Pop star Ed Sheeran has really been going through it.
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Sheeran → go → it
One of the opening acts on his current U.S. tour uncorked a political rant during a recent show in New Jersey, sparking a firestorm that has raged for days.
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that → open → days
Macklemore, who was once a star, told the crowd, “I say free Palestine.
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I → tell → Palestine
I say free Lebanon, I say free Cuba, I say free Congo, free Sudan, free all people in America living in fear over this terrorist organization, ICE.
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I → say → organization
Notably, the artist did not appear to mean to free Palestinians from the Hamas terrorists, or “free Lebanon” from the Hezbollah terrorists, or “free Cuba” from its repressive communist regime.
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artist → appear → regime
He simply unleashed a string of left-wing slogans, including the absurd framing of federal agents as members of a “terrorist organization,” because that’s who he is.
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he → unleash → organization
Some in the crowd applauded this nonsense, while others fell silent.
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others → applaud → nonsense
Still others seethed and rained down catcalls.
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others → seethe → catcalls
Owners of some of the stadiums on the tour, including New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, made clear that they would not permit their venues to be used as a platform for Macklemore.
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venues → include → Macklemore
The rapper was therefore booted from the tour.
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rapper → boot → tour
This triggered a solidarity-minded exodus of all of Sheeran’s opening acts, as well as the house band.
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This → trigger → acts
Anti-Israel forces declared the situation an attack on free speech and expression, even though many of them eagerly support boycotts and speech suppression against anyone they deem to be a “Zionist,” a term they throw about as an epithet.
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they → declare → epithet
Sheeran attempted to defuse the situation by publishing a lengthy statement in which he explained that he avoids politics as an artist because he doesn’t want to preach to audiences with diverse viewpoints.
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he → attempt → viewpoints
An excerpt:
"I am appalled by the conflict between Israel and Palestine.
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I → appal → Israel
The suffering and pain caused on both sides is a human tragedy. …
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suffering → cause → sides
Macklemore coming off tour was the promoter's decision, it was not mine.
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it → come → tour
I would never let down the fans who had made plans, nor would I abandon the touring crew and the other support acts and musicians who rely on me for work and to make a living.
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who → let → living
I have always used my platform and music to bring people from all backgrounds and cultures together and this won't ever change.
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this → use → backgrounds
Those who have been to one of my shows will know that they are about unity, joy, escapism, love, and a place for everyone to feel welcome.
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everyone → know → unity
I have my personal views on this devastating conflict.
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I → have → conflict
Just because I choose not to speak publicly, it doesn't mean I don't have them, and it doesn't mean I don't care.
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I → choose → them
Nor does it mean I don't support causes in my own, personal way.
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I → mean → way
There is a reason I do not use my professional platform for politics - my audience includes young people, often children, of all backgrounds.
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audience → be → backgrounds
Those who come to my shows do not expect a political forum.”
This proved enraging to the Gaza obsessives, who shrieked their “genocide” lies even louder.
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who → come → lies
There has been a war, started by Hamas, that has tragically killed tens of thousands of people.
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that → start → people
Even based on the terrorist organization’s own statistics, the civilian-to-combatant death ratio has been remarkably and historically low, despite Hamas’s evil policy of embedding its terrorists and operations inside civilian neighborhoods, hospitals, mosques, and schools.
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ratio → base → neighborhoods
Israel routinely issues warnings to civilians to evacuate certain areas and buildings, depriving its own military of the element of surprise, to prevent unnecessary deaths.
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Israel → issue → deaths
It has also shipped massive quantities of medical and food assistance into Gaza, which is the opposite of what genuine genocidiers tend to do — the alleged Gaza “famine” claim that was constantly amplified has also been empirically debunked.
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that → ship → what
The furious backlash from anti-Israel-First fanatics has not subsided, with music stations announcing bans on Sheeran’s music, and politicians such as Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) proclaiming that she’ll avoid his work, citing the “genocide” smear as a fraudulent justification.
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she → subside → justification
Some prominent voices have defended Sheeran to an extent, but his neutrality didn’t engender much passion, even though political neutrality is what many people actually crave from entertainers.
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people → defend → entertainers
At his show in Philadelphia over the weekend, Sheeran mounted a do-over effort.
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Sheeran → mount → effort
Appearing to read from a prepared script, the musician addressed the controversy.
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musician → appear → controversy
He said, in part:
“My concerts have always been a safe space for everyone, and that matters hugely to me. …
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that → say → me
I want to address the question of where I stand in the situation in Israel and Palestine, and whether my doing this concert here tonight implies where I stand.
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I → want → concert
I have tried in my career not to be a political commentator of any kind, because I want my music and shows to be about unity, not division; about humanity, not politics.
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music → try → humanity
But this is a humanitarian issue, and I cannot hide how I feel about it anymore.
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I → hide → it
What happened in Israel and at the Nova Music Festival on Oct. 7 was horrific and compounded centuries of Jewish pain.
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happened → happen → pain
What is happening in Gaza is catastrophic and unjustifiable and disproportionate.
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happening → happen → Gaza
My heart has been broken by the scale of devastation and loss of civilians’ lives, of children’s lives. …
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heart → break → lives
I honestly am so grateful that you’re here tonight with me.
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you → ’re → me
…and 19 more, not listed.
The Aporia
