The Cash family have denounced a neo-Nazi seen wearing a Johnny Cash T-shirt, saying their late father “would be horrified.” In a Facebook post attributed to Rosanne, Kathy, Cindy, Tara, and John Carter Cash, they said they were “sickened by the association” with the man, who was filmed “spewing hatred and bile.” (A neo-Nazi matching the description appears in this Fox News video.) They condemn the “white supremacists and neo-Nazis who marched in Charlottesville” as “poison in our society,” highlighting that Cash championed Native Americans’ rights, protested the Vietnam war, and “was a voice for the poor, the struggling and the disenfranchised, and an advocate for the rights of prisoners.”
The post continues, “To any who claim supremacy over other human beings, to any who believe in racial or religious hierarchy: we are not you. Our father, as a person, icon, or symbol, is not you. We ask that the Cash name be kept far away from destructive and hateful ideology.” Read the statement below.
Earlier this week, several artists spoke out against the white supremacist Charlottesville march and Trump’s response blaming “both sides.” Killer Mike, Questlove, Neko Case, and others expressed their outrage, while Wilco, Wolf Eyes, and Mineral were among the groups raising funds for those affected. On Tuesday night, Solange published an emphatic “fuck Nazis” statement on Instagram after advocating for the release of Takiyah Thompson, a student arrested for taking down a Confederate monument in North Carolina.
D33PLyManic on August 17th, 2017 at 18:28 UTC »
Unfortunately as an artist you don't get to control who appreciates your art.
Just ask the boys in My Chemical Romance.
43-86 on August 17th, 2017 at 18:04 UTC »
It's probably a moot point, but back in the Napster days this song (very nsfw warning) was falsely attributed to Johnny Cash. A mistake that still resonates with my friend, whom is still convinced to this day that Johnny Cash hated black people.
go_for_the_bronze on August 17th, 2017 at 17:49 UTC »
The article may only be indirectly related to music, but that doesn't mean the discussion can't be music related. I believe that people aren't listening closely enough to the message of the music they hear. That's how we get neo-nazis wearing Johnny Cash shirts, and 'outlet mall kids' buying their pre-worn Ramones t-shirts from Target. The music, over time, turns into a cheap aesthetic when people stop paying attention.