Writing in an op-ed for The New York Times, the daughter of legendary country singer Johnny Cash called on modern-day country and American roots musicians to endorse stricter gun control laws in the mass shooting in Las Vegas, which was the most deadly in U.S. history.
Pointing to the National Rifle Association (NRA), Rosanne Cash said the organization is attempting to use the country music artists for their own propaganda, while hiding “something deeply sinister and profoundly destructive.”
“There is no other way to say this: The NRA funds domestic terrorism,” she wrote in the op-ed titled, “Country Musicians, Stand Up to the N.R.A.”
“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,” Cash wrote. “The NRA would like to keep it that way.”
Cash asked called on her fellow artists to speak out against against the NRA even if it means they might be “bullied.”
“I encourage more artists in country and American roots music to end your silence. It is no longer enough to separate yourself quietly. The laws the NRA would pass are a threat to you, your fans, and to the concerts and festivals we enjoy.”
“The stakes are too high to not disavow collusion with the N.R.A.,” she wrote. “Pull apart the threads of patriotism and lax gun laws that it has so subtly and maliciously intertwined. They are not the same.”
“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. Don’t let them bully you into silence. That’s where their power lies — in the silence of rational voices and in the apathy of those who can speak truth to power.”
You can read her full op-ed here.
Featured image via Flickr
