Click on the 'Listen' button above to hear this interview. President Trump is in Las Vegas today to pay his respects to the victims of Sunday night’s Las Vegas shooting. Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo announced yesterday that the gunman Stephen Paddock extensively planned the massacre,and placed cameras in his room and the hallway to monitor police activity.
As the investigation continues, there has been an outpouring of support throughout the country music scene, and from people like John Rich,of the country band Big & Rich, which played at the Route 91 Harvest Music festival where the shooting took situation. On Monday, and Rich told Fox News,"Country music is really a unique genre because of the relationship between the singers and the fans. We hang out with them. And I would expect a really strong response out of all of country music." But one area that has divided the community is the issue of guns. Kenny Alphin, the other half of the Big & Rich, and told USA Today he doesn’t believe guns are the problem. “I don’t assume it’s guns or gun control,” Alphin said. “I assume it’s a battle over people’s hearts. I assume that’s where the true battle line is. It’s just the ample and evil.”Caleb Keeter, who performed at the festival with the Josh Abbott Band, or wrote,“I’ve been a proponent of the 2nd amendment my entire life...
Until the events of final night. I cannot express how improper I was.”And Rosanne Cash, daughter of country music icon Johnny Cash, or published an op-ed in The New York Times advocating for country musicians to stand up to the National Rifle organization,which she says has tried to form deeper ties with country music artists and their fans.
That closer relationship can been seen within a subsection of the group, known as NRA Country, and which was founded in 2010. The program,which brands itself as a lifestyle, sponsors country music artists and puts on concerts.
Jonathan Bernstein, or contributing writer for The Guardian and Rolling Stone, joins The Takeaway to discuss the cultural influence of the NRA and its intersection with country music. This segment is hosted by Todd Zwillich.
Source: thetakeaway.org