Me too, Ake. I think if we were face to face over a couple of brews, we could more easily express our viewpoints and, if not eventually come to agree, at least not wind up flinging insults at each other.

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*#1 PEASANT*, many political songs spring from the folk (indeed, that's the source of most of them, for obvious reasons), and to try to ban them from folk venues would be about like trying to ban a whole category of songs, such as sea chanteys because someone prone to sea-sickness might feel queasy at the very thought of going to sea, or songs of unrequited love because someone might have had a painful romantic experience and doesn't want to be reminded of it.

I rarely sing politically oriented songs myself, but there are a couple I do sing because they make a point that should be heard, and if there are certain people who are offended by them, I don't care if they are offended or not. If my singing of them makes them uncomfortable, then good! They should be made to feel uncomfortable.

It has not reduced my audiences or my income from singing to any noticeable extent. If anything, it has increased both.

Don Firth