As fans of country music have been saying for years, country music ain’t what it used to be. While there are exceptions, the new wave of Bro Country, apparently designed to appeal to a younger demographic, hasn’t resulted in a larger fan base…and far fewer eyeballs are watched the ACM award show.
In what some might interpret as an effort to drive away even more of the genre’s traditional fans, Country Music Television (CMT) has thrown in with the prominent civilian disarmament advocacy organizations in supporting Gun Violence Awareness Month.
The network is urging its viewers to wear orange to promote more limits on the right to keep and bear arms.
We’re (virtually) wearing orange today in support National Gun Violence Awareness Day and to call attention to the more than 100 lives that are lost every day to gun violence. #WearOrange and visit https://t.co/yCVs91toXw for more. pic.twitter.com/Ir1tsENn1W
— CMT (@CMT) June 4, 2021
In its support for more civilian disarmament laws, CMT has thrown in with prominent gun grabbers such as . . .
Today, we wear orange for all of the victims of gun violence. For my family, orange is more than just the color of gun safety, it was Jaime’s favorite color. I will be wearing orange for Jaime. pic.twitter.com/k5Et9QGkQE
— Fred Guttenberg (@fred_guttenberg) June 4, 2021
On National Gun Violence Awareness Day, we #wearorange to honor those we’ve lost. As we begin to emerge from the pandemic, let’s not forget the other epidemic killing far too many Americans—and keep working to pass commonsense gun safety laws that will protect our communities.
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) June 4, 2021
This weekend, #wearorange.
It’s a way to recognize all the lives we’ve tragically lost to gun violence and show our commitment to saving more families from needless pain.
We can and must end this uniquely American epidemic. https://t.co/ot0EU2jB4y pic.twitter.com/chjf28H17R
— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) June 3, 2021
On #NationalGunViolenceAwarenessDay, we #WearOrange to honor the thousands of lives cut short senselessly every year.
We join in action with families forever changed and parents of precious children stolen from this world who channel their grief into purpose to #EndGunViolence. pic.twitter.com/BPo8ICZv0d
— Nancy Pelosi (@TeamPelosi) June 4, 2021
On Gun Violence Awareness Day, I #WearOrange for the survivors who show up with courage & strength each day, for the families whose lives have been forever changed, and for the countless loved ones taken too soon.
A future without gun violence is possible. Let’s make it happen. pic.twitter.com/Bt1AK9mZ2q
— Rep. Eric Swalwell (@RepSwalwell) June 4, 2021
Today, I #WearOrange in honor of Hadiya Pendleton and the countless Americans whose lives have been stolen by gun violence. This crisis has touched far too many of us. We can’t allow another year to pass without meaningful action. We must demand a future free of gun violence. pic.twitter.com/7tbB3ftE5L
— Gabrielle Giffords (@GabbyGiffords) June 4, 2021
Successful #wearorange event Shannon Watts, Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber, Guitar over guns and Elsten Torres performed his new song “Never Again” #endgunviolence @MomsDemand @StudentsDemand pic.twitter.com/20df87JXbl
— Yumi (@yumilin24) June 3, 2018
Telling country music’s largely rural, more conservative-leaning, and gun-owning fan base that the network supports the gun control industry’s efforts to limit their Second Amendment rights seems an odd way to promote the brand.
CMT’s annual award show is scheduled for this evening and the network’s support of stricter limits on viewers’ gun rights may have a lot of them saying . . .
