Tag: Ted Nugent

APR 23, 2012 - It's been a tough month for "Uncle Ted" Ted Nugent. First he caught a lot of heat for his rant of extremist rhetoric against President Obama and his administration at the NRA convention in St. Louis, then he had to plead guilty to an illegal bear kill stemming from his hunting show in 2009. Now Fort Knox has told him he is not welcome for a July 28, 2012 concert that would have featured him with Styx and REO Speedwagon. In a statement on their Facebook page, Fort Knox said, "...after learning of opening act Ted Nugent's recent public comments about the president of the United States, Fort Knox leadership decided to cancel his performance on the installation."

Many conservatives, including some journalists, seem bent on defending Nugent and trying to imply that Nugent was singled out. They seem to forget that the Dixie Chicks were zealously attacked and protested, after what now seems so mild in comparison, when Natalie Maines made a comment about George W. Bush in 2003. One journalist is implying that since comedian Jay Phillips who did a recent stand-up routine at Fort Knox "is supportive of Obama through his Twitter activities" and was not canceled, and they claim to be "apolitical"; that there is somehow a conspiracy that favors the other side or something. I have never heard of this comedian Jay Philips, and we are talking a musician here I thought, this is a false equivalency. Plus, if Ted Nugent had just Tweeted, "I support Romney please vote for him" it wouldn't have blown up in Nugent's face like it did. 

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APR 20, 2012 - Ted Nugent is in the news again, this time for shooting off his arrow rather than his mouth. In 2009 when he was filming his "Ted Nugent Spirit of the Wild" show for the Outdoor Channel, he shot an arrow and wounded a bear, and didn't chase down the bear and assure the kill; which is very unethical to many hunters. He is entering a plea agreement with the Alaskan authorities, which reads that Nugent "failed to locate and harvest the wounded black bear". 4 days later Ted shot and killed a different black bear, and transported it off Alaska's Sukkwan Island. The problem is Alaska's bear season limit is 1, and the first bear Nugent shot is considered his first kill. Under a plea agreement he will plead guilty to one count of transporting an illegally hunted bear. 

"Uncle Ted" won't get any jail time, but he will have to do Public Service Announcement videos for a year emphasizing the importance of hunters being familiar with the regulations in the areas they hunt (can't wait to see those).  He will face a hefty fine ($10,000), be on probation for 2 years, and no hunting in Alaskan or US Forest Service lands for those 2 years. Ouch. Oh, and he got caught by the Lacey Act, which should drive conservatives crazy. They have been upset at that law since the Gibson Guitar plants were "raided" in 2011 by Federal officials for alleged illegally harvested wood from Madagascar. Read about Ted's trouble with Alaskan authorities on LATimes.com here.   (photo credit: Weatherman90/Wiki)

Is there a double standard for conservatives when it comes to artists speaking out? Remember the Dixie Chicks 2003 statement? "Just so you know, we're on the good side with y'all. We do not want this war, this violence, and we're ashamed that the President of the United States is from Texas."

Now compare that to Ted Nugent's violent rhetoric. Will conservatives destroy Ted Nugent CDs? Will they protest outside his concerts?

UPDATED CHECK BELOW! - APR 17, 2012 - Ted Nugent, who has been in the news recently after using extreme rhetoric centered around guns, politics, and his obvious hatred for the Obama administration, is at it again. Back in 2007 he went on an on-stage rant where he came out with a gun and waved it in the air saying, "Obama, suck on this you punk!" Well, this time it's a recent NRA Convention where he went on a rant and stumped for Mitt Romney saying "If you don't know that our government is wiping its ass...with the Constitution, you're living under a rock someplace." He then went on denouncing the Obama administration as "vile, evil, America-hating. We defied the emperors! We need to ride into that battlefield and chop their heads off in November! Any questions?" The majority male white crowd erupted in cheers.

The group People For the American Way (PFAW) has asked the presumed Republican Presidential nominee Mitt Romney, who was at the event also, to come out and denounce Ted Nugent's outrageous statements. Read the press releases here. Watch Ted's rant below.

UPDATE: Ted Nugent may have caught the attention of the Secret Service. During his  NRA rant criticizing the Obama administration he said, "If the coyote is in your house pissing on your couch, it's not the coyote's fault, it is your fault for not shooting him." He also said, "If Barack Obama becomes the president in November again, I will either be dead or in jail by this time next year". The Secret Service tells NYMag.com that "We are aware of it and we'll conduct the appropriate follow up." Watch and cringe below. 

UPDATE: On the Dana Loesch radio talk show, Nugent stood by his remarks and said, "I spoke at the NRA and will stand by my speech. It's 100 percent positive. It's about we the people taking back our American dream from the corrupt monsters in the federal government under this administration, the communist czars he has appointed."

UPDATE APR 17, 2012 10:11 PM: DNC Chairperson Debbie Wasserman-Schultz has seen the clips of Ted Nugent's rant, and she Tweeted, "Romney surrogate Ted Nugent's comments  about Pres. Obama are vile & beyond the pale-and the Romney campaign should denounce them immediately".  The DNC has issued a statement saying, "Mitt Romney's surrogates are crossing the line, calling the President's administration "vile," "evil," and "America-hating"—but so far Romney has refused to condemn it. It's on him to stop the violent rhetoric before it gets out of control. Join Democrats and tell Mitt Romney to Denounce Ted Nugent's comments about President Obama." They have started an online petition here.

UPDATE APR 18, 2012 1:30 PM: According to The Blaze, Ted Nugent told Glenn Beck that he has an appointment with the Secret Service tomorrow to discuss his recent violent rhetoric against President Obama. Nugent told Beck, “We actually have heard from the Secret Service and they have a duty. I support them. I salute them. And I look forward to our meeting tomorrow, I‘m sure we’ll have a great conversation…bottom line is, I‘ve never threatened anybody’s life in my life. I’ve never threatened. I don’t waste breath threatening. We’re going to have a little barbecue get together, and I’m not trying to diminish the seriousness of this, because if the Secret Service are doing it they are serious. They are dedicated and I will be as polite and supportive as I possibly can be, which will be thoroughly.”