MARCH FOR OUR LIVES: Paul McCartney and Michael Stipe support, Nugent does not
Paul McCartney and Michael Stipe were among the musicians spurred to action by Saturday's March for Our Lives protests around the country.
McCartney participated in the New York march, wearing a t-shirt that read "We can end gun violence." Speaking to CNN, the former Beatle explained why it was personally important for him to being there -- "one of my best friends was killed in gun violence right around here." He didn't say it, but we assume he was referring to John Lennon.
The former R.E.M. singer posted his approval of the marchers goals on Instagram by unveiling a snippet of a new song -- his first original with lyrics as a solo artist. Titled "Future, if Future," it somewhat echoes his friend Patti Smith's contention that "People Got the Power." It's words include the phrase, "We’ve got the obvious, we’ve got the power/ Please don’t stare, we’re doing all we can.”
Another march supporter, Paul Stanley of KISS tweeted that he's, "'So proud to live in this great country where we can raise our voices and gather in protest for change, but it will all mean nothing if you don't vote. Honor your freedom by using it."
There were also voices on the other side. Not surprisingly, one was Ted Nugent, who suggested in a tweet that the Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School students who organized the protests were dupes. He wrote, ""Shame on the adult scammers manipulating ignorant children for their counterproductive dangerous politics."
In a Facebook post that former Buffalo Springfield and Poco singer-guitarist Richie Furay later deleted, he went even more directly after the same students, writing that he's "seen and heard ENOUGH from this bunch." He joined Nugent in condemning the kids, calling them "nothing more [than] propaganda pawns in the hands of left winged (sic) radicals who have an agenda for more government control over its citizens."