Don McLean pulls out of Texas NRA event

Don McLean has pulled out of his planned appearance at the annual NRA (National Rifle Association) meeting in Texas, this weekend, following the tragic school shooting in the state earlier this week.

Don McLean, pictured here in Gateshead in 2018 - this time with a guitar and not a gun.

The singer, famous for his 1971 hit American Pie, said, "I have decided it would be disrespectful and hurtful for me to perform." Referring to the tragic incident in Uvalde, where nineteen schoolchildren and two teachers were gunned down, "I'm sure all the folks planning to attend this event are shocked and sickened by these events as well."

While I was initially going to applaud this decision, when I dwelled on it further, I had to ask myself, why was he performing in the first place? I maybe shouldn't equate music and politics, but why would you associate with this bunch of death peddling merchants in the first place?

A BBC News article delves below the surface to find out why. As they point out, McLean is unlikely to jump on the gun control bandwagon, citing a previous interview of the NRA website, where Donny discusses his favourite weapons.

So while actor Matthew McConaughey was saying, "We have tragically proven that we are failing to be responsible for the rights our freedoms grant us," we can reflect on McLean saying, "My favourite was always the single-action Colt and my favourite rifle was the Winchester Saddle Ring Carbine."

Meanwhile, a bunch of musicians you have never heard of - Lee Greenwood, Larry Gatlin, Larry Stewart and Danielle Peck - haven't pulled out of the event, and will still be playing for the NRA crowd in Houston.

And while we reflect on the fact that there have been 212 mass shootings in the United States so far this year (according to the Gun Violence Archive), the crowd of gun-heads will still be treated to an appearance from Trump.

Luckily for the friends and family of the twenty one victims, there will no doubt be masses of 'thoughts and prayers' emanating from the NRA event. So that will make it all okay. Until tomorrow. Or next week. Or whenever the next mass shooting event occurs and we go through this all again.