Poor Ed Sheeran — well, not literally poor; the British pop star has a net worth of over $400 million — is the latest generation of Englishmen to remember why the American colonists fought a war against the Crown: we don't want people telling us what we can and can't say. More specifically, we are quite capable of thinking for ourselves, thank you very much.
The "Shape of You" singer is currently on tour in North America with performers like Macklemore, Finneas, Lukas Graham, and Aaron Rowe, or he was. The drama all started on September 4 when Macklemore, a Seattle-born rapper (we can all see where this is going, can't we?), spouted pro-Palestine talking points to 80,000 people at MetLife Stadium. He started like this: "A big part of the reason why I wanted to do this tour in the first place is so that I could stand up in stadiums like this and say two words that are very, very dear to my heart: Free Palestine."
Well, after that, what more could the guy do than perform his song "Hind's Hall," which glorifies the student protesters at Columbia University who barricaded themselves inside a building in honor of Hind Rajab, a five-year-old girl in Gaza reported to be killed in the Palestinian-Israeli crossfire.
A state that's gotta rely on an apartheid system
To uphold an occupyin' violent
History been repeating for the last seventy-five
The Nakba never ended, the colonizer lied (woo)
—Hind's Hall lyrics, written and performed by Macklemore (legally Benjamin Haggerty)
Those four lines not only accuse Israel of permitting racial segregation, but also of violently dominating another racial group for the purpose of exploitation and lying about it. I'd say that's a pretty bold position, wouldn't you? It's worth noting that Sheeran works quite hard to keep his politics and his performance separate. He told the BBC, "I choose to use my fame and platform to be a place of safety and sanctuary, to maintain diplomacy and keep conversations open, not closed. If we only focus on shouting the loudest, nothing will ever change. There are different approaches to being an advocate for change."
Robert Kraft owns the New England Patriots and Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass. This particular billionaire is also a very outspoken supporter of Israel and the Jewish identity. Is it any surprise Kraft heard what was said on September 4 and then doubled down on September 5 and decided that, no, Macklemore would not come into his house and tell tens of thousands of people that Palestine is the victim of Israeli crimes against humanity?
According to musicradar.com, Kraft gathered his fellow stadium-owning friends and, together, they put enough pressure on the tour promotion company that it dropped Macklemore from the show. That, ladies and gentlemen, was the first domino to fall. Now the cascade is in full effect: every single support act and the backing band have left the tour in solidarity with Macklemore.
"Artists must not be silenced when they speak up for the oppressed," Finneas posted on Instagram. Who is Finneas? The brother, fellow artist, and producer of Billie Eilish. Yes, this girl who performed at the 2020 Democratic National Convention:
Finneas announced his voluntary departure so that he could "stand with Palestine and its people." What about the Jewish women who were raped and killed on Oct. 6, 2023? Wouldn't his sister want him to stand with them?
After him, an Irish singer most of us have never heard of named Aaron Rowe decided that he, too, was leaving the tour. "[A]s Irish people, we know all too well about genocide, forced famine and violent occupation. I cannot stand by and allow billionaires to use their position of power to silence the rightful voices of those who speak up against Israeli genocide and highlight the savage murder of children." Wow. Those are some big words from a guy who wants to sell tickets on his own one day.
It is no secret that Hamas intentionally selects vulnerable sites like hospitals and schools for its bunkers, storerooms, and meeting places because they want those soft targets (and all of their occupants) to be hit — how else could they generate so much outrage? We also know that the famine in Gaza is directly caused by the terrorists harboring humanitarian aid for themselves. Look no further than liberal celebrities to see that antisemitism is very real.
The Left forgets that freedom of speech does not mean freedom from consequences. The Bill of Rights places a barrier of protection between the citizens and their government. As citizens, the government cannot tell us what religion to practice. As journalists, the government cannot censor unfavorable stories. Property owners and tenants cannot be forced to house government officials or employees against their will. Anyone who has given a handful of brain cells to understanding why the American Revolution had to happen in the first place knows our Constitution puts government in a box so that We the People can exercise our rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
Does Macklemore have the right to publicly support Palestine? Sure.
Does Robert Kraft have the right to deny Macklemore performing space in his venue for supporting Palestine? Yes.
This case study in cause-and-effect has nothing to do with the government, so the First Amendment is not in question. Anyone who claims Kraft should have called for and accepted an apology before allowing Macklemore to take the stage neglects to remember that these are performers, and performers say and do things for money — they don't have to mean it to be convincing. A hollow statement written by a publicist and issued on social media? I'm with Kraft: no, thanks.
Sheeran is prudent to keep his opinions to himself, but it's ironic that an American ran his mouth and the Englishman is left holding the bag. It's like 1776 all over again but with more unfettered feelings. Should we feel bad for this ridiculous list of people who have absolutely no bearing on our lives, who are now being forced to eat the sandwich they made? I, for one, won't lose any sleep over it, but I wrote this commentary today to give you a glimpse of what's coming down the pipeline: employers, teachers, clergy, and parents should be aware that these famous guys are shiny moral compasses for much of the youth.
When any of us hears this nonsense from a young person, feel free to throw back the Macklemore lyrics at the end of Hind's Hall: "What you willin' to risk? What you willin' to give?" For that trash, the answer had better be "everything."