In a video posted to Instagram yesterday, Ronnie Winter of Red Jumpsuit Apparatus held nothing back as he cleared up a few things for anyone planning on attending their current tour or any upcoming shows, beyond the next four years, and the type of people Winter welcomes at his shows.
The video shows Winter simply talking to the camera, but with some pretty set-in-stone words (transcribed via Lambgoat):
"What's up? Ronnie from Red Jumpsuit here, just doing a quick little PSA – I thought I was pretty clear about all this stuff in 2020 – and as you notice my Instagram wall, I did not remove any of that stuff from the, uh – 'Stay Woke' campaign I guess you guys are calling it? – from 2020.
Look, man, the thing about being woke is you're awake. And once you're awake, you can never go to sleep. And not only has nothing changed, but everything they said was going to happen – the 'woke' people – has happened. You have done nothing but prove them right.
So here it is again, in case somehow you missed it. Hi, I'm Ronnie Winter, I sing for the Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, and I actually follow what Jesus says. If you're a Christian and you're watching this and you voted for Donald Trump, shame on you.
You are not allowed to come to my shows. I don't want you there. Don't come to my shows. It's awesome that you love "Face Down." It's not for you. It's not your song. It is not your song.
If you voted for Donald Trump, do not come to my shows now or ever, not just these four years. Don't come to my shows because you're going to hear a lot of 'woke propaganda,' and you're going to hear the actual words of Jesus. You're going to see a lot of acceptance from all areas of life and races, and you're just going to see a lot of harmony.
That's not what you're about. Don't come. Refunds are available. Forever, don't come. Goodbye."
One fan responded with: "But love and acceptance means you love and accept everyone ['love thy neighbor as I have loved you']. I don't like wokeness but that doesn't mean I'm going to hate you."
Yet, what that take doesn't fully conceptualize is that the right doesn't accept the left for who they are – their sexuality, their gender identity, their religion, their ethnicity, their race – yet the right expects the left to be the ones to practice complete and utter acceptance. And still, the right fails to realize that the left tried to accept the right. Now, we're in this mess.
Beyond the scope of politics, Ronnie Winter is an artist, and is responsible for creating a safe space for his fans. And he obviously feels like there is something he can do to minimize friction and damage, so he did it. Good on, him.
And I really don't think he can get more clear than that. You can check it out for yourself below.
