Charlie Daniels

Subject: statement from Charlie Daniels, re: cancellation of The Charlie Daniels Band appearance.

This is a statement from Charlie Daniels. I simply say, "AMEN" !!!!!

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There are probably some of you folks out there who are wondering why we didn't appear on the CMT Country Freedom Concert for the Salvation Army to benefit the victims of the September 11th Attack on America.

We were announced and scheduled and had every intention of doing the show, until we gave the CMT folks the lyrics to a new song I had written and wanted to perform on the show. After receiving the words they informed us that we could not do the song on the show and when we asked them why they said that the show was a healing type show and they were afraid that song would offend someone.

I would never do anything to hurt the show but I knew that they had the very epitome of country stars and didn't particularly need us to sell tickets. With this in mind, I decided to pull off the show for personal reasons which I would like to share with you.

Let me preface my remarks by saying that I respect CMT's right to not allow anything they don't agree with to go out over their airwaves. And in all fairness, I guess they were taking the sensibilities of the victim's families into account. But I respectfully and vehemently disagree with their stand.

First of all, I don't feel that this is the time for healing. I feel that this is the time to rub salt in the wounds and keep America focused on the job at hand. We lost almost seven thousand people in the Trade Towers and Pentagon and we're worrying about offending somebody?

We have seven month old babies infected with Anthrax and we're afraid we'll hurt someone's feelings?

Brave Americans forced a plane down in a field in Pennsylvania and we're worried about ruffling someone's feathers?

We're sending our sons and daughters off to fight and perhaps die in a war we had nothing to do with starting and we're concerned about insulting somebody?

I felt to give into this political correctness would be to turn my back on the people who lost their lives on 9-11 and on the brave
men and women who defend this country. The title of the song is "This Ain't No Rag It's A Flag", and I don't apologize for a word in it.

I'll let you all decide for yourselves:

*****

This ain't no rag it's a flag and we don't wear it on our heads

It's a symbol of the land where the good guys live

Are you listening to what I said

You're a coward and a fool and you broke all the rules

and you wounded our American pride

Now we're coming with a gun and we know you're gonna run

but you can't find no place to hide

We're gonna hunt you down like a mad dog hound

and make you pay for the lives you stole

We're all through talking and messing around

and now it's time to rock and roll

These colors don't run and we're speaking as one

when we say united we stand

If you mess with one you mess with us all

every boy, girl, woman and man

You've been acting mighty rash and talking that trash

but let me give you some advice

You can crawl back in your hole like a dirty little mole

but now it's time to pay the price

You might have shot us in the back but now you have to face

the fact that the big boy's in the game

The lightning's been flashing and the thunder's been crashing

and now it's gettin ready to rain

Chorus:

This is the United States of America

the land of the brave and free

We believe in God, we believe in justice,

we believe in liberty

You've been pulling our chain, we shoulda done something

about you a long time ago

But now the flag's flying high and the fur's gonna fly

and now the whole world's gonna know

This ain't no rag it's a flag old glory red white and blue

The stars and stripes and when it comes to a fight

we can do what we have to do

Our people stand proud the American crowd is faithful and

loyal and tough We're as good as the best and better than

the rest you're gonna find out soon enough

When you look up in the sky and you see the eagle fly

you'd better know he's headed your way

This ain't no rag it's a flag and it stands for the USA

What do you think?

God Bless America
Charlie Daniels