If I'd heard this on a talk show, I wouldn't have been as surprised. I didn't expect the host of a bluegrass show, however, to take a relative of his to task on the air. Last night, the host of an FM music show talked about a relative who had been with the rioters during last Wednesday's invasion of the U.S. Capitol.
I held my breath for a moment, hoping the host wasn't about to say, "Good for him." I was relieved when he said other family members and he were mortified that this relative had taken part. He said this relative didn't have the easiest life growing up; after this person's father died in a tractor accident, the host said, this relative never had as much guidance or supervision as he needed. The host also said, however, that "we're not insurrectionists," and that the other family members and he didn't support this relative's participation. At first, the family considered staging an intervention via Zoom. They didn't think this relative could figure out how to set up Zoom, though, so the host decided to use part of his radio show "to make him smarter." He then kicked off a set of songs designed to educate this relative, beginning with Roy Zimmerman's "Give Measles A Chance." While not especially melodic, Zimmerman's direct lyrics make their point about clinging to an absurd belief effectively.
If that song didn't set that relative straight, I hope his family got through to him.
