Freedom of Speech

Never one to mix music and politics, I admit I was caught off guard by my reaction to a local singer/songwriter's recent performance - I couldn't reconcile his music ( sweet, sad love songs ) to his political views ( a little to the right of Ghengis Khan ).  I found myself remembering some of his social network postings ( before, for my own peace of mind, I'd blocked him ) and for the first time that I can remember, I damned freedom of speech and walked out.


Here in the Bible Belt, liberals are few and far between and I'm accustomed to being in a minority - we did, after all produce David Duke, although I'm relieved to say I was living in New England at the time - and between the NRA and the Tea Party, I often feel quarantined.  Still, I've never allowed a difference of political opinion to interfere with friendship or music until now.  It strikes me that it's not so much his politics as his arrogance that offends me - his condescending lectures are articulate enough and superficially reasonable - but the tone suggests he's speaking to a community of left leaning mental defectives.  He's clearly intelligent but not wise enough to completely conceal his contempt for anyone who disagrees with his positions and while he fashions his words carefully to disguise his disdain, the venom comes through anyway.  


He's entitled to his opinion, of course, but I'm not obligated to listen to his views or for that matter, his music.
It's my loss but I'll live with it.