Gretchen Peters Finds Creative Way to Get Back at McCain/Palin
Gretchen Peters: Fighting Political B.S. Since 2008
The McCain/Palin ticket has already had one entrance music snafu: Van Halen issued a stern denouncement after McCain used their Clear Pepsi anthem "Right Now" during an August rally in Ohio. Now comes number two.
At a rally held after last Thursday's VP debate in St. Louis, Sarah Palin was introduced while "Independence Day," a 1993 Martina McBride hit, played on the loudspeakers. The song was written by Nashville's Gretchen Peters. It's about the tragic consequences of living in an abusive home seen through the eyes of a young girl. And as the following quote suggests, Peters isn't exactly thrilled by the extra exposure:
"The fact that the McCain/Palin campaign is using a song about an abused woman as a rallying cry for their Vice Presidential candidate, a woman who would ban abortion even in cases of rape and incest, is beyond irony," Peters says. "They are co-opting the song, completely overlooking the context and message, and using it to promote a candidate who would set women's rights back decades."
To which we say: Damnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn. (And on a side note, Beyond Irony would make a great band name.)
But even better than Peters' put-down are her plans moving forward: All election-season "Day" royalties will be donated to Planned Parenthood. And on her website, Peters is encouraging her fans to do the same, except instead of sending money in their own name she suggests using "Sarah Palin" as a mocking nom de plume.
(h/t GoldnI)
UPDATE:
Silly us, we neglected to mention Heart and Jackson Browne, two more artists/groups to object to the McCain campaign using their songs.
Comments
That's a good tactic; here's mine.
The last few days I've spent my time posting on proMcCain boards. My goal is really to clarify the drivel they seem to believe by presenting the other side. I also do it under the guise of a proMcCain supporter. Below is a sample of a recent post. Feel free to join in and use all, or part of it as you wish. Yesterday I stumbled on a board "palinforamerica.com" I found many places to get into conversations quite easily. When I hit the submit button on my 8th or 9th post I got a: "This site does not exist message". I'd like to think my posts cut off at least one source of fear-mongering and lie-spreading that McCain embraces. My recent post:
I need some help here.
I travel around spreading support for McCain, but lately I'm getting asked some things that are difficult to answer:
1: McCain supporters understand that Obama is certainly guilty of associating with a known terrorist whose bad behaviour occurred BEFORE Obama was 8, even though the terrorist was never arrested, tried or convicted of anything and the work they did together was in trying to rebuild Chicago's inner city schools, but
they don't understand that John's support of and from Charles Keating WHILE Keating was committing fraud - fleecing thousands of his customers and investors of their life savings - was not a bad thing at all. That even though Keating ended up as a CONVICTED FELON and John was investigated for trying to help his friend during the investigation and was censured by the senate for "exercising poor judgment", he was just showing support for a constituent, not obstructing justice.
I have to admit the hardest part is explaining why the upstanding republican philanthropist, Walter Annenberg financed the opportunity that brought Obama and Ayers together. They remember Bush's statement that those who finance terrorist activities are as dangerous as the terrorists themselves. How do you explain that a good friend of Ronald Regan's financed the activities of Ayers and Obama?
2. The other set of concerns has to do with the unamerican speeches by Rev. Wright. What supporters are asking is how this compares to John's actions in Vietnam. They don't understand that John's decision to cooperate with the Viet Cong - an enemy of the US - and, seemingly, betray his country and fellow soldiers,while a prisoner of war, is not at all unamerican. They are struggling to understand that John's "treasonous" cooperation with the enemy is far less important than Obama's pastor's speeches.
I think someone needs to have a press conference to clarify this confusing set of issues.
Posted 10/07/2008 at 10:54:32 AMI have this to say to Gretchen Peters:
Posted 10/08/2008 at 12:51:25 AMDear Gretchen Peters,
As a lover of country music and also of the song "Indepence Day", I am shocked and saddened by the announcement of your plans to use royalties to fund Planned Parenthood in Sarah Palin's name. I think that this shows a tremendous lack of maturity and also a lack of compassion for the many women who are harmed by abortion, not to mention the millions of innocent babies that die as a result of abortion.
I am sure that you must not understand what happens to a baby when it undergoes the abortion process. IT DIES! Even if you are not a Christian, you must understand that it is pure evil to take the life of another. Women who are harmed by the evil acts of rape and incest don't need to also have the blood of their unborn children on their hands, they need love and support to do what is right for their unborn child. Did the child deserve to die because of the sins of the father? Is your father a saint? Do we need to terminate you because of some sin that your father committed? Rape and incest are horrible crimes against a woman, but I do not agree with the destruction of innocent human life. Life begins at the moment of conception, that has been scientifically proven, by supporting abortion your hands are covered in the blood of all of the children that will die at the hands of the abortionists that work for the company that you are supporting with royalties from your music. Seems strange to me, to use a gift that God gave you to end the lives of innocent children.
One other fact that you might not know, the majority of abortions are performed for contraceptive purposes only. Less than 3% of abortions are performed for rape and incest. So, what you are really supporting is a right for a woman to be promiscuous and then terminate her baby because it is an inconvenience. Sarah Palin is not setting back "women's rights". I don't believe that in 1848 when the "women's rights" movement began, women had any idea that one day the killing of an unborn baby would be considered a "right"!! In fact, Margaret Sanger the "mother of Planned Parenthood" began the push for a woman's right to her body in the 60's, pushing for the use of contraceptives. What we know about Margaret Sanger is that she wanted to eliminate the weak and promote the strong. She was extremely racist and the minority races today are the ones that are suffering the devestating decline of their race due to abortion that was promoted by Sanger! She was pure evil! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_Sanger (to me this is a more liberal website, but paints the ugly picture that Sanger was)
I am not sure if you are a parent, but I would like for you to take a look at a couple of the Planned Parenthood websites geared specifically for teens:
www.teenwire.com & www.takecaredownthere.org
I am not a "prude" but there is no way that I would EVER promote these sites to my children or anyone else's children for that matter! This is another service of Planned Parenthood that you will be paying for. If you can honestly still send your money to that corporation then I say, the heck with your music anyway!
I am calling for a complete BOYCOTT on your music and any musician that will record or sing your music and a BOYCOTT on any radio station that would play your music. I plan on sending this email to everyone I know, every country music station in the country, & and anyone else that I can think of! If there is anyone that is reading this email that considers themselves a God fearing person, they will do all that is in their power to make sure that "Independence Day" doesn't draw one cent! They will also make sure that you don't make another dime in your lifetime that will help to fund Planned Parenthood. Also by promoting Planned Parenthood and encouraging other people to donate, you are culpable for the death of innocent human beings and also the increase of sexually active teens. Women's rights are not being protected by Planned Parenthood, they are being exploited! Young girls are being encouraged to be sexually active as long as they know how to "protect" themselves. We should be teaching young girls that they have dignity and worth, not that if they "get into trouble" they can run down to the local Planned Parenthood and "take care of it".
I wonder if you discussed your recent decision with Martina McBride? She recorded the song, hopefully she will request that her version be pulled from radio stations, music stores, etc.
It is time for the Americans that have values to stand up to those of you that don't. Money doesn't make you superior! It seems to only make you do really stupid things. Your music is supported by the American people, what gives you the right to use it to kill babies? Even if this doesn't effect you in this life, I take comfort in knowing that you will ultimately one day meet our Creator, He is going to be the judge of your soul, not me. I can only pray that justice will prevail.
Women's rights? What about the future women of this country, roughly 1000+, that will be aborted tomorrow? Where are their rights?
I am praying for you.
Cara McLaughlin
Founder~Coalition for Moral Cancer Research
www.coalitionformoralcancerresearch.org