Earlier this week Charlie Daniels went the extra mile to support the title of his latest band release “The Land I Love”. Armed with the power of social media Charlie went after New York’s Mayor Andrew Cuomo with the full force of the written word. For those of you that follow his blog you probably know that the prevailing theme is very much aligned with a more conservative mentality. While his posts are few they are long and explore the breadth of his personal opinion on issues such as racism, trust and unity. This brings me back to his tweeter charade, which appears to have started on the Saturday prior to the presidential inauguration and shortly after Mayor Cuomo had signed a variety of laws aimed at gun control.
Influence
Charlie’s tweets are not just words in the air. With almost 100,000 followers his words can indeed travel and travel they did. If we are adherents to the theory of six degrees of separation we know that within a few tweets Charlie’s words would have reached the highest levels of government. Yes, by Monday the press had covered the multitude of tweets ranging from abortion all the way to quirky and precise critiques of gun control policies and guarantees of liberties as defined by the 2nd amendment.
There is no denial that Charlie’s tweets have the capacity to reach millions and travel far. But once his words get to the right ears would they serve as an agent of change? The most likely answer is no. His followers will generally agree, most likely retweet, certainly affirm and with no doubt advocate. But how many of Charlie’s followers live in the state of New York? I suspect not too many. Last time I was in the Big Apple country music was not the music of choice in the yellow cabs, local delis and office buildings.
What about Silence?
If we know for certain that our voice will be heard but it will not influence change, should we waste our time, effort and web space? My personal belief is yes. Charlie like all of us is entitled to his opinion. In exercising his right to free speech Charlie sets an example to all of us and while I don’t agree with some of his tweets I must acknowledge that a good number present questions that are worthy of our consideration.
As American citizens we should always strive to ask questions that go unasked and voice our concerns to friends and enemies alike. Charlie Daniels 140 characters can indeed travel far. How we use his voice and opinion is up to us. Tweet away Charlie, they may be trying to take away your 2nd amendment rights but you still have free speech!
Lacie Jones works for Guitar Place where she manages the learn and master guitar reviews category. She loves country music and follows top country stars.
If you enjoyed reading this post, then please remember to post a comment, Subscribe to my RSS feed.
