New Song Stirs Controversy and Most Texans Don't Agree

As a broadcaster, I am well aware of the First Amendment and The Bill of Rights and the freedoms that come from them. The First Amendment to the United States Constitution guarantees the freedom of speech. As I understand it, I think singing falls under that amendment.

When an artist is singing a song they believe in, I tend to think it is their right to "Freedom of Speech". While Jason Aldean's new song "Try That In A Small Town" has been labeled as "racist", nowhere in the lyrics does it discuss one's ethnicity.

Aldean's song hit me hard and made me cry the first few times I heard it. I reside smack dab in the heart of Texas where guns are often viewed as a tool or heirloom. The reason I cried is that my father-in-law, grandfather-in-law, dad, and granddad all left to me their favorite firearms that had been handed down for generations.

When Aldean sings about how "someone is coming to take my guns away", my eyes filled with tears because they are gifts that hold great meaning for me. In Texas, we have a lot of guns and tons of small towns. In fact, I live in one of those towns, and if anyone tries to hurt our community or destroy our city, I know that nearly everyone will come out and defend it.

As a broadcaster with over 50 years of experience, I know a lot of songs that are similar. Jason Aldean's song is not the first song that has touched on the subject of standing up for how we believe or wanting to defend ourselves and our communities, and it won't be the last.