"Jim Carroll, I don't think anyone is trying to silence anyone. The point is, you have to realize that when you sing songs of a political nature you are going to alienate and/or hurt the feelings of people who believe the opposite."
A question (no, sorry, a number of questions);
I believe killing animals for pleasure is obscene; for me, it shows the darker side of humanity - does that give me the right to object to hunting songs (they abound in the UK)
Some years ago the womens movement here moved in on what they considered male chauvanist songs; it became a regular practice that women in some audiences would shout down singers who were singing such songs - result, many singers I know dropped these songs from their repertoire. Is this behaviour acceptible?
In numerous clubs I have been involved in people have objected to bawdy and erotic songs (these make up a considerable part of the English language tradition) and have on occasion protested loudly and walked out in the middle of a performance - is this grounds for dropping such songs?
I know of people who objct vehmently to whaling songs - should they be allowed at our clubs?
In the light of events coming to light at present in Ireland relating to the physical and sexual abuse of children by members of the clergy, many of us have an issue with religion - would we have a point in objecting to religious songs?
What makes politics so special?
It seems to me that if we respond posetively to any or all of these objections we would be left with a repertoire so anodine that we may as well confine ourselves to the sanitised songs published by Sharp in the early days of the 20th century.
I'm afraid that silencing people on the question of politics is exactly what you are proposing; nothing new there - all repressive regimes have behaved exactly the same.
Jim Carroll