Dan + Shay returned to social media after a long absence over the weekend to comment on the state of the nation after the death of Minneapolis man George Floyd at the hands of police last week. The duo left a lengthy message urging people to “use your voice” to enact positive change during this tumultuous time. They wrote in part, “This is not the first time this has happened, but by God, please let it be the last. We, as humans, MUST come together to make a change. Racism and discrimination because of someone's skin color is just simply WRONG . . .”
Thomas Rhett also weighed in yesterday (Sunday, May 31st) “as the father of a black daughter and two white daughters.” He wrote, in part, “So if there is any question on where I stand let me be clear- I stand with you, I stand with George and his family and all those who have faced racism. I stand with my wife and my daughters. We will be fighting this fight for the rest of our lives. Rest In Peace, George. We are not letting this go.”
Saturday (May 30th) night's protests in Nashville turned violent with more than 30 buildings and businesses being destroyed and/or defaced. As a bar owner on the city's popular lower Broadway, John Rich saw the windows at his Redneck Riviera smashed. He tweeted, “This is not a protest. This is anarchy plain and simple. Freedom of speech doesn’t cover what’s happening in our town right now . . . The worst part about the criminals who were looting/burning/defacing Nashville last night, is that it TOTALLY shifts focus to THEM instead of the murder of #GeorgeFloyd It dishonors the memory of Mr Floyd and only serves to make the divide in our country that much deeper.”
