An Open Letter to Country Artists Singing about Small Towns – From Your Small Town Pastors

August 2023

In July of this year, we heard a song filled with veiled white nationalism, supposedly a country song about living in a small town, but focused on menacing speech toward “others” who don’t belong there. This song – which sounded more like propaganda – angered and worried us, as pastors who serve small towns. We know that small town life depends on values of inclusivity and forbearance, teamwork and respect for diversity, and very little on coercion and control.

The song was by a white artist, and depended upon images and messages from a specific white context. In actuality 24% of rural people are people of color (per census data), and there is interdependence back and forth between small towns and big cities, global communities and American counties. Making it seem like only “good old boys” who were “raised right” belong in small towns, with a whole song built on an implied threat within reach of a gun, has two possible effects. First, a song like this can cause fear, exclusion, and harm toward Americans of color. Second, such a refrain can recruit young white Americans - to their detriment - into the mentality of an armed gang supposedly defending ‘their’ racialized turf, but in reality feeding endless culture wars while suppressing local priorities. A third and related effect is to subtract resources, ideas, and people power from small towns, where truly it takes all kinds to contribute.

In these times we must be alert to political racism, cultural exclusion, and a kind of bluster which is dangerous to the best dreams of generations. Just as past generations of Americans came to oppose white supremacy and political authoritarianism, committing instead to a republic of diverse nationalities, we believe the best future of our towns lies in welcome and neighborliness. It depends, in part, on men specifically holding other men to a standard of courage and character, rather than conformity and complicity in moral wrong.

As pastors of Christian churches, we believe in a vision of wholeness in community, which is the opposite of cultural exclusion. We believe there is space for human difference in expressed needs and hurts, wounds and hopes, and accountability in relationship. We believe there is space for differing economic visions across this land; there is space for diverse political discourse; there are ways for various visitors, guests, and hosts to take up space all across America. We believe that in a grand and cosmic sense we are all related. In particular, our Christ-shaped faith calls us to hospitality and embrace, spiritual learning, growth, and transformation. Jesus’ path is not for the faint of heart, and it is not a path of violent control. Culturally, politically, and religiously, small-town threats should not be part of the conversation.

We invite any relevant country artists into a better musical conversation about the heritage and traditions of rural areas, not inflaming racial divisions with flippant caricatures and grandstanding, but honoring shared sacrifices and seeking shared values. We imagine surprising commonalities were least expected! As clergy, we urge everyone with a platform to cease intimidation and foster honest and constructive expression instead. We will remain alert to speech that could be heard as hate speech. We will repeat the expectation in our communities that popular leaders should refrain from spreading the wildfire of intolerant ideologies. Together we are called to do our best to make relationships with others. Let’s try this in a small town.

Sincerely,

Concerned Pastors