Bruce Springsteen performed at the Concert for Valor on Tuesday night in Washington D.C., one song with Dave Grohl and Zac Brown, reported The Washington Post. Their song choice was “Fortunate Son” by Creedence Clearwater Revival, and lots of conservative right-wingers thought it unpatriotic, when the song was anything but.
“Fortunate War” is a Vietnam War-era protest song specifically about the privileged kids of politicians and rich people who had options to avoid going to war. The song itself has been described as taking on “income inequality and unblinking patriotism.”
However, when Springsteen sang the lyric “ain’t no military son,” that’s when some people got offended, thinking the The Boss set out to smear veterans.
Here’s one lady who obviously misses the point:
Ummm… Why are they playing an anti-patriotic song “Fortunate Son” at the Concert for Valor? And why are they cheering?
— Colette Moran (@ColetteMoran) November 12, 2014
However, despite some people getting outraged, some applauded the performance.
If you think Fortunate Son was inappropriate for tonight’s concert, you’ve clearly never paid attention to the lyrics. #VeteransDay — Karen Hensley (@HashtagKaren) November 12, 2014
FIXED: 40+ yrs after “Fortunate Son” was written, culturally clueless (chickenhawk) conservatives are still clueless abt message. #ZacBrown
— Eric Boehlert (@EricBoehlert) November 12, 2014
If anything, that performance was one of the most patriotic things that Springsteen could have done given that the song is still relevant. All of the people in power who cry for war are usually the last ones who would send their children to fight. This instance points to one giant hypocrisy: conservatives like to be dismissive of political correctness until it “offends” their sensibilities.
Springsteen performed the song not to offend anyone, but to show that he does care about America and its people.