Weighing in on the shocking events taking place at the Capitol on January 6, the 'Harvest Moon' hitmaker writes an impassioned essay in which he calls for unity.
- January 14, 2021
AceShowbiz - Neil Young has taken aim at the world of social media in the wake of the Capitol riots, insisting it's "crippling our belief system".
The "Harvest Moon" star weighed in on the shocking events at the Capitol on 6 January in a post on his Neil Young Archives, and wrote in the impassioned essay that things would have been very different if the rioters had been black.
"I was devastated to see the double standard," he wrote. "The way people were treated in the Black Lives Matter demonstrations compared to the other day. There is no place here for white supremacy. People need each other to be truly free. Hatred will never find freedom."
"I was shocked to see the Confederate flag being waved inside the chamber; the destruction and disrespect. But mostly I felt bad for the people."
Young, who has long been a staunch opposer of Facebook, added, "With social media, issues are turned into psychological weapons and used to gather hatred in support of one side or the other. This is what Donald Trump has as his legacy."
"Social media, at the hands of powerful people - influencers, amplifying lies, and untruths - is crippling our belief system, turning us against one another. We are not enemies. We must find a way home."
He also criticized the chaotic riot, saying, "This, to me is beyond my own feelings that our president has betrayed the people, exaggerated and amplified the truth to foment hatred. Resentment of the Democratic party among the insurrectionists at the Capitol was rampant. We don't need this hate. We need discussion and solutions. Respect for one another's beliefs. Not hatred."
