Art is power.
In this crazy screwed up world that we live in, where the rich get the breaks and the poor are kept at bay, money has become everything.
But when you got nothing, you got nothing to lose.
That’s how it was for the acts of yore, accumulation was a byproduct, not the main goal. Therefore acts could speak their mind, could take risks.
But that no longer happens.
Musicians are court jesters. Come on, what self-respecting player would perform for the corporate pricks who hire them for privates? Once upon a time these pillagers were seen as the enemy, as they should be. But today musicians envy CEOs. They want to fly private, they want the perks, and they will do nothing that gets in the way of that.
Furthermore, they’ll make choices that squander their credibility. Not only the aforementioned privates, which frequently are unknown to the hoi polloi, but sponsorships and endorsements. An artist is an embodiment of his identity. When done right, the artist channels his emotions and feelings and insights directly to the listener. That’s why we revere artists, because they speak to us.
But how can you respect someone who’ll do what’s expedient, who has no backbone, who is constantly in search of money?
Not that there’s anything wrong with getting rich, but if you’re not willing to leave some cash on the table…
That’s what Bruce Springsteen has done here. Not only has he canceled the gig and gotten all that publicity, ultimately it’s costing him money, not only lost revenues, but refunds and more.
That’s an artist. Someone who puts truth, justice and the American Way before cash.
Whew!
Things have gone topsy-turvy. Prior to this it was only corporate titans who balked at the North Carolina bill. Then you got PayPal saying it refuses to put its operations there. All laudable efforts, but where were the artists?
Home, afraid.
If you take a stand, some people won’t like it.
But you can change hearts and minds, you can make a difference.
Right now Bernie Sanders is the biggest rock star out there, speaking his truth. But I give Bruce credit for putting his hat in the ring. He’s still smarting from the blowback from his previous political efforts, but a true artist can withstand the social media criticism, can lose a few fans, all in an effort to stand up for what’s right.
Bruce Springsteen grew up when musicians were giants, when they were the most powerful people in the world, they owned the youth, they helped stop an unjust war.
Decades later the Dixie Chicks were excoriated for stating the truth about our President, the same truth that Donald Trump has employed to gain so much traction.
You remember truth, don’t you?
Bruce can’t deny his roots, his upbringing, where he came from.
But today’s fans have never experienced what he did. The Youngbloods implored us to get together, but Kanye West is all about himself, how he’s been wrong, stifled… He doesn’t seem to care about you.
So is it any wonder that today’s acts don’t take a stand? They’ve got no one to look up to!
“American Idol” was based on the paradigm of Mariah Carey, she was the patron saint of that show. That’s how far we’ve come, a nitwit with a good voice melismas and the proletariat falls in line.
Who’s going to be next? Who else is gonna follow Bruce? Jeopardize their career and lose money all for what’s right?
Used to happen all the time.
It has to happen again.
“A Statement From Bruce Springsteen On North Carolina”
Industry Reacts:
Simple point. If Bruce had played and donated the money to help the cause of equality, you wouldn't have all these people talking about it.
It's caused a media storm and I know that other artist are paying attention. And music fans around the country are talking about it.
By canceling, he got a lot of people's attention. Another charity event would have been a snore. Brilliant move in my view.
Regards,
Chip Latham
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1. LGBT are less than 5% of the population. A very noisy minority.
2. Opposition does not necessarily equate to "hate".
3. What about the great majority of folks…girls and women who would be very uncomfortable with men showing up in the ladies' rooms.
4. The problem would not be the LBGT population. It would be with the 'bad actors' who would barge into the ladies' rooms and misbehave.
and you know they will show up — denial is a river in Egypt.
5. Whatever happened to millenia-old common-sense, Bob??!?
6. I'm SOOO tired of this sh*t!!!
THE EVOLUTION OF GAY RIGHTS
1995: We want Tolerance
2005: We want equality
2015: Bake the f****** cake, bigot!
Keep on writing…Steve Zweig
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We are not dealing with "normal" when it comes to Bruce Springsteen.
I saw Bruce in Dallas this past Tuesday evening with my wife Leslie.
Bruce walked on stage gingerly, a little stiff, wearing his sixty six years.
As the show progressed, Bruce got looser, younger. By the time he reached the middle of The River, he was moving like a very fit forty something Jock/Rocker. His singing getting stronger not weaker.
As he launched into his third hour on stage, somewhere around "Born To Run" he had transformed himself into a joyful, twenty something guitar slinger/story teller with nothing to lose and everything to gain. Benjamin Button with a Tele.
His show cancellation in North Carolina is Bruce operating on an even higher wavelength. An empathetic show of solidarity with the "outsiders".
Springsteen is putting his money where his mouth is. The E Street band backin' up the Boss. Not just talking the talk but marching the march. Telling his truth. The Republicans can't shut him up. Hell, neither can the Democrats. Nor can any Corporate puppet masters.
Bruce remains a terminal dreamer with nothing to lose and everything to gain.
Lucky for us true believers in the power of a Timeless Artist's ability to change the world for the better.
Bob DiPiero
Nashville Tennessee USA
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I can't believe all the fucking idiots that are for anyone who identifies as a female what is a fucking now and going to the bathroom where my daughter is. Did you see the abuse a sick individual could entertain? That WILL happen somewhere as a result of this insane social justice warrior bullshit.
Sean Mormelo
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If he's The Boss, I quit.
Schylar Shoates
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I'm not sure what was funnier: the person who called Obama a socialist (he is such a centrist) or the person who saw this as another sign that Jesus was on his way (was he talking about the gardener?).
Bruce (another Bruce) Geenberg
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Wow I can't believe the wing nuts who disagree with Bruce
Oh there's a reason the Rednecks live in Red States
What a bunch of idiots.
Bruce couldn't have said it any better than he did.
NC can't take the criticism.
Thanks for showing both sides of the replies. As disappointing as some of them were.
Kevin Sutter
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I agree an earlier cancellation would have been more appropriate. But to those who say his playing the date would have some greater effect on the situation I have to ask how that would have worked? He got headlines in the print newspapers and the bottom crawl on cableTV news stations by canceling. Who would have noticed if he had preached to the choir at his NC show? Well, maybe some people would have booed him in NC if he spoke on the stage about the law. Not all BS fans, especially in the South share his politics. Well, OK that would have made news, and that might have been an even better result. But that's a maybe, we don't know that's what would have happened. My point is, he did something, and made sure it was something that would damn well be noticed. Some fans were inconvenienced? Well, that's how demonstrations of principle often work. Will he lose fans, or disgruntle some? Well, it's called spending political capital. Putting it where your mouth is. The perfect move? No,
but I'm glad, and proud, that he made one.
Joe Lee Henderson
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looks like it's time to clean up your mailing list.
there seems to be a fair share of hate-mongering idiots that don't understand what the word 'commitment' means.
Bruce did make a commitment, he's committed to NOT letting this country slip back into the racist, homophobic, myopic, xenophobic state it was embracing when he was young.
perhaps these so called fans need to actually read his lyrics before spewing such vitriol. it costs almost a million dollars a day to keep the likes of the stones, U2 and Springsteen in the road.
trust me, he can't 'afford' it.
the cancellation's effect on the media has more impact than a speech at the show, had he not cancelled.
how do we know this? look at those emails and the ones you didn't bother to copy and paste.
'struth!
halloran
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This overall issue is so simple
To fix. Mandatory Unisex bathrooms.
If you had a problem with your
11 year old girl going to the bathroom with a transgender
Man who is now a woman ….
And as we know … That doesn't
Mean that person isn't still into
Girls … Well … Problem solved.
We all go to the bathroom together !!!! Nothing you can
Complain about now.
I like it!!!!
Steve Lindsey
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Hey Chris Branson, FU, news flash: principals mean more then money!
Thank You Bruce.
Brian Allman
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To anyone who says Springsteen is only screwing over his fans, well; maybe now those fans will take a good hard look at their elected government officials and make some changes. It's a democracy after all, isn't it? No Bruce for you, North Carolina.
It's funny how so many young pop stars view the LGBT community as nothing more than a moneymaking demographic while an old school guy like Springsteen is willing to actually throw away money to take a stand on their behalf.
Are any of the young, hot pop tours going to cancel their summer stops in North Carolina? Doubtful.
Will they tweet up a storm and use a rainbow Facebook filter on their profile pic and grandstand to a huge market? You fucking bet.
That's why pop stars today don't say a damn thing worth listening to.
This isn't the same scenario we just saw where the film/tv industry stood up to a similar anti-LGBT bill in Georgia and won, but it's close. And it would be nice to see more young musicians standing up to this kind of oppression with action instead of mindless, transparent blather on social media.
Rob Hoffman
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Thank you Bob.
You have a lot of courage.
Best,
Ray Foley
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PUNISHING HIS FANS? Damn. Got some real rednecks on your list.
Rob Meurer
Wow. Well you can't say that money isn't the motivator in America can you?! To all of the people whining about the NC fans being put out by the cancelled show…maybe all of those poor NC fans should use the time that they would have spent BEING ENTERTAINED to pick up the phone and pressure their local NC politicians to help out the NC people who are LOSING THEIR RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS!
See those two phrases in all caps? Does one seem more important than the other?!
WAKE UP!
Carry on Bob!
Chris Mann
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I respect Bruce for taking a stand on this awful bill, now law, in North Carolina. This is someone who brought attention to discrimination against those with AIDS more than 20 years ago in the movie Philadelphia. And, by the way, this law is more than about bathrooms. It overturns laws passed by cities like Charlotte which insured workplace protection for LGBT people.
Chris Adams
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"ThankGod for North Carolina & Springsteen is Disgusting
More Signs of Jesus Coming. He will NOT be in HEAVEN
Sidelle "
How you going to know who's in heaven and who's not you judgmental bitch.
My Best
Roger Alan Nichols
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People are just plain fucking stupid. So they say he should have done the show, so the fans would get to hear him – well if the residents of North Carolina don't vote these FUCKS out of Office, then they deserve what the fuck they get. You won't catch my tired ass there, ever, again.
Hank Arnold
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How ironic is it that 30 years hence the U.S. has its own Sun City? Lest we forget…
Little Steven's SunCity Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bY3w9gLjEV4
Peter Kohan
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……tuff call….toby mamis has the right response……..
Tommy Allen
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If Bruce Springsteen ain't in heaven, I ain't going!!!
Buffy Visick
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"ThankGod for North Carolina & Springsteen is Disgusting
More Signs of Jesus Coming. He will NOT be in HEAVEN
Sidelle"
It would be good to see Bruce in concert but it would be awesome to see Jesus in concert. I wonder who is in his band?
I guess Jesus won’t be in heaven because he’ll be too busy playing concerts here.
Donnie Gossett
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Like Mississippi's "religious freedom" law, NC's "Bathroom Privacy" law is a civil rights issue. Period. If you don't get that, I can't reach you. Yeah, Springsteen could've cancelled earlier blah blah blah. But it's never too late to do the right thing.
Cheers,
Bruce McDonald
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Rule #1. of showbiz
"The show must go on!"
Phin Daly
Marathon Music Mgmt. LLC
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"Is this about that thing where people want men to be able to go into the bathroom with my daughter." Why is it always some ignoramus who doesn't understand either the issue at hand or even how to use basic punctuation who feels the need to spout off? I hope Mr. Cole Hartman eventually figures out that this is a law that would force his daughter to show a police officer her genitals at the request of any confused bystander and prevents off-gender parents from escorting their own children in public bathrooms. I wonder though, what the Boss is gonna do about Georgia and Mississippi. In Indiana, we forced the governor to amend a so-called "religious freedom" bill without any help from Mr. Springsteen, but I'm not gonna second guess his decision. Maybe he coulda handled it better, certainly he'll lose money and maybe even some fans, but just as certainly he's raising awareness, which is never a bad thing.
Mojo Bone
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Isn't it wonderful how The Dixie Chicks have been proven so right. Ashamed? That word isn't strong enough. But another word that describes the results of George Bush's lies and betrayal of American ideals, democracy and the Constitution is: genocide.
If there was ever a case for War Crimes it should be directed at Bush, Dick Cheney, and each and every one of the cabinet who stood idly by while their lies saw over over a million innocent people die, millions more be displaced and today we are still witnessing the legacy of that crime. The Dixie Chicks paid dearly for their voice but they will go to their graves with clear consciences and the knowledge that no one died on their watch.
John Brower
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I love the racist guy (who doesn't think he's racist) writing about black people destroying their own businesses to prove a point – even though they are white-owned and don't hire blacks from the neighborhood. That guy was probably from my white, upper middle class town. Funny how "liberal" has become synonymous with "educated"…
Robal Johnson
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Bruce made a loud statement showing how he feels about hate and any bias.
I am a fan and disappointed but totally respect him for this.
Elliot Mazer
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Well you got an artist who spoke up night before last in Brooklyn that's for sure!
Kenny Lee Lewis
Steve Miller Band
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You know what it will take to make Bruce's action matter: unity in the community. As in the 60s there were certain leaders who stood up to the "man" (be it government or college authority, and beyond) and then the young generation at the time stood with them, This happened with the Vietnam war until mothers of the sons protesting joined in – then it made a difference. This is not about Bruce – this is about how now every artist needs to stand with Bruce and refuse to play in NC or any state with such laws. If bigger entities stepped in like Live Nation and other broadcast networks and the NCAA and NFL maybe THEN you would have a cause that would have an effect. Otherwise, Bruce cancelled a concert – and stands alone as a rebel (without a cause).
Wallace Collins
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Love Bruce. Despise our embarrassment of a general assembly. They don't represent what most educated and well travelled North Carolinians believe.
I hope the nba all star game moves as well until this state shows some progress.
Hal Kempson
CBRE Capital Markets
Debt and Structured Finance
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To those who say that Bruce should have played the gig and (donated/spoke up/etc.) To me, the point is that the fans shouldn’t be pissed off at Bruce – the fans, the community, the city, the state…they let this happen and they need to know there are consequences to that passivity. Donating a few bucks to a cause only reinforces that passivity – it doesn’t change minds. All that does, for the majority of people, is let them feel like they “did” something – when the thing that needs to be done, is speak out and make change. In my opinion, that happens when people get mad enough to change their world. Bravo, Bruce for taking a stand and letting the folks in Greensboro know that they must be responsible for their community and its actions.
– erika wollam nichols/Nashville, TN
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Here's what amazes me: The number of ignorant crazed Jesus-is-coming-to-getcha assholes reading your letter is astonishing.
Wally Wilson
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Re Bruce. Casual Bruce fan here, but some times he falls off his high horse. It's easy to be egalitarian when you got a couple 100 Mill in the bank. Would he have done this 'back in the day' when he was trying to survive? Maybe. Last time i saw him he spent entirely too much time on politics. As someone once said, "Shut up and sing." I came for the music, not for the politics.
Jim Anderson, Denver.
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Bruce doesn't need the money, but does need the publicity. Love Bruce, but he's a 'Limousine Liberal' who could call attention to this and other civil rights issues in advance of these debacles, rather than grandstanding after the fact. He hasn't hurt anyone except his fans in NC who were no doubt looking forward to a respite from their increasingly frightening environment. Lead Bruce, don't follow, buddy.
Gerald Peirine
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Not sure what the correct action on Bruce's part should have been to voice his personal opinion concerning the NC law.
Back in the past, artists didn't refuse to play in the U.S. because of objections to Vietnam. They used their stardom and influence to confront the issues head on throughout the homelands and it worked.
There is a side that can appraise his actions as nothing more than an aging performer using PR on a contentious topic to stay relevant.
Best,
Ron
P.S. After writing the last note to you, I was compelled to listening to Curtiss Mayfield's "Move On Up." (Would love for you to do a spiel on that amazing, inspirational song)
Bruce could have had a more significant impact by giving the afflicted inspiration and tapping on the conscience of the locals who allowed the law to pass.
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Some of the vitriol here is alarming.
Yea, Bruce will eat. Yea, Bruce is rich…that's not the point.
Take a stand. Famous, not famous…rich, poor, just take a stand.
Charles Barkley is also motioning the NBA to move the All Star game. Charles Barkley of all people.
The whole mess saddens me and some of these responses sicken me.
This is what we've become?
(sigh)
Big ups to Bruce…and let's go Barkley!
Keith R. Higgons
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I'll ignore what so many other people have pointed out; that Springsteen really hurt no one but the fans by this stunt. I'm willing to give Bruce credit, and think he did act kindly out of respect for a cause that means something to him. I find Springsteen's preaching to be anything but endearing, but I have no doubt his convictions are sincere.
My issue lies with the fact that, like so many other thing Springsteen does, the talk focuses on him. We now have a full two mailbags talking about what Bruce Springsteen did. Perhaps he wanted people to focus on the issue: discrimination.
Just a thought. Thanks for your newsletter; always thought provoking (even when I do not agree).
Alex Speer
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Unless you're a white affluent male America seems like a complete shithole to anybody else. Good on Bruce.
Thanasy Spiliotis
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"ThankGod for North Carolina & Springsteen is Disgusting
More Signs of Jesus Coming. He will NOT be in HEAVEN"
Grammatically speaking, that means Jesus will not be in heaven :).
Steven Ehrlick
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In response to Cole Hartman's asinine comment, he has a complete lack of understanding of the plight of transsexuals / transgenders, and this whole law is going to backfire on NC. Either that or be completely ignored.
It can be a really DANGEROUS proposition to use their natural born gender bathroom.
A typical transsexual who starts as a man and ends up a woman is generally living "her" life as a woman. She is going to be attracted to men, and chances are she's going to be relatively attractive herself, or trying damned hard to be, to the point where men will be likely fooled that she's a born woman unless they really scrutinize closely or have spent a lot of time with them.
So a Transsexual walks into a men's room in full regalia dressed up as a woman? This is either going to severely creep any guy in the bathroom out, or piss them off to the extent where it can be a real danger to use a men's room.
Since they use the stalls anyway, women in the ladies room would never be able to tell who is transsexual and who is not. Much safer.
The same situation generally applies to women who want to transform into men. Generally they are going to be attracted to women and doing their best to look, feel, act like a man.
Imagine a transsexual man (started as a man, living as a woman) at BOA stadium at a Panther's game. Goes to the men's room and sees a Bro-fest with several hundred piss drunk football fans all howling.
Within two minutes she would be getting a beat down.
That law is silly, if for nothing else, just practical reasons, and I'll be laughing my ass off when hundreds of Transgender / transsexuals start flash mobbing public bathrooms and freak the fuck out of North Carolina! You know they are going to organize and do just that. Concerts, sporting events, restaurants, high volume public places of all kinds.
– From a straight dude.
Dan Millen
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I am a HUGE Bruce fan. My wife has yet to forgive me for not only waiting all day in line to score tickets released from will-call at the Sports Arena on the Tunnel Of Love tour, but then insisting that she come join me for the show when she got off work. It was less than a week before the wedding and my timing was very bad. Worth 27 years of being reminded about it because it was a really great show. And that was one of probably seven or eight Springsteen shows I saw in L.A. in the ‘80s. Like I said, big fan. And I get the emotion here but it was the wrong decision. And it is not just the fans who are getting hurt.
His touring crew and the band are all on salary and will get paid, but all of the other folks—from the kids staffing the concession stands to the local crew who is hired by the gig to load the show in and out of the venue lose a day of paid work. And a lot of them were counting on getting paid that day.
I live in Las Vegas and have seen first-hand how a political statement like this hurts people. When Obama made a couple of remarks about execs in financial firms that were bailed out after the meltdown going to Vegas, three big financial conventions cancelled. Wells Fargo, Lehman Brothers and State Farm. The State Farm convention alone accounted for 10,000 room nights. And lots of IATSE members got creamed. Between load-in, the actual convention and load out, the State Farm gig was an entire month of very well-paid work with tons of overtime. I personally know at least a few people who ended up in foreclosure on their homes because of losing that gig.
Although my politics are substantially to the right of Bruce’s, I have long admired his backbone and willingness to stand up for causes he believes in. I remember that at all of those shows at the Sports Arena, there were folks from veterans’ organizations and local food banks. And every night Bruce took time during the show to remind the assembled masses that they were there, to explain why it was important and to encourage his fans to support them.
That should have been the approach here as well. Do the show. Make it all about the crappy NC law and donate all net proceeds to groups fighting to have it repealed. It pains me to say it, but Bruce took the easy way out on this one.
Bill Evans
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Really enjoyed your column and the many thoughtful comments on both sides.
I truly emphasize with the fans in NC who voted against these bigots, yet missed out on the amazing show.
But Bruce clearly did the right thing. Could he, as some suggested, have played the show and not canceled on the fans who bought tickets and even plane tickets, hotels, etc., and donated the money to LGBT groups while speaking out during the show? Sure. But had he done that, would anyone have noticed? Would he have been a top news story? A top trender on Twitter? The subject of a Lefsetz posts and all this discussion? Of course not.
By taking a stand in a forceful way, he sent a loud and clear message to other musicians that they too shouldn't play NC (or MI), a louder message to fans and businesses across the country that they should boycott the states, and the loudest message to other bigoted politicians in other states that if they try a stealth political maneuver like was done in NC, it won't go unnoticed and without consequences. None of that would have happened had he played the gig.
Of course it's easy for him — he has all the riches any man ever knew and he can afford to be controversial. But he and the band (especially Stevie with Sun City) have been the real deal their entire careers, standing up for the disadvantaged, the hungry, and the working class heroes, using the microphone we give them to speak out.
His (and my) hero Pete Seeger long used the power of song to impact change. Good for Bruce for carrying the torch.
Richard Robbins
@rich1
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I was telling my BF today of Bruce cancelling…he sang out…We ain't playing Sun City anymore…struck a chord in me.. my BF brother happens to Transgender learning disbled..
Allison Hill
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I'm sure there are a lot of disappointed fans in Greensboro, and that is understandable. But if you don't understand why he canceled the show, then you're probably one of those people that still think "Born In The USA" was meant to be a pro American anthem!
Daniel Angott
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Live Nation is not, could not and never will be the legacy of BIll Graham anymore than anyone will ever be the legacy of John F. Kennedy. Bill Graham had a soul, which is something that does not exist at Live Nation.
John Brower
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Kanye West told the world that "George Bush doesn't care about black people" after Katrina. How quickly we forget.
R,
Steve Smith
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I love Bruce but this is seriously some pussy shit. There are huge problems going on in our world. Our president is doing the tango after a huge terrorist attack. And Bruce is canceling a show in light of LGBT bathroom rights?? Give me a break.
There were probably 1000 vets that served our country that were looking forward to that show. People wonder why America is in the shitter now. It's because we have American icons acting like complete sissy nannies. Including you, Bob, for supporting him. If we're ever going to get our balls back you need to hand the country back over to red blooded Americans.
The leftist liberal movement is destroying our country. Idk maybe you do want a country with no guns, half the pop on welfare, no pledge of allegiances, woman terminating their children in the third trimester, terrorists reigning terror without being called radical because we're politically correct, and a shrinking military that can't match up to other superpowers in 5 years at this rate, but I don't. You live in a dreamworld like Springsteen. I'm a realist. This world isn't all cupcakes and unicorns.
If he wants to cancel a huge concert it should be due to the complete lack of care for our veterans. Literally thousands dying on the streets.
And he's concerned about bathroom laws for the LGBT community that frankly make many people uncomfortable. Unbelievable shit.
Good riddance, Bruce.
Will Kerlick
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I'm always amazed at the backlash.
Every once in a long while I will get a message from someone about one of my political type tweets or posts that goes along the lines of "shut up, you're a musician, I like your music but I hate your politics."
I also get people messaging me saying 'thank you' for saying what they are afraid to say because they are tired of arguing with their neo-luddite relatives for their opinions on facebook. I'd say the ratio is about 35 to 1. For every 35 positive, I get about 1 negative. Which is pretty good numbers but man, that 1 really sticks with ya!
But it leads me to wonder – how do folks deal with liking music made by people who they are diametrically opposed to in their worldview? How do you sing along to "Imagine" and still want to put up a wall on the Mexican border? How can you listen to Rage Against the Machine and not realize you are the machine?
We've been offered spots opening for people like David Allen Coe and we've turned it down because of him, his politics and what he's said. We just don't want to be associated with it AT ALL.
In the past we looked to musicians to be a guiding light at times of trouble, whether it was CSN&Y singing about Kent State in "Ohio" or John Lennon imagining a better world in "Imagine". It seems more and more we want our singer/songwriter/musician types to be spineless creature of content providing entertainment.
How does someone listen to Springsteen's "Born in the U.S.A." and not get it like Reagan didn't get it? Bruce has been booed for his backing of Obama and his left leaning politics and now his stance in North Carolina – how can you have a life long conversation with an artist like that and not know them at all?
How can one love The Clash or The Grateful Dead and not also believe in their "no one wins unless we all win" mantra? How did Yuppies justify going to a Dead show?
These are just some of the reasons I cannot listen to or even remotely enjoy anything by Kid Rock or Ted Nugent – they as people have made their music un-listenable to me.
Now, I'm not at the level of these other folks so one would think that I would grovel for any fan and not wish to alienate anyone but that's not the case. I hope I have lost fans because of my politics because then at least I'm standing for something and I'm not just some mindless content creator.
I don't care if you share this at all, this is me, I sign my name to it and don't hide.
Bobbo
The Fallen Stars
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As a recent transplant TO North Carolina from Southern California, I've got to tell you that the anti-LGBT law is the tip of the iceberg.
At times I feel as if I've been thrown back in time. Overt racism. Confederate flags. Necks of red.
The homophobe governor is a former president of Duke Energy which has a penchant for allowing their coal ash waste to leak into rivers…and the price they pay for poisoning their citizens is thousands of dollars. Not MILLIONS. Thousands.
They've rolled back the Voting Rights Act and instituted voter i.d. and other laws meant to disenfranchise those that might elect non-homophobic, liberal-leaning representatives to their hateful, frightened Republican controlled state legislature.
They use drug sniffing dogs during minor traffic stops looking for POT. POT !!!!
As you might imagine, guns and NRA memberships are ubiquitous.
This place can be, on the other hand, pretty cool. There are some excellent musicians attempting to ply their trade. Harry Harrison of the Tills is an amazing songwriter, artist and musical historian. Like a youthful Bob Dylan reincarnated. The Wilder Brothers, (Kevin Roughton & Matt McGuire) write some incredible original tunes utilizing masterful playing and dynamics…in a Ramada Inn, no less.
At least where I'm living (on the Outer Banks), there's work for musicians. For the competent and incompetent, alike. The pay isn't great, but better than So Cal. And with the exception of the aforementioned rednecks, racists and Trumpists, folks can be very cool.
I'm not sure Springsteen's cancellation does anything other than remind people of what they already know: The South hasn't REALLY changed since Reconstruction. There are pockets of modernity and forward-thinking people, but a lot of folks, if allowed to speak freely about what they believe, would say they'd be better off in the Confederate Staes of America.
It is beautiful here, though. Water falls from the sky…a lot. They also have these things called "woods". And critters.
I'm not sure if you should print my name if you choose to publish this, given what I've written….but fuck it. I'm guessing the folks that take issue with it might have to have somebody read it to them.
Scott Sechman
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This issue was featured on LBC Radio in London over the weekend – solely because of what Bruce Springsteen did. The broadcast spoke to experts who properly explained the issues and implications in a way that anyone could understand. His cancelling therefore increased the awareness of the issues faced by LGTB people at a local level in London!
I appreciate there are probably some upset concert goers but he bought the conversation to an international level… It IS all about the bigger picture. And as Springsteen says "Nobody wins, unless everybody wins."
Ajay Srivastav
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Those letters were the best Friday night entertainment I've had in a long time.
Leigh Caputo
More Reactions:
Simple point. If Bruce had played and donated the money to help the cause of equality, you wouldn't have all these people talking about it.
It's caused a media storm and I know that other artist are paying attention. And music fans around the country are talking about it.
By canceling, he got a lot of people's attention. Another charity event would have been a snore. Brilliant move in my view.
Regards,
Chip Latham
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1. LGBT are less than 5% of the population. A very noisy minority.
2. Opposition does not necessarily equate to "hate".
3. What about the great majority of folks…girls and women who would be very uncomfortable with men showing up in the ladies' rooms.
4. The problem would not be the LBGT population. It would be with the 'bad actors' who would barge into the ladies' rooms and misbehave.
and you know they will show up — denial is a river in Egypt.
5. Whatever happened to millenia-old common-sense, Bob??!?
6. I'm SOOO tired of this sh*t!!!
THE EVOLUTION OF GAY RIGHTS
1995: We want Tolerance
2005: We want equality
2015: Bake the f****** cake, bigot!
Keep on writing…Steve Zweig
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We are not dealing with "normal" when it comes to Bruce Springsteen.
I saw Bruce in Dallas this past Tuesday evening with my wife Leslie.
Bruce walked on stage gingerly, a little stiff, wearing his sixty six years.
As the show progressed, Bruce got looser, younger. By the time he reached the middle of The River, he was moving like a very fit forty something Jock/Rocker. His singing getting stronger not weaker.
As he launched into his third hour on stage, somewhere around "Born To Run" he had transformed himself into a joyful, twenty something guitar slinger/story teller with nothing to lose and everything to gain. Benjamin Button with a Tele.
His show cancellation in North Carolina is Bruce operating on an even higher wavelength. An empathetic show of solidarity with the "outsiders".
Springsteen is putting his money where his mouth is. The E Street band backin' up the Boss. Not just talking the talk but marching the march. Telling his truth. The Republicans can't shut him up. Hell, neither can the Democrats. Nor can any Corporate puppet masters.
Bruce remains a terminal dreamer with nothing to lose and everything to gain.
Lucky for us true believers in the power of a Timeless Artist's ability to change the world for the better.
Bob DiPiero
Nashville Tennessee USA
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I can't believe all the fucking idiots that are for anyone who identifies as a female what is a fucking now and going to the bathroom where my daughter is. Did you see the abuse a sick individual could entertain? That WILL happen somewhere as a result of this insane social justice warrior bullshit.
Sean Mormelo
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If he's The Boss, I quit.
Schylar Shoates
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I'm not sure what was funnier: the person who called Obama a socialist (he is such a centrist) or the person who saw this as another sign that Jesus was on his way (was he talking about the gardener?).
Bruce (another Bruce) Geenberg
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Wow I can't believe the wing nuts who disagree with Bruce
Oh there's a reason the Rednecks live in Red States
What a bunch of idiots.
Bruce couldn't have said it any better than he did.
NC can't take the criticism.
Thanks for showing both sides of the replies. As disappointing as some of them were.
Kevin Sutter
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I agree an earlier cancellation would have been more appropriate. But to those who say his playing the date would have some greater effect on the situation I have to ask how that would have worked? He got headlines in the print newspapers and the bottom crawl on cableTV news stations by canceling. Who would have noticed if he had preached to the choir at his NC show? Well, maybe some people would have booed him in NC if he spoke on the stage about the law. Not all BS fans, especially in the South share his politics. Well, OK that would have made news, and that might have been an even better result. But that's a maybe, we don't know that's what would have happened. My point is, he did something, and made sure it was something that would damn well be noticed. Some fans were inconvenienced? Well, that's how demonstrations of principle often work. Will he lose fans, or disgruntle some? Well, it's called spending political capital. Putting it where your mouth is. The perfect move? No,
but I'm glad, and proud, that he made one.
Joe Lee Henderson
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looks like it's time to clean up your mailing list.
there seems to be a fair share of hate-mongering idiots that don't understand what the word 'commitment' means.
Bruce did make a commitment, he's committed to NOT letting this country slip back into the racist, homophobic, myopic, xenophobic state it was embracing when he was young.
perhaps these so called fans need to actually read his lyrics before spewing such vitriol. it costs almost a million dollars a day to keep the likes of the stones, U2 and Springsteen in the road.
trust me, he can't 'afford' it.
the cancellation's effect on the media has more impact than a speech at the show, had he not cancelled.
how do we know this? look at those emails and the ones you didn't bother to copy and paste.
'struth!
halloran
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This overall issue is so simple
To fix. Mandatory Unisex bathrooms.
If you had a problem with your
11 year old girl going to the bathroom with a transgender
Man who is now a woman ….
And as we know … That doesn't
Mean that person isn't still into
Girls … Well … Problem solved.
We all go to the bathroom together !!!! Nothing you can
Complain about now.
I like it!!!!
Steve Lindsey
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Hey Chris Branson, FU, news flash: principals mean more then money!
Thank You Bruce.
Brian Allman
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To anyone who says Springsteen is only screwing over his fans, well; maybe now those fans will take a good hard look at their elected government officials and make some changes. It's a democracy after all, isn't it? No Bruce for you, North Carolina.
It's funny how so many young pop stars view the LGBT community as nothing more than a moneymaking demographic while an old school guy like Springsteen is willing to actually throw away money to take a stand on their behalf.
Are any of the young, hot pop tours going to cancel their summer stops in North Carolina? Doubtful.
Will they tweet up a storm and use a rainbow Facebook filter on their profile pic and grandstand to a huge market? You fucking bet.
That's why pop stars today don't say a damn thing worth listening to.
This isn't the same scenario we just saw where the film/tv industry stood up to a similar anti-LGBT bill in Georgia and won, but it's close. And it would be nice to see more young musicians standing up to this kind of oppression with action instead of mindless, transparent blather on social media.
Rob Hoffman
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Thank you Bob.
You have a lot of courage.
Best,
Ray Foley
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PUNISHING HIS FANS? Damn. Got some real rednecks on your list.
Rob Meurer
Wow. Well you can't say that money isn't the motivator in America can you?! To all of the people whining about the NC fans being put out by the cancelled show…maybe all of those poor NC fans should use the time that they would have spent BEING ENTERTAINED to pick up the phone and pressure their local NC politicians to help out the NC people who are LOSING THEIR RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS!
See those two phrases in all caps? Does one seem more important than the other?!
WAKE UP!
Carry on Bob!
Chris Mann
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I respect Bruce for taking a stand on this awful bill, now law, in North Carolina. This is someone who brought attention to discrimination against those with AIDS more than 20 years ago in the movie Philadelphia. And, by the way, this law is more than about bathrooms. It overturns laws passed by cities like Charlotte which insured workplace protection for LGBT people.
Chris Adams
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"ThankGod for North Carolina & Springsteen is Disgusting
More Signs of Jesus Coming. He will NOT be in HEAVEN
Sidelle "
How you going to know who's in heaven and who's not you judgmental bitch.
My Best
Roger Alan Nichols
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People are just plain fucking stupid. So they say he should have done the show, so the fans would get to hear him – well if the residents of North Carolina don't vote these FUCKS out of Office, then they deserve what the fuck they get. You won't catch my tired ass there, ever, again.
Hank Arnold
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How ironic is it that 30 years hence the U.S. has its own Sun City? Lest we forget…
Little Steven's SunCity Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bY3w9gLjEV4
Peter Kohan
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……tuff call….toby mamis has the right response……..
Tommy Allen
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If Bruce Springsteen ain't in heaven, I ain't going!!!
Buffy Visick
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"ThankGod for North Carolina & Springsteen is Disgusting
More Signs of Jesus Coming. He will NOT be in HEAVEN
Sidelle"
It would be good to see Bruce in concert but it would be awesome to see Jesus in concert. I wonder who is in his band?
I guess Jesus won’t be in heaven because he’ll be too busy playing concerts here.
Donnie Gossett
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Like Mississippi's "religious freedom" law, NC's "Bathroom Privacy" law is a civil rights issue. Period. If you don't get that, I can't reach you. Yeah, Springsteen could've cancelled earlier blah blah blah. But it's never too late to do the right thing.
Cheers,
Bruce McDonald
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Rule #1. of showbiz
"The show must go on!"
Phin Daly
Marathon Music Mgmt. LLC
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"Is this about that thing where people want men to be able to go into the bathroom with my daughter." Why is it always some ignoramus who doesn't understand either the issue at hand or even how to use basic punctuation who feels the need to spout off? I hope Mr. Cole Hartman eventually figures out that this is a law that would force his daughter to show a police officer her genitals at the request of any confused bystander and prevents off-gender parents from escorting their own children in public bathrooms. I wonder though, what the Boss is gonna do about Georgia and Mississippi. In Indiana, we forced the governor to amend a so-called "religious freedom" bill without any help from Mr. Springsteen, but I'm not gonna second guess his decision. Maybe he coulda handled it better, certainly he'll lose money and maybe even some fans , but just as certainly he's raising awareness, which is never a bad thing.
Mojo Bone
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Isn't it wonderful how The Dixie Chicks have been proven so right. Ashamed? That word isn't strong enough. But another word that describes the results of George Bush's lies and betrayal of American ideals, democracy and the Constitution is: genocide.
If there was ever a case for War Crimes it should be directed at Bush, Dick Cheney, and each and every one of the
cabinet who stood idly by while their lies saw over over a million innocent people die, millions more be displaced and today we are still witnessing the legacy of that crime. The Dixie Chicks paid dearly for their voice but they will go to their graves with clear consciences and the knowledge that no one died on their watch.
John Brower
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I love the racist guy (who doesn't think he's racist) writing about black people destroying their own businesses to prove a point – even though they are white-owned and don't hire blacks from the neighborhood. That guy was probably from my white, upper middle class town. Funny how "liberal" has become synonymous with "educated"…
Robal Johnson
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Bruce made a loud statement showing how he feels about hate and any bias.
I am a fan and disappointed but totally respect him for this.
Elliot Mazer
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Well you got an artist who spoke up night before last in Brooklyn that's for sure!
Kenny Lee Lewis
Steve Miller Band
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You know what it will take to make Bruce's action matter: unity in the community. As in the 60s there were certain leaders who stood up to the "man" (be it government or college authority, and beyond) and then the young generation at the time stood with them, This happened with the Vietnam war until mothers of the sons protesting joined in – then it made a difference. This is not about Bruce – this is about how now every artist needs to stand with Bruce and refuse to play in NC or any state with such laws. If bigger entities stepped in like Live Nation and other broadcast networks and the NCAA and NFL maybe THEN you would have a cause that would have an effect. Otherwise, Bruce cancelled a concert – and stands alone as a rebel (without a cause).
Wallace Collins
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Love Bruce. Despise our embarrassment of a general assembly. They don't represent what most educated and well travelled North Carolinians believe.
I hope the nba all star game moves as well until this state shows some progress.
Hal Kempson
CBRE Capital Markets
Debt and Structured Finance
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To those who say that Bruce should have played the gig and (donated/spoke up/etc.) To me, the point is that the fans shouldn’t be pissed off at Bruce – the fans, the community, the city, the state…they let this happen and they need to know there are consequences to that passivity. Donating a few bucks to a cause only reinforces that passivity – it doesn’t change minds. All that does, for the majority of people, is let them feel like they “did” something – when the thing that needs to be done, is speak out and make change. In my opinion, that happens when people get mad enough to change their world. Bravo, Bruce for taking a stand and letting the folks in Greensboro know that they must be responsible for their community and its actions.
– erika wollam nichols/Nashville, TN
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Here's what amazes me: The number of ignorant crazed Jesus-is-coming-to-getcha assholes reading your letter is astonishing.
Wally Wilson
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Re Bruce. Casual Bruce fan here, but some times he falls off his high horse. It's easy to be egalitarian when you got a couple 100 Mill in the bank. Would he have done this 'back in the day' when he was trying to survive? Maybe. Last time i saw him he spent entirely too much time on politics. As someone once said, "Shut up and sing." I came for the music, not for the politics.
Jim Anderson, Denver.
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Bruce doesn't need the money, but does need the publicity. Love Bruce, but he's a 'Limousine Liberal' who could call attention to this and other civil rights issues in advance of these debacles, rather than grandstanding after the fact. He hasn't hurt anyone except his fans in NC who were no doubt looking forward to a respite from their increasingly frightening environment. Lead Bruce, don't follow, buddy.
Gerald Peirine
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Not sure what the correct action on Bruce's part should have been to voice his personal opinion concerning the NC law.
Back in the past, artists didn't refuse to play in the U.S. because of objections to Vietnam. They used their stardom and influence to confront the issues head on throughout the homelands and it worked.
There is a side that can appraise his actions as nothing more than an aging performer using PR on a contentious topic to stay relevant.
Best,
Ron
P.S. After writing the last note to you, I was compelled to listening to Curtiss Mayfield's "Move On Up." (Would love for you to do a spiel on that amazing, inspirational song)
Bruce could have had a more significant impact by giving the afflicted inspiration and tapping on the conscience of the locals who allowed the law to pass.
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Some of the vitriol here is alarming.
Yea, Bruce will eat. Yea, Bruce is rich…that's not the point.
Take a stand. Famous, not famous…rich, poor, just take a stand.
Charles Barkley is also motioning the NBA to move the All Star game. Charles Barkley of all people.
The whole mess saddens me and some of these responses sicken me.
This is what we've become?
(sigh)
Big ups to Bruce…and let's go Barkley!
Keith R. Higgons
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I'll ignore what so many other people have pointed out; that Springsteen really hurt no one but the fans by this stunt. I'm willing to give Bruce credit, and think he did act kindly out of respect for a cause that means something to him. I find Springsteen's preaching to be anything but endearing, but I have no doubt his convictions are sincere.
My issue lies with the fact that, like so many other thing Springsteen does, the talk focuses on him. We now have a full two mailbags talking about what Bruce Springsteen did. Perhaps he wanted people to focus on the issue: discrimination.
Just a thought. Thanks for your newsletter; always thought provoking (even when I do not agree).
Alex Speer
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Unless you're a white affluent male America seems like a complete shithole to anybody else. Good on Bruce.
Thanasy Spiliotis
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"ThankGod for North Carolina & Springsteen is Disgusting
More Signs of Jesus Coming. He will NOT be in HEAVEN"
Grammatically speaking, that means Jesus will not be in heaven :).
Steven Ehrlick
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In response to Cole Hartman's asinine comment, he has a complete lack of understanding of the plight of transsexuals / transgenders, and this whole law is going to backfire on NC. Either that or be completely ignored.
It can be a really DANGEROUS proposition to use their natural born gender bathroom.
A typical transsexual who starts as a man and ends up a woman is generally living "her" life as a woman. She is going to be attracted to men, and chances are she's going to be relatively attractive herself, or trying damned hard to be, to the point where men will be likely fooled that she's a born woman unless they really scrutinize closely or have spent a lot of time with them.
So a Transsexual walks into a men's room in full regalia dressed up as a woman? This is either going to severely creep any guy in the bathroom out, or piss them off to the extent where it can be a real danger to use a men's room.
Since they use the stalls anyway, women in the ladies room would never be able to tell who is transsexual and who is not. Much safer.
The same situation generally applies to women who want to transform into men. Generally they are going to be attracted to women and doing their best to look, feel, act like a man.
Imagine a transsexual man (started as a man, living as a woman) at BOA stadium at a Panther's game. Goes to the men's room and sees a Bro-fest with several hundred piss drunk football fans all howling.
Within two minutes she would be getting a beat down.
That law is silly, if for nothing else, just practical reasons, and I'll be laughing my ass off when hundreds of Transgender / transsexuals start flash mobbing public bathrooms and freak the fuck out of North Carolina! You know they are going to organize and do just that. Concerts, sporting events, restaurants, high volume public places of all kinds.
– From a straight dude.
Dan Millen
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I am a HUGE Bruce fan. My wife has yet to forgive me for not only waiting all day in line to score tickets released from will-call at the Sports Arena on the Tunnel Of Love tour, but then insisting that she come join me for the show when she got off work. It was less than a week before the wedding and my timing was very bad. Worth 27 years of being reminded about it because it was a really great show. And that was one of probably seven or eight Springsteen shows I saw in L.A. in the ‘80s. Like I said, big fan. And I get the emotion here but it was the wrong decision. And it is not just the fans who are getting hurt.
His touring crew and the band are all on salary and will get paid, but all of the other folks—from the kids staffing the concession stands to the local crew who is hired by the gig to load the show in and out of the venue lose a day of paid work. And a lot of them were counting on getting paid that day.
I live in Las Vegas and have seen first-hand how a political statement like this hurts people. When Obama made a couple of remarks about execs in financial firms that were bailed out after the meltdown going to Vegas, three big financial conventions cancelled. Wells Fargo, Lehman Brothers and State Farm. The State Farm convention alone accounted for 10,000 room nights. And lots of IATSE members got creamed. Between load-in, the actual convention and load out, the State Farm gig was an entire month of very well-paid work with tons of overtime. I personally know at least a few people who ended up in foreclosure on their homes because of losing that gig.
Although my politics are substantially to the right of Bruce’s, I have long admired his backbone and willingness to stand up for causes he believes in. I remember that at all of those shows at the Sports Arena, there were folks from veterans’ organizations and local food banks. And every night Bruce took time during the show to remind the assembled masses that they were there, to explain why it was important and to encourage his fans to support them.
That should have been the approach here as well. Do the show. Make it all about the crappy NC law and donate all net proceeds to groups fighting to have it repealed. It pains me to say it, but Bruce took the easy way out on this one.
Bill Evans
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Really enjoyed your column and the many thoughtful comments on both sides.
I truly emphasize with the fans in NC who voted against these bigots, yet missed out on the amazing show.
But Bruce clearly did the right thing. Could he, as some suggested, have played the show and not canceled on the fans who bought tickets and even plane tickets, hotels, etc., and donated the money to LGBT groups while speaking out during the show? Sure. But had he done that, would anyone have noticed? Would he have been a top news story? A top trender on Twitter? The subject of a Lefsetz posts and all this discussion? Of course not.
By taking a stand in a forceful way, he sent a loud and clear message to other musicians that they too shouldn't play NC (or MI), a louder message to fans and businesses across the country that they should boycott the states, and the loudest message to other bigoted politicians in other states that if they try a stealth political maneuver like was done in NC, it won't go unnoticed and without consequences. None of that would have happened had he played the gig.
Of course it's easy for him — he has all the riches any man ever knew and he can afford to be controversial. But he and the band (especially Stevie with Sun City) have been the real deal their entire careers, standing up for the disadvantaged, the hungry, and the working class heroes, using the microphone we give them to speak out.
His (and my) hero Pete Seeger long used the power of song to impact change. Good for Bruce for carrying the torch.
Richard Robbins
@rich1
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I was telling my BF today of Bruce cancelling…he sang out…We ain't playing Sun City anymore…struck a chord in me.. my BF brother happens to Transgender learning disbled..
Allison Hill
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I'm sure there are a lot of disappointed fans in Greensboro, and that is understandable. But if you don't understand why he canceled the show, then you're probably one of those people that still think "Born In The USA" was meant to be a pro American anthem!
Daniel Angott
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Live Nation is not, could not and never will be the legacy of BIll Graham anymore than anyone will ever be the legacy of John F. Kennedy. Bill Graham had a soul, which is something that does not exist at Live Nation.
John Brower
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Kanye West told the world that "George Bush doesn't care about black people" after Katrina. How quickly we forget.
R,
Steve Smith
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I love Bruce but this is seriously some pussy shit. There are huge problems going on in our world. Our president is doing the tango after a huge terrorist attack. And Bruce is canceling a show in light of LGBT bathroom rights?? Give me a break.
There were probably 1000 vets that served our country that were looking forward to that show. People wonder why America is in the shitter now. It's because we have American icons acting like complete sissy nannies. Including you, Bob, for supporting him. If we're ever going to get our balls back you need to hand the country back over to red blooded Americans.
The leftist liberal movement is destroying our country. Idk maybe you do want a country with no guns, half the pop on welfare, no pledge of allegiances, woman terminating their children in the third trimester, terrorists reigning terror without being called radical because we're politically correct, and a shrinking military that can't match up to other superpowers in 5 years at this rate, but I don't. You live in a dreamworld like Springsteen. I'm a realist. This world isn't all cupcakes and unicorns.
If he wants to cancel a huge concert it should be due to the complete lack of care for our veterans. Literally thousands dying on the streets.
And he's concerned about bathroom laws for the LGBT community that frankly make many people uncomfortable. Unbelievable shit.
Good riddance, Bruce.
Will Kerlick
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I'm always amazed at the backlash.
Every once in a long while I will get a message from someone about one of my political type tweets or posts that goes along the lines of "shut up, you're a musician, I like your music but I hate your politics."
I also get people messaging me saying 'thank you' for saying what they are afraid to say because they are tired of arguing with their neo-luddite relatives for their opinions on facebook. I'd say the ratio is about 35 to 1. For every 35 positive, I get about 1 negative. Which is pretty good numbers but man, that 1 really sticks with ya!
But it leads me to wonder – how do folks deal with liking music made by people who they are diametrically opposed to in their worldview? How do you sing along to "Imagine" and still want to put up a wall on the Mexican border? How can you listen to Rage Against the Machine and not realize you are the machine?
We've been offered spots opening for people like David Allen Coe and we've turned it down because of him, his politics and what he's said. We just don't want to be associated with it AT ALL.
In the past we looked to musicians to be a guiding light at times of trouble, whether it was CSN&Y singing about Kent State in "Ohio" or John Lennon imagining a better world in "Imagine". It seems more and more we want our singer/songwriter/musician types to be spineless creature of content providing entertainment.
How does someone listen to Springsteen's "Born in the U.S.A." and not get it like Reagan didn't get it? Bruce has been booed for his backing of Obama and his left leaning politics and now his stance in North Carolina – how can you have a life long conversation with an artist like that and not know them at all?
How can one love The Clash or The Grateful Dead and not also believe in their "no one wins unless we all win" mantra? How did Yuppies justify going to a Dead show?
These are just some of the reasons I cannot listen to or even remotely enjoy anything by Kid Rock or Ted Nugent – they as people have made their music un-listenable to me.
Now, I'm not at the level of these other folks so one would think that I would grovel for any fan and not wish to alienate anyone but that's not the case. I hope I have lost fans because of my politics because then at least I'm standing for something and I'm not just some mindless content creator.
I don't care if you share this at all, this is me, I sign my name to it and don't hide.
Bobbo
The Fallen Stars
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As a recent transplant TO North Carolina from Southern California, I've got to tell you that the anti-LGBT law is the tip of the iceberg.
At times I feel as if I've been thrown back in time. Overt racism. Confederate flags. Necks of red.
The homophobe governor is a former president of Duke Energy which has a penchant for allowing their coal ash waste to leak into rivers…and the price they pay for poisoning their citizens is thousands of dollars. Not MILLIONS. Thousands.
They've rolled back the Voting Rights Act and instituted voter i.d. and other laws meant to disenfranchise those that might elect non-homophobic, liberal-leaning representatives to their hateful, frightened Republican controlled state legislature.
They use drug sniffing dogs during minor traffic stops looking for POT. POT !!!!
As you might imagine, guns and NRA memberships are ubiquitous.
This place can be, on the other hand, pretty cool. There are some excellent musicians attempting to ply their trade. Harry Harrison of the Tills is an amazing songwriter, artist and musical historian. Like a youthful Bob Dylan reincarnated. The Wilder Brothers, (Kevin Roughton & Matt McGuire) write some incredible original tunes utilizing masterful playing and dynamics…in a Ramada Inn, no less.
At least where I'm living (on the Outer Banks), there's work for musicians. For the competent and incompetent, alike. The pay isn't great, but better than So Cal. And with the exception of the aforementioned rednecks, racists and Trumpists, folks can be very cool.
I'm not sure Springsteen's cancellation does anything other than remind people of what they already know: The South hasn't REALLY changed since Reconstruction. There are pockets of modernity and forward-thinking people, but a lot of folks, if allowed to speak freely about what they believe, would say they'd be better off in the Confederate Staes of America.
It is beautiful here, though. Water falls from the sky…a lot. They also have these things called "woods". And critters.
I'm not sure if you should print my name if you choose to publish this, given what I've written….but fuck it. I'm guessing the folks that take issue with it might have to have somebody read it to them.
Scott Sechman
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This issue was featured on LBC Radio in London over the weekend – solely because of what Bruce Springsteen did. The broadcast spoke to experts who properly explained the issues and implications in a way that anyone could understand. His cancelling therefore increased the awareness of the issues faced by LGTB people at a local level in London!
I appreciate there are probably some upset concert goers but he bought the conversation to an international level… It IS all about the bigger picture. And as Springsteen says "Nobody wins, unless everybody wins."
Ajay Srivastav
More reactions:
Embarrassing. Absolutely embarrassing and disgusting. Bob, please know that a bunch of us are doing all we can to overturn this and bring some levity back to this damn state we live in. Proud of Bruce and hope more people have the courage to make a stand.
Doug Daniel
President, CEO
EastCoast Entertainment
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I grew up in a house with a single washroom 6 kids 2 parents and lots of friends, didn’t give a shit who took a dump before me.
Bruce did good, anyone who doesn’t think so should spend a week in Paris using their transit system.
Byron Suley
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Oh such irony Bob. The same people hating on Springsteen (or Neil Young) for taking a stand on something are the same crew who remind us how in the "old days" music spoke out against things versus the "crap" today . #HopeIDieBeforeIGetOld
Mark Irvine
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I really wish everyone would realize that trans people have been using the restrooms of their choice for years, it's that simple. Did anyone ever notice, of course not?
This hateful talk is the result of politicians winding their constituents up, for their own aggrandizement. It is pathetic.
Springsteen did the right thing. Period. And more entertainers and businesses need to follow him. Religious intolerance will be the death of this country. Never forget that the founders came here in the first place to avoid religious intolerance, hence their insistence on separation of church and state!
Love your letters Bob. May you continue to "Live long and prosper".
Regards
Peter Brentnall
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A hot one, no…? I live in North Carolina and have, as have so many progressives in this state (yes, we're still here), followed this cynical right-wing Republican maneuver since just before it was squeezed off, under cover of dark. The "bathroom issue," as the say in standardized testing, is a "distractor." Heinous and misconstrued as that provision is, and it is very, on both counts, the substance of HB2 is much more dark and insidious! And given the current national political climate, this may be just an early shot, to be followed by a volley. Your readers would be well served to see the more broad implications of what's coming to a legislature near them. Here's a read regarding HB2: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/politics-government/article68401147.html
Rob Slater
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Dear Bob,
Why not take all the bitching and moaning, the agreement, and support, Let's see if it can be used to move the fulcrum, under the plank, to something effective..
1) Perhaps all those responders, should become the management of Mr. Springsteen, rather than Barbara Carr (CAA 1 424 ___ ____) or Jon Landau, head of the nominating committee of the R and R Hall of Fame, and a major contributor to Mr. Springsteen's success.. I'm told.. You'll all get far more traction, as Bob calls it,/visibility, in that role.
2) Why not freeze ALL the refunds (from your local point of purchase), and assign those funds to mount a Class Action Suit… Against the State of NC. Look at the gross ticket sales, w/o the Promoters %, That otta get somethin' accomplished, in perhaps a number of areas..
3) Can we possibly move forward..? Then everybody is accomplishing something..!
4) The only problem is … Can you agree on anything…?
Yours Truly
Chipmonck.
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As usual, these comments are from the men's club. Too bad. A couple of responses from women. Too bad. I've actually lived with the issue. For several years in the early 2000s, my office was across the hall from a psychologist who administered what appeared to be a social work/state funded agency that supported the needs of this group. Maybe the property managers put us together because I was empathetic as both of us catered to society's marginal clients. For five years when none of this was a hot political issue, I shared my bathroom with transsexuals, men who dressed in women's clothes, who had better hairdos and who wore more make up than I do. I quickly became friends with everybody, they invited me to their parties across the hall and had me often speak to the group about my work and my life. I think it's because I'm sensitive and at the time, I lived in the Boston neighborhood with the densest gay population, spending a lot of time in clubs with clients who played music in the
transgendered/transsexual bars, restaurants and clubs in that neighborhood. That's the backstory. I think that Dan Millen, my colleague, has nailed the issue- at first, I was a bit annoyed that this group was sharing what is typically a "female" space, but that's become relative, and I never felt threatened. I actually got used to them and our conversations in and out of the stalls, sharing girl information with them. They always asked me a lot of questions, including personal ones and I always responded.. It never really bothered me unless they were gossiping about me – which as women, we sometimes do in the ladies room,.although not generally within earshot of the other person. I had to remember that they were not born female, so getting to know their idiosyncrasies made me even more sympathetic. The individuals I met were great people, many of them with stories of former substance abuse and prostitution. My heart went out to them for their courage to survive, especially in the
skin they had been given in life. So – as a women, I'm OK with sharing my personal space with this community…even though there are a lot of particular biological issues that this population can't share with us, menstruation, menopause, etc. So what? It's not disgusting and it's no big deal to me. These individuals can't go to the men's room and they're not in our bathroom to hurt us. Maybe some women are uncomfortable..but this one isn't. The only alternative is to create a special bathroom for this particular population and I'm not sure that's not the best solution either. So, I say live and let live and embrace this community! They are no real threat to us as women. And the reality is, a man is going to get into the ladies room if he is intent on hurting a woman, whether he is dressed as a man or a woman.
Patti Jones
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How about going back to NC honor all the tickets and do a special show?
Inessab
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What amazes me is how there was zero uproar when The Academy denied the first transgender Oscar nominee, Anohni, a performance. And the supporters of such causes on the show said nothing.
J Kauchick.
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Just a publicity stunt for Bruce, who is over the hill and looking for publicity.
What ever happened to COMMON SENSE??
What ever happened to PRIVACY ??
Since when does 4% of the population get to make the rules……it's a sure road the social CHAOS….be careful what you wish for.
Matt Mavrolas
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Go Brucie ! I hope this is only the beginning, because; "Before this law, it was already legal in Mississippi — and 27 other states — for a business to refuse LGBT people services. That means gay men, lesbians and transgender people could be asked to leave a shopping mall or be refused services by a hairdresser. (That number is even higher for transgender people in 32 states)." – The Washington Post
Owen
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Canadian viewpoint:
the government we finally got rid of a few months ago was going to install a get ready for it "barbaric practices hotline." which is Canuckese for "see something unwhite and possibly wearing a veil call in and report. That was Stasi Steve Harper pulling out all the hate to win an election. So you're not alone down there good neighbors. Of course you still that Walker dude in Wisconsin who wants to build a wall along the Canuckian border but hey some other day.
Thomas Paine
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Bruce had a commitment and should have followed through for a multitude of reasons regardless of how the crap discriminatory legislation. Play the show, give your speech about your views on the issue on stage and you would get just as much publicity on it without leaving people in the lurch.
As far is this "issue" – until all the businesses and government buildings can be equipped with unisex bathrooms pee at home or at Trader Joe's or Starbucks or any other place where no one else is in there with you and no one cares. That goes for people on both sides. It's an overblown stupid first-world problem. I wonder what the women of India who have to go 14 hours with no place to go would say. The entire controversy is asinine. Both sides are wrong.
Christian Unruh
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Here's the thing. Anyone who calls someone from the south a Redneck over this issue is a hypocrite. If you believe your opinion is the only opinion then you might consider Saudi Arabia or North Korea. 2 places where there is only 1 opinion. What makes this county great is that we are ALL allowed our own opinion. Lately it seems like whatever political party is in power forces their particular world view on the underserved majority. It's all BS. Bruce is a stand up guy but it's so obvious he is trying to be "current." I'm A big fan but for the past 35 years Bruce has been singing about women that he wanted to save. But not with legislation but with "velvet rims." So I view this this as old mans sad attempt to be "relevant"
Glenn Lazzaro
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Hey Sean Mormelo-
Please jump off a cliff.
Love,
the World
(Kevin Lathrop)
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It does not matter which side of the isle you are on. The 2 things below are always true.
#1. Do not let your kid go to the bathroom by themselves.
#2. If a creep wants to go into a bathroom they figured out how to be a creep.
The fact that a law was made with taxpayer money about someone taking a leak is the issue.
The boss used his voice to launch a discussion. "Born in the USA"!
Donovan Welsh
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Wow. That Steve Zweig guy is a bigoted asshole who doesn't get it. It's a shame you published his opinion. I don't mind opposing viewpoints but at least use someone who understands the issues and isn't just hateful and tone deaf.
Christian Lane
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There is no god, and fuck North Carolina.
Frank Esposito
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I think the people responding who criticize Bruce for his cancellation are viewing him only as the artist we know and love. The disappointment and travel costs felt by his fans are happening because he just wanted us to read his letter. Isn't this protest really about business, just like many others across similar states (PayPal, etc.)? These shows (and Bruce Inc.) are big business.
The point of all these boycotts is to motivate local people to protest and create change because the politicians are causing them economic pain, not just because they didn't get to see The Boss this time around. That's his power. I hope his fans are complaining to their state legislature, not Bruce. They are the ones at fault. I'm guessing it was a tough decision for Bruce on several levels, especially knowing he would alienate some hardcore fans.
Robert Bond
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"Rule #1. of showbiz
"The show must go on!"
Phin Daly
Marathon Music Mgmt. LLC"
Rule #2: if you would have had Bruce play the show anyway you probably shouldn't be managing acts.
-Rich Gilberto
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I'm glad Springsteen has done this, it shows that artists can make a serious impact.
The HB2 bill itself is an awful piece of legislation which does not just affect bathrooms, it also removes the right under state law to sue for many types of employment discrimination.
https://www.propublica.org/article/why-north-carolinas-new-anti-lgbt-law-is-a-trojan-horse
The lawmakers who are making these bills are doing this not to protect women or children, it is a cynical way of introducing far more draconian legislation though the back door. These legislators are no friend to women, with many states (and the GOP generally) resisting and restricting access to abortion and curtailing women's reproductive rights.
If only Springsteen and other artists would take a stand against this activity, which affects over one half of the population of the USA, this truly could make the US a better country.
Miranda Yardley
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"Limousine liberal"? "Couple 100 Mill in the bank"? These people are castigating Springsteen for being rich and famous, but it's that position that gives him power. Does he really need the publicity? Really? Suppose some little band touring on a shoestring cancelled their NC gig – who would notice? Who would care?
Stewart McGuire
London
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A simple question – how many transgender folk are there in North Carolina who want to use the opposite sex bathroom ?
Over here in London you have a hard enough time as a disabled person finding a suitable toilet – and there are over a million people classed as disabled in the UK so let's keep the numbers in context.
Micky Allen
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It's truly eye opening reading the wide variety of responses to Bruce's cancellation. It reflects how split we are as a country, from how tolerant and accepting some folks are and how nasty and mean-spirited others are and a bunch in the middle somewhere. I'll bet I can predict how almost all of them will vote, if they do vote, in November.
What I can say is that the road to equal rights in this country is a long and very bumpy one that will bend but never break. At some point all people will have the same rights even if there are many who resent it and get pushed to the side of the road along the way.
Jeff Capshew
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America is full of Springsteen fans who don’t understand what he’s been singing about for the last 40+ years. The ones who think “Born in the USA” is a patriotic party song. Apparently, listening is hard.
Rob Simpson
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Your followers that are Bruce fans give me hope. The former fans turning their backs on him now, never knew what he is about. I've been a fan since I was a kid in the 80's. I've always been fans of bands with something of value to say. Only a few people are saying anything of substance anymore. I hope Bruce keeps going and that someone from my generation picks up his legacy and runs with it. I fear for the world if no one does.
Joel Price
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And the same "bathroom privacy" bill is probably going to pass here in Tennessee, even after all this hoopla. It would be awfully interesting to know how many ticketholders to the Bruce show in NC had voted for the NC legislators and governor who supported this terrible legislation.
My late law partner used to say that people get the government they deserve. To which I would say, "But I don't deserve this!"
Ah, woe is we.
Douglas C. Weinstein
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Can't wait until the handful of people in this world that think they are cats trapped in human bodies finally get their rights. Yes, there's at least one girl in Europe that's convinced she was meant to be a cat. Until the moment comes when our medical establishment figures out how to do a "mammalian re-assignment" surgery, maybe we can mandate gender neutral litterboxes and pet-doors in all State and Federal Buildings.
Our society grows sicker by the day. I love how nobody points out that Bruce Jenner, the poster "boy" for transgenders didn't just want to be a woman. Bruce wanted to be an attractive young woman. "Kaitlyn" looks like a bad version of Cindy Crawford. But nobody mentions this. It bears repeating – Bruce Jenner wasn't a 70 year old woman trapped in a man's body, he's a wanna-be female 40-something model "trapped" in a old man's body. Why wasn't he referred to a psycho-analyst? Amazing that we've gone this far as a society. We now have butt-implants, calf implants, augmentation of the lips, facelifts, hair transplants, liposuction et.al. And doctors will do whatever people want, cause it pays well. Whatever happened to just growing old? Why do 70 year old men and women feel compelled to look like people in the midst of their reproductive years? The narcissist fears growing old and death more than anything else – that's why.
We are sick. And instead of the medical community referring people to psychiatrists – because of course nobody is mentally ill anymore, they figure out ways to satiate people's craziest desires no matter how irrational. I hope this isn't just the tip of the iceberg, but I think it is. And yes, I am all for gay rights but there should be a line somewhere.
John Gaulke
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Bob, I've already written to you about what Springsteen did in reaction to this law. But having plowed through many (but not all) the responses you have printed I have to respond about how people think and, I feel, misunderstand this law.
The law is a Trojan Horse. The bathroom issue is the big, elegant wooden horse.
The ill-meaning army hiding inside is the part of the law that says the state nor any city within in may not pass a law against employers discriminating against employees or applicants for employment who are gay or whom the employer believes are gay. That is what the NC legislature went to the trouble to do. The cooked-up idea of non-transgender men in dresses being enabled to watch women undress and pee is just something to scare people and draw attention away from the aim of a law codifying protection for discrimination (like voter ID laws, the bathroom issue is a solution-in-search-of-a-problem). They meant to protect NC employers right to fire people out of bigotry. Argue about how the show must go on if you want, but let's understand this law.
Joe Lee Henderson
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Also on the subject of taking a stand for something meaningful, I'm guessing you heard of Bomani Jones on ESPN doing just that?
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=7jewkD3dbds
Geronimo Son
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Per Steve Zweig's comment: if we turn back the clock a bit, might we
hear this…?
1. Negros are less than 13% of the population. A very noisy minority.
2. Opposition does not necessarily equate to "hate".
3. What about the great majority of folks…girls and women who would
be very uncomfortable with Negros showing up in the ladies' rooms.
4. The problem would not be the Negro population. It would be with the
'bad actors' who would barge into the ladies' rooms and misbehave.
and you know they will show up — denial is a river in Egypt.
5. Whatever happened to millenia-old common-sense, Bob??!?
6. I'm SOOO tired of this sh*t!!!
I'm tired too, Steve…
John Dlugosz
(& Todd Porter)
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More GOP politicians have been arrested for sexual misconduct in bathrooms than trans people.
Ken Alterwitz
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A few years back, I went to a new library on the campus of NC State that is among the most advanced in the US. While there, I saw a reference to several areas of NC without dentists. Hopefully, they have solved that problem and can now focus on toilets.
richard eichen
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I think Springsteen is doing what corporations are doing, it's just a PR move.
The working-class dude worked hard, paid for his ticket and is not gonna get the show because of politics.
So once again, the Man wins and Springsteen sided with him for the sake of a PR move on the level of tech companies who have to over-communicate about whatever social issue they can side on so people forget that at the end of the day they're in for the profit and nothing else.
I'd do a gig in North Korea, just so people would have a good time. I don't care about the dictator, I don't care about the Man.
Ben The French Toast
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To all those who think it's fine for a baker to refuse to bake a cake for a gay couple, would it also be all right for a restaurant to refuse service to a gay couple? Is that OK in your book?
If you're going to be that kind of person, I say go all the way. Require those businesses to post in their window "Homosexuals Will Not Be Served in This Establishment." See how quickly their business goes down the drain.
But they won't post that truth for the world to see, they'd rather have an unsuspecting customer walk in and be embarrassed and humiliated, then feel righteous and superior. Cowards.
Gary Stockdale
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About the Springsteen/ NC issue- His boycott was the exact right thing to do. It is true that the show's cancellation will have an impact on the small business owners and workers who would have benefited economically from a Bruce concert in town. Unfortunately those are the exact folks who need to feel this pain. They are the voters who elected these bigoted legislators. My bet is that most of those folks who will lose money as a result of the show's cancellation are critical of the law. But enough are not. And they must know that there is a consequence for empowering biased officials to enact such useless hate-based legislation.
And to those who fear their daughters will encounter a transvestite in a restroom, I suggest they have more to fear from a straight male stalker who will watch to see if she enters a restroom alone.
The law is the definition of bigotry. NC, get rid of the law and the legislators who supported it.
Paul Vincent Nunes
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One could say that the Boss turned down an opportunity to be persuasive with 15,000 people who want to hear what he has to say.
R. Lowenstein
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I emailed the North Carolina Tourism Bureau and asked them,
in light of the recent legislation, if i needed to bring my birth
certificate with me the next time I visited NC.
I have yet to receive a response.
Michael Wright
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And here we see a totally different perspective play out (no pun intended)… Buffett decides to perform since the fans sold the show out long before the lawmakers signed the 'stupid bill in to Law. But….going forward Buffett said it will be up to the fans in NC on how they choose to vote for or against the lawmakers who were responsible in signing this Bill in to Law. Guess it will be a 'wait and see' in shows being scheduled going forward. Interesting mindset…. he's not 'punishing the fans' this go around but is still making a statement about how he feels. And then passes the Margarita Mix to his fans for the future partaking or…..not.
http://abc11.com/entertainment/jimmy-buffet-says-hell-play-in-nc-despite-stupid-law/1286141/
Lara Ellis
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I think the problem is that it's acceptable in this country to be a bigoted, hate-filled piece of shit. A lot of people certainly choose to go that way.
Sure, decent people have had enough of it, but not quite enough to be the first on their block to do the right thing and ostracize their mechanic or preacher or fishing buddy. The next thing you know, we have, well, what he have here.
We need leaders – cultural, social leaders, artists – to go first and stand up and say it's not cool anymore to let this stuff slide and it IS OK to make people accountable for their behavior.
So, Bruce, thank you!
Rock on.
-Carl Seibert
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Some sad bigotry among your fan base. Reminds me of the old saw: When your entire culture is cis hetero-patriarchal & white supremacist to its foundation, even tiny adjustments to equality — allowing everyone equal access to public bathrooms, prosecuting cops who murder unarmed black children — feels like discrimination to some straight hetero white people.
Those who say trans people are a tiny proportion of the population, as if that makes discrimination and bigotry against them okay…SMH.
Peace, Jonathan
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Subject: Springsteen's ripple effect FW: Billy Ray Cyrus Joins List of Artists Standing Up Against Anti-LGBT Bills
I would feel negligent to not speak up against the discriminatory bills that are threatening the rights and safety of the LGBT community.
— Billy Ray Cyrus (@billyraycyrus) April 11, 2016
Be nice if Billy Ray still had a high-profile career, but he’s hopped on the bandwagon. Now let’s see if any superstar country act follows suit.
Best,
george varga
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Keep on writing…Steve Zweig
1. "LGBT are less than 5% of the population. A very noisy minority."
Yeah, see – US citizens get a little "noisy" when they’re being denied the exact same rights as you and everyone else, SOLELY based on who they sleep with. Whereas heterosexuals are afforded every single one of those rights, solely based on who THEY sleep with. Of course, you’ve never been denied anything over your heterosexuality, so why show any empathy? I mean, it’s only millions of gay people, not billions…
2. "Opposition does not necessarily equate to 'hate'."
So these laws are based on, what – love? You can have any opinion you want, and believe in any God or religion you choose. Which, unlike sexuality, IS a choice. But you DON’T get to oppose the equality or quality of life for someone else using your religion as an excuse. It’s as simple as that!
3. "What about the great majority of folks…girls and women who would be very uncomfortable with men showing up in the ladies' rooms."
You have ZERO understanding of what being transgender even means.
4. "The problem would not be the LBGT population. It would be with the 'bad actors' who would barge into the ladies' rooms and misbehave. And you know they will show up — denial is a river in Egypt."
So let me get this "straight" – you think heterosexual men are just waiting around, plotting to dress like women to enter a ladies' bathroom to molest or rape a woman? Nice try with this one, by the way. You know damn well these laws are not targeting heterosexuals whatsoever. Unless some of those cross dressing molesters are friends of yours?
5. "Whatever happened to millenia-old common-sense, Bob??!?"
Common sense should mean live and let live, without any kind of "Except for _______" caveat. You also might want to refer to your "millennia-old common-sense" about the separation of church and state, of which the USA was founded on.
6. "I'm SOOO tired of this sh*t!!!
Yeah, again – until it happens to you it’s easy to be "tired" of hearing how ALL your fellow American citizens wanted to be treated with respect and afforded all the same, basic human rights that YOU have. No more – but no LESS! And, again, the majority does not get to create equality caveats for any minority.
THE EVOLUTION OF GAY RIGHTS
1995: We want Tolerance – The same tolerance that you’re afforded, no questions asked
2005: We want equality – The same equality that you’re afforded, no questions asked
2015: Bake the f****** cake, bigot! – Bye, Felicia…
Paul V.
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I was in the weeds on this. I have a Gay son. The way I was raised and the church I was raised in said he was making a choice and if he didn’t repent he would go to hell. Not Baptist or Pentecostal, just a good old fashion Lutheran from Missouri. So I left my church of 50 years and moved on. My son is another great gift of God to my life with my other son and daughter. I don’t understand trans gender. It gives me the shivers. I pray frequently that God will open my mind and my heart so that is not the case. All I know for sure is that NOTHING COULD BE MORE MEANINGLESS in the long run than the people who hate and are afraid of transgender sickos going into the bathroom with their daughters (why are they not worried about their sons by the way?) the trans people I have met have a struggling life in every aspect and I have never meant one that showed any signs of being a predator. That kind of fear sickens me. The reason the hate will be meaningless is because our kids have already
decided this issue. They don’t give a fuck. I am proud of them. I am proud to be an American and I think we will always have hate and fear and racism and bigotry but… shine a light on it and discuss it but… our kids have it figured out. We will be dead soon.
Peace!
Good to show both sides but people who decry their fear as common sense… really? Especially Christians. What does Jesus always tell us? Be afraid? I don’t think so.
Michael A. Becker
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IMHO, the argument that allowing transpeople to use the loo of the gender they identify with presents the opportunity for a few "bad actors" to invade the women's room and assault women or children is very much like the same hateful "reasoning" that was used in the unenlightened past against homosexuals being allowed to teach children or be scout leaders. It was said that because they were "queers" that they could not keep their hands off the children….in effect saying that ALL homosexuals were pedophiles.
I avidly follow the crime news and have NEVER heard of even ONE case of a transwoman in the ladies loo assaulting a fellow woman. I am pretty sure if this was a common occurrence, those who oppose rights for transpeople would be broadcasting them all over social media and the news. Silence tells all.
As a heterosexual woman, and now a frail little old lady, I have on many occasions shared the loo with transwomen. I have never felt frightened, or threatened in any way. I can say the interaction , if any, was at most a compliment on my hair, nails or clothing. Hardly something to make me flee screaming in fear of my life. To use this ill-informed, illogical argument to torment and belittle a group of people dealing with what is in effect a genetic defect not of their choosing is beyond closed minded, bighearted, hateful and repugnant!
The transpeople I have had the honour of knowing have been some of the most kind and helpful people I have known. They deal with a heartbreaking condition they did not ask for and one that often threatens their very lives. They live each and every with hardships and heartache that those of us who were born with the genetic blessing that allows our bodies and minds to agree on our gender can't begin to comprehend. Adding to their suffering just to use a public loo is beyond petty and stupid.
Gabrielle Gibbons
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Back in 1985 My wife and I were shopping in a Macy's-like department store in Torino, Italy.
I asked the sales woman where the restrooms where and she pointed to a door in the corner of the store.
I walked in expecting urinals, but there were none. So I had to use a stall.
As I was doing my business (with the door closed) when I heard the distinct sound of heels walking on the tile floor. Panicked, I locked the stall I was in. I could overhear two women talking. Eventually they left and I hurriedly did the same.
As I was walking out, a young girl was walking in. She held the door for me and didn't even give me a second glance.
I was relieved to discover the restrooms were all unisex and I wasn't a suspect in some Italian morals crime.
Only in America are the uptight conservative assholes more concerned over whether there's a man in the ladies room than a gun in the classroom.
Tom Cartwright
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Clearly this country needs a lot of education about what it means to be transgender. I can't say I completely understand what the term encompasses either. But one thing I do know is there are still people in this country that think all gay men are pedophiles, even though it makes no sense. There are hopefully a lot less of those people than there used to be, due to the courage of those who came out and showed their families, friends and communities that they knew and loved gay people and that they were just regular people, not to be feared. It's going to take a lot of brave transgender people doing the same, I suppose.
Another thing that is clear to me, that I never understood why others (who seem to think being LGBT is a choice) couldn't get is, why would anyone "choose" to be LGBT, given the abuse they will surely suffer? A person must really feel that is who they are to the core of their being to summon the courage to go out in the world and show everyone they are the "other" just trying to live their life (and hopefully with liberty and the pursuit of happiness). They must do that because they can do nothing else. Why must others be afraid and seek to punish them for that? They must feel threatened in some way. I really fail to understand…. Maybe it's somehow connected to a certain type of religious background. That might explain why I don't get it. I guess it's like a lot of things in this country– in practice, "rights" are still for the privileged (all types of privilege: white, male, Christian, wealthy, etc.). Minorities have to fight for their rights, sometimes with their lives, still
to this day.
I applaud Springsteen for really taking a stand for what is right, even though it cost him in many ways. People can be cynical about it, but I'm not. There were plenty of easier ways for him to make a statement and move on, if he were less committed. Instead of judging how Bruce chose to take action, maybe we should get out there and do something too. It's not as easy as it looks to invite the scrutiny and judgement of the public in order to strongly support a cause you believe in. I'm not saying I put myself out there like that either, but I appreciate those that do.
Amy Primeaux
Houston, TX (yes, born and raised a Texas liberal–we do exist!)
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"ThankGod for North Carolina & Springsteen is Disgusting
More Signs of Jesus Coming. He will NOT be in HEAVEN
Sidelle”
You believe in a book that is a fairy tale. I think it is time to stop to put a lot of weight on any god. Open your eyes and embrace all people.
This land of freedom is not freedom anymore. 'Lights out tonight / Trouble in the heartland’.
Your country really got some issues of sexuality and socialism. Be thankful that Springsteen is still a hero who not only put his best on the live shows but also stand up for human rights.
The USA is really became the badlands
‘For the ones who had a notion
A notion deep inside
That it ain’t no sin to be glad you’re alive
I want to find one face that ain’t looking through me
I want to find one place
I want to spit in the face of these badlands’
Kris Keijser
Amsterdam/ The Netherlands
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Since you decided to publish MY Reply this is for ALAN & Everyone!
Should Christians Judge? Next Time You are Confronted ~ Tell Them This Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world will be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Do you not know that we shall judge angels? How much more, things that pertain to this life? I think the nonbeliever's favorite verse is Matthew 7:1: "Judge not, that you be not judged." Nonbelievers love to quote that to Christians who dare to confront them. But we need to understand what judge means in this verse. Jesus spoke these words in the Sermon on the Mount, and the word He used for judge means "condemn." Jesus was saying, "Condemn not, that you be not condemned." I am in no position to condemn someone. It is not for me to say who is going to hell. That is for God to decide. But I should apply discernment, wisdom, and even judgment with fellow believers. Judgment is an evaluation. It's saying to another believer, "Hey, I don't think you are doing as well as you
could be doing" or "I want to encourage you." That is encouraged in the Scriptures (see 1 Corinthians 6:2–3). So in a way, we should apply judgment—but not condemnation. We want to lovingly tell the truth from God's Word with humility, wanting to help that person reach his or her full potential as a follower of Jesus.
Now take me off this Mailing list as I'm THROWING OUT THE GARBAGE
Sidelle
P.S. Let me also Add that Springsteen is a LIBERAL IDIOT~ Why?
When he booked the concert in Greenboro, the laws in North Carolina were just as they are today: In public facilities, people had to use the bathrooms and locker rooms that corresponded to their biological sex. Why, then, did he agree to come in the first place? Why cancel the concert when things today are just what they were six months ago?
Again, I appreciate his sincerity, or whatever you care to call it, but I question His judgment. In his zeal to do what is right, He actually did what is wrong."
