I needed. That was how life was; you helped each other out. If they got sick or had problems, you did what you could. You didn’t send a text message saying, “Hope you feel better.”
What does Mom’s Demand Action believe?
Ms. Watts disapproved of the words and decided to go on a cancel culture mission. The lyrics don’t even begin to compare to today’s rap music. I’d quote some, but then I would have to post a huge “graphic language” warning.
Even if you accept Sharon Watts false claims about the song, he is right Selective outrage from the Left RT Joe Rogan mocks outrage over Jason Aldean’s ‘Small Town’ hit: Hundreds of rap songs ‘infinitely worse’ | Fox News https://t.co/42TEueFc6H
— Larry Keane (@lkeane) July 27, 2023
Where was Jason Aldean’s try that in a small town filmed?
Then people started in on the location where it was filmed, and that’s a separate subject I don’t want to get sidetracked on. Many things have been filmed there, including Miley Cyrus’s “Hannah Montana: The Movie.” It was filmed at the Maury County Courthouse in Columbia, Tennessee, where some controversial racial events happened almost 100 years ago. Hannah Montana was released in 2009.
The people speaking out against the song (the political left; I truly don’t like using the term, but it fits here perfectly) are upset with the video because they say it is violent and racist. Keep in mind that I don’t know this guy and don’t like country music, so I listened to it with about as open a mind as you can get.
The only violence shown is actual footage from riots and disrespect for law enforcement. Some of it is B-Roll and not in the US, but it gets the point across.
The first person who does something unruly is white, and the second person spitting on a cop is female and white. The first two groups of people you can identify, guess what? They’re white. I’m white and, so far, not offended because it’s true that everyone commits crimes.
The third identifiable person broke in a door; take a guess—a white male. Now I’m offended! (said with sarcasm) At the 2-minute mark, finally, someone who isn’t white. The following few scenes are all white. You get the idea.
There is absolutely no mention of anything racist, BLM, certainly nothing pro-lynching, and no vigilantism, like some are claiming.
The videos show some guys bird hunting, kids playing ball in the backyard, hunters walking through a field, and farmers. Folks, that was my small-town childhood.
To me, this isn’t racist at all, and it’s how I grew up. I’m thankful for my small-town values and upbringing. I had no preconceived opinion going into it and knew nothing about the singer’s background until I researched it.
If you look at it objectively, Aldean compares small-town life to big-city life. Unlike most people speaking out against him, I’ve lived in both.
What does Jason Aldean’s song say?
Watts Tweeted “Try That In A Small Town” about how he and his friends will shoot you if you try to take their guns.
One line refers to a gun his grandfather gave him, “They say one day they’re gonna round up/Well, that s*** might fly in the city, good luck.” His reference appears to mean he’s not giving it up.
I have a revolver that belonged to my grandfather, and I’m not giving it up either. Period, end of story. Does that make me a gun fanatic? No, it has sentimental value. It went to my father and now to me. Either you get it, or you don’t.
BTW, He just so happens to be the artist on stage during the 2017 mass shooting at the Harvest Festival in Las Vegas. I would think if someone were going to become an anti-gunner, it would be him.
Aldean said, “It’s a no-win situation.” “I think no matter what you say, whether you’re for gun control or not, I mean, you’re setting yourself up to be crucified in the public eye or in the media.”
I’m not sure the people on Twitter watched the video because their remarks were way off base.
I’m sorry some of you grew up differently and can’t relate. So many people are looking at this from a narrow point of view and without the life experience to back up their claims.
The friend who told me about this said, “People also like to make an issue and drama out of everything these days, which is way more the issue.” She was referring to the backlash.
She continued, “People use their own assessment based on their reality of who really is the issue.”
Exactly, those of you who haven’t lived in a “real” small town don’t realize things don’t work the same as they do in a big city. I’m happy to debate this with anyone who has seen both sides of the fence. If not, are you truly qualified to have the debate?
People like to base their opinions on their biases, and if you haven’t lived it, do you have a right to push your values on someone who has?
Shannon, you stay in your lane, and I’ll stay in mine. Don’t claim to be an expert on small-town values and what the people there think when you didn’t grow up in one.
Read the original story: Mom’s Demand Action – Stay In Your Lane “Try It In a Small Town”
