The Conversation by Hank Williams Jr

Hank Williams Jr. got himself into quite abit of trouble last fall. Speaking of Fox and Friends he gave an opinion of The President that appeared to compare Obama with Hitler. As one can imagine this causes quite a furor.

In all the hullabaloo that came about after none of the obvious questions that should have been asked were asked. Such as " Who cares what Hank Williams Jr says?" and " Does anyone really think he felt that the two were really comparitive?." I bet most of us, I know myself that I am guilty, have at times made comparisons between a person and Hitler. Hitler has become an adjective for being tyrannical. Nothing more, nothing less. Now if our Jewish friends want to call someone Hitler like they might have more ability to do so but for 99 percent of us Hitler is just a term for tryannical. And most of us know someone who is tyrannical.

So of course the folks on the left got all stirred up, Espn owned by Disney got scared off and replaced Hank's " All My Rowdy Friends" song as the theme song for Monday night football and the world was safe for democracy and reason again.

Lost in all this was the fact that Hank Williams Jr now became synomonous with being Anti Obama. The fact that Hank Williams is a Republican should be no surprise. It also should be no disqualifier. I do not know his heart, but I just think we all need to relax and give people the benefit of the doubt.

This whole controversy mitigates one thing that should not be denied. Hank Williams Jr has made some great music. Being a partisan of Outlaw Country on Sirius/XM I often hear the music of Hank Jr. The Conversation is a song, both talked and sung by Williams and Waylon Jennings talking about Hank Williams SR. When Jr talks about Hank Sr getting fired from the Opry and how that caused his greatest pain you feel it and understand why being embraced by the traditional Country Music Scene was never an imperative for him. In songs like Family Tradition Williams sings with a gusto that draws the line clearly from his Father to himself all the way to his son who now performs under the name Hank III and makes his Dad's music seem pristine and clear.

Hank Williams Jr has recorded some wonderful music. He is a man who has gone through great tragedy and hardship. Read about his mountaintop accident and subsequent facial reconstruction surgeries. He has some Conservative opinions. He said something the wrong way and used a word that has become an axiom understood by most to mean one thing but for those with their heads in clouds and seats on ivory towers can only be interpreted as hateful and mean.

Williams is a Conservative man of the South. He likes beer and women, smoking, guns and trucks. He could be my brother who died recently and who I miss very much. My brother said stupid things too, he did stupid things too. He also had a heart of gold and deserved the benefit of the doubt. Hank Williams Jr does too.

We all need to grow up and really remember what Jesus said about how we treat each other.

Listen to some Hank Williams. Tap your foot. Hit the gas pedal. Give him a break.