DAVID DRAIMAN 4 PREZ

Now that Randy Blythe’s presidential bid is on indefinite hiatus, another member of the metal hard rock community has stepped up: Disturbed frontman David Draiman.

In a post so important he typed it out in ALL CAPS via Twitter, Draiman lashed out at pretty much everyone all at once regarding the recent scandal over national chicken chain Los Pollos Hermanos Chick-Fil-A’s public stance against gay marriage (their boycott of black metal supergroup Twilight notwithstanding):

RE: ALL THIS EMBARRASSING CHICK FIL A NONSENSE

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE LAND OF THE FREE? WHAT HAPPENED TO FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION, SPEECH, AND RELIGION? ITS MY HUMBLE OPINION THAT BOTH THE LEFT AND THE RIGHT ARE WRONG ON THIS ONE. THE REST OF THE WORLD IS WATCHING US AND LAUGHING (AGAIN) WHILE THE RIGHT RALLIES IN SUPPORT OF THE CHICK FIL A CEO AND CHAIN (WHOM I MAY NOT AGREE WITH, BUT WHO’S FREEDOM OF SPEECH IS PROTECTED BY THE CONSISTUTION), ONCE AGAIN TRYING TO SHOVE THEIR IDEAS AND VALUES DOWN THE REST OF THE COUNTRY’S THROAT; AND THE LEFT, HOLDING A KISS IN, SHOVING THIER WAY OF LIFE (A LIFE I COMPLETELY SUPPORT AND WHICH THEY ARE ENTITLED TO) IN THE COUNTRY’S FACE AS WELL.
GROW UP PEOPLE. LET PEOPLE LIVE THEIR OWN LIVES. WORRY ABOUT YOUR OWN LIVES. EVERYONE CALM DOWN AND SHUT THE FUCK UP.

CAN’T WE ALL JUST GET ALONG? JEEZ.

Draiman pretty much nails the sentiment (“The rest of the world is watching us and laughing [again]”), but kinda muffs the details. I disagree with his broad generalization that everyone on both the left and right are trying to stuff their ideas down everyone else’s throats; I’ve seen plenty of far-lefties and libertarians alike back-up his sentiment that freedom of speech protects Chick-Fil-A’s right to voice their opinions despite disagreeing with their politics. I also find his “just worry about your own lives” attitude kinda short-sighted; this is the world we live in, and we care about what goes on in it… are we just supposed to stop caring about everything but what happens in our own little personal worlds?

Still, it’s hard to disagree with Draiman’s assertion that the public fervor over this particular issue is out of control. This actually isn’t the first time I’ve backed Draiman’s politics, by the way: for a guy whose music sucks so bad, he sure is a smart chap.

-VN