Honest question

AlaG said:

Ed has hardly discussed anything that ought to fall under the realm of partisan politics on stage for years. He largely talks about human rights issues. The issue, as I see it, is with the state of partisanship itself at this point in America.

The Republican Party is just a cult of personality at this point, centered around a man that does not even espouse traditionally conservative, small government values, has called white nationalists “my people”, who is anti-science, and who has perhaps undermined the integrity of US elections for all time.

It’s a culture that’s built around disrespect for other people, their beliefs, and their autonomy.

Might need to listen to more Ed “rants”. The man is literally just saying that we all need to love one another and the planet lol.

Go Animal said:

I mean, at least we all have that in common: we go to a PJ show to hear music. Y'know the funny thing about Ed? He actually does acknowledge how good he's got it. He's commented on how much he makes before, and to a lesser extent, how much he gives away.

Ed has numerous charities he gives to (EB being the primary one), Jeff focuses more on his home turf with skate parks & environmental preservation. Stone has a few, but really focuses on issues in Seattle like homelessness, burgeoning artists & the coastal environment. Mike is similar, and gives away a ton of cash to charity, especially research for treatment of Ulcerative Colitis & Crohn's Disease.

You don't hear about them getting into domestic violence situations, or multiple car pile-ups. You don't see them putting their personal lives out there for headlines. They do what they do & fight for what they believe in. They're not perfect, but they do more than most. So, yeah Ed's a 1% (more like 10 or 12%-er) on paper, but that label doesn't really stick. He drives a POS car, lol.

There's no bowl of green M&M's in the rider.

For years they were more subtle, but when the temperature rises (lit & fig) in this country, they respond (Ed primarily) with frustration & anger. I would too. When a woman's right to choose is in danger of being taken away, and you're a guy with 2 daughters, are you really surprised that he would vocalize how he felt about it? Especially when he has the platform that he does?

I hate to say it, but when you give as much as they have, they kinda DO have a bit of moral high ground. Just a bit. Not a full pedestal from upon high. There's a difference between "dissenting opinions" and accidentally/purposefully supporting outright injustice. The right for a woman to choose. The right for 2 people who love eachother to marry & have the same benefits as anyone. The right for someone to assume the gender identity that feels most natural to them, and still be a brilliant scientist, doctor, or artist. The right for people of color to not be profiled, and have the same opportunities & rights as we all do.

The right to feel safe going to a concert, movie theater, grocery store, church, or ANYWHERE, without worrying if you & your loved ones are going to get mowed down in a hail of bullets because someone had a bad day & snapped.

Sad to say, the majority of modern Republicans fall under one simple credo: survival of the fittest, richest & Whitest. Any argument they make about their version of freedom & liberty, usually falls back to that. There are no Teddy Roosevelts (also an imperfect man, who fought for the environment). No Eisenhowers (also imperfect, but warned the world of the burgeoning Military Industrial Complex). There are no John McCains (a man of honor, aside from selling out by having mental giant Sarah Palin as his running mate).

Even Liz Cheney, who is doing the right thing by making those involved with the January 6th Insurrection are held accountable, she is still very pro-gun & anti-choice. No one is perfect.

Don't get me wrong, there are a few Republican citizens who prove to be outliers. One's who practice what they preach: smaller government (yet, abiding by laws, regulation & standards), who believe in the right to bear arms (by having a single pistol or 2 locked up in a quality safe at all times), who believe in personal liberty (and don't plan to outlaw gay marriage, or the freedom of choice for a woman), and personal faith (as long as they're not proselytizing it upon others).

I can't think of one that holds office, but they are out there. Just normal folk. And they don't care what a 10%-er rock star says on stage because they know whatever harsh words he has, doesn't apply to them. They're just trying to live their lives.

So, if anything Ed says on stage REALLY bothers you, and makes you feel like you're being talked down to, that sounds more like a "you" problem. Might want to take some time to make peace with it & figure out how to live your life, while going to shows & not worrying about the things that Fox News, Newsmax, The Blaze, The Daily Wire/Caller, InfoWars, RT, or whatever dark corner of the internet is trying to sway you, telling you to worry about.

Go listen to Hard to Imagine, or Oceans, or Release. Find some empathy, and maybe even a little perspective. You'll have a better time at your next show.

Guaranteed.

elvistheking44 said:

HughFreakingDillon said:

I find it odd that anyone in the crowd would feel "attacked" by anything Ed has ever said on stage. 

People feel attacked if someone refers to their dog as a dog rather than a “gender neutral mammal that walks on four legs and has no choice about it” You know the drill.

elvistheking44 said:

AlaG said:

elvistheking44 said:

HughFreakingDillon said:

I find it odd that anyone in the crowd would feel "attacked" by anything Ed has ever said on stage. 

People feel attacked if someone refers to their dog as a dog rather than a “gender neutral mammal that walks on four legs and has no choice about it” You know the drill.

Bah! Rational non-binary and trans folks wouldn’t even give a shit if you misgendered their dog. Whether someone chooses to anthropomorphize their pet to such an extent falls so far out of the realm of social politics that this joke isn’t even relevant or funny in this context. Get better material.

How silly of me to make a huge stretch analogy like I did. I should have kept it more rational, like the “furry” identifiers. 

hrd2imgn said:

no, I go to a show to hear music, not be lectured by a 1%'r pretending to be otherwise.  I know he has done it for an eternity, I accept it, but he has been outright mean at times to the very people who support him and his band. He speaks as if he has some moral high ground to talk down to dissenting opinions.  he can be passionate about whatever cause he wants, but leave it for another time, not at a concert I paid a lot of money to come hear you SING at. I would rather hear another song, than another anti-repub, anti-pro-life, anti-conservative, anti-American speech.

I don't mind talk about a song, a story related to the place, and old memory etc, but stop being a political activist and start being a musician is all I can think of when he starts in on whatever bug is up.  I don't care if Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, John Lennon or whatever artists in the past does it, I DO NOT PREFER IT