A Day Of Peril In A Time Of Peril

I very much sympathized with this tweet today from Morgan Murphy:

Before I comment, though, I have to wonder out loud - do you have to be of a particular orientation to like a radio show like Self Help Radio?  Does the show seem liberal or conservative?  That would be weird, right?  Except I have heard conversations about some of the shows on stations I've been at that featured country music or the blues & in those conversations it was expected that the hosts of the shows were in fact conservative.  Does that make the show also conservative?  Did the hosts of the show talk about political issues on the show?

Please understand that I think that's perfectly fine - I think deejays should be allowed to say whatever they want, including their political opinions.  (The FCC thinks so, too, as long as the programmers makes it clear that her opinion is not that of the station's.)  & frankly I'm not sure that just playing a certain genre of music is a political statement.

Having said all that, I have talked politics on Self Help Radio, usually around election time.  I haven't done any particularly political themes (though I'm sure a show with the theme "abortion" would be a real hoot) but I am not sure there are many conservatives who enjoy indie music.  I understand I could be proven wrong.

Today, though, with the protests against Trump's ban of Muslims, & the subsequent protests, I feel like I am standing on the sidelines of history, because, like Morgan Murphy above, my skill set does not include many tools for revolution.  (I responded to her tweet with something like, "I think I might be very good at being struck repeatedly by a fascist with a truncheon.")

My heart does swell at my fellow citizens taking action against Trump's unconstitutional orders.  I just feel, as a rule, mostly useless.  A lot helpless.  & of course I'm extremely pessimistic.

There's something else I want to say apropos this issue of a music-based radio show having a political slant.  I was snooping on a conversation a Facebook friend (from Kentucky) was having with another Kentuckian.  The not-friend was complaining about Ashley Judd (who, like me, is a former WRFL deejay) & her speech at last week's march.  I'm not going to remember it word-for-word, but I think you've read similar things.  It said something like, How dare this woman criticize the president she's no longer a daughter of Kentucky she's a traitor etc. etc.

This is a serious question: when did someone disagreeing with you politically make them a traitor?  That seems so weird.  It also feels very un-American.  But even if I'm not feeling judgy, I just wonder where that comes from, the absolute hatred that rises when someone doesn't agree with you on an issue or policy position.  What kind of world do people like that want?

& would they not want to listen to Self Help Radio if they knew I was some kind of liberal commie freak?

(Not that I have to worry about that - nobody listens to Self Help Radio!)