On The Mike Huckabee Appointment and Resignation From the CMA Foundation

Random Notes 183 Comments

The first thing that we should all be able to universally recognize is how shortsighted the CMA was for foisting this issue upon us by electing a politician to one of their boards to begin with, regardless of the qualifications, and regardless of who it was or their political affiliation. In a different time, cooler heads could easily understand this is not a political appointment, and understand that having someone who has worked within the political realm—and specifically in the field of public funding for the arts and education—would be especially desirable and uniquely qualified to hold a position in a non-profit organization such as the CMA Foundation to help promote music education in schools.

But unfortunately we do not live in such an era. We live in the era of political rancor. We live in the era of torches and pitchforks and Twitter swarms. We live in an era when the measure of equality for some is to make everyone as equally miserable as the most miserable human alive, and where certain individuals go online each morning very specifically to search for things to be angry and miserable about. And this is the second time the CMA has made an unforced error when it comes to how to navigate the treacherous political waters of our time.

When the CMA asked journalists not to broach political subjects on the Red Carpet of the annual CMA Awards last November, it was another bungle by an organization that seems to be blind to the realities of the day, even if they were within their rights to make such a request of a private event, and one where performers were just weeks removed from horror on a scale we have not seen in modern American history and didn’t need to be traumatized by muckraking reporters. Yet by attempting to stifle the possibility of political intrusion, the CMA pretty much demanded it. And the next thing you knew, one of the biggest stories after the CMA’s evening of unity was Sturgill Simpson busking outside for the ACLU.

Political affiliations aside, Mike Huckabee may have been the most qualified individual in America for the position on the CMA Foundation he was appointed to. As much as someone may dislike Mike Huckabee or some of the specific things he’s said or done in the past, it doesn’t change the fact that from a hard analysis irrespective of political affiliation, he was just about perfect. You may only know Mike Huckabee as a Presidential candidate and a cable TV talking head, but he is also a long-time musician, someone who rose to national prominence in politics specifically for his efforts to turn around Arkansas schools, is known for his long-standing support for the National Endowment for the Arts, and for his advocacy for arts and music in public education. This wasn’t just the appointment of some high-profile name to draw attention to the CMA Foundation’s efforts, it was the CMA Foundation getting the most qualified person for the job.

Let’s also understand that this is not a paid position. Mike Huckabee chose to serve on the CMA Foundation at the request of the organization. He didn’t lobby for this position. He was asked to do it. And when his presence became a point of drama, he resigned, immediately, and with dignity, to save the CMA Foundation from any further drama.

But none of this mattered to an expressly slim yet vociferous minority within the country music industry, and an especially politically-bias and belligerent part of the country music press corps that every day wakes up looking for someone’s life to destroy in the name of political progress, diluting the terms of “racist,” “sexist,” and “homophobe” from their affinity to use them against anyone and everyone they may tacitly disagree with.

Jason Owen—who is the manager of Little Big Town, Faith Hill and Midland, as well as the co-owner of the recently-launched Monument Records—is the one who sparked off the anti-Huckabee sentiment after the appointment was announced on Thursday, March 1st by the CMA Foundation. He also happens to be gay.

“The CMA has opened their arms to [Mike Huckabee], making him feel welcome and relevant,” Jason Owen said in part. “Huckabee speaks of the sort of things that would suggest my family is morally beneath his and uses language that has a profoundly negative impact upon young people all across this country. Not to mention how harmful and damaging his deep involvement with the NRA is. What a shameful choice.”

First off, Mike Huckabee is relevant. He may not be relevant to Jason Owen. Jason Owen and others may not like him, or the fact that he is relevant. But Mike Huckabee is a well-known name and a popular guy in the circles he runs in. Serving on the board of a foundation isn’t somehow going to make Huckabee more relevant. Owen’s words reveal a very tight-knit reality tunnel, and a belief that he should be able to be insulated from people who he doesn’t share the same ideals or opinions with.

Jason Owen’s insinuation that Huckabee is a dangerous choice because he may somehow use his position on the CMA Foundation board to assert an anti-gay or pro-gun stance to the youth of America is just as absurd, unfounded, and bigoted as suggesting people like Jason Owen want to turn the youth of America gay with music like Little Big Town’s “Girl Crush.” There is nothing that suggested Huckabee would bring any of his political positions to the CMA Foundation. In fact he had sworn not to.

As much as anyone may hate what Mike Huckabee has said in the past about Creationism or gay marriage, it is not illegal, or even abnormal to be Christian, conservative, or pro-gun. It is a right protected by the Constitution for anyone to be able to believe and practice as they choose. It’s also not uncommon, especially within the country music industry, or in Tennessee where the CMA resides, to hold conservative, Christian, or pro-gun opinions. In fact these opinions are the prevailing sentiment in the region. Some may find this truth unfortunate. It might be something Jason Owen and others want to undermine, which is their right to attempt to do. But Mike Huckabee’s political affiliations are no more relevant than Jason Owen’s when it comes to filling a position on the board of the CMA Foundation.

“Until recently, the arts was the one place America could set aside political, geographical, racial, religious, and economic barriers and come together,” Huckabee said in his resignation letter tenured the same day the news of his appointment was made public. “If the arts community becomes part of the polarization instead of bridging communities and people over the power of civil norms as reflected in the arts, then we as a civilization may not be long for this earth.”

Yes, yes, and yes. This is exactly what Saving Country Music has been saying for the last two years as seething political anger has permeated the music space and acted as an acidic, segregating force. Music has the unique ability to bring people together regardless of their political stripes, and sow understanding between them. But when individuals politicize the music space—as both the CMA did by their initial appointment, and Jason Owen did by refuting the appointment solely based on political disagreements—the result is often the building of walls, and the exacerbating of misunderstanding and discord, as we have seen in the aftermath of the Mike Huckabee announcement and subsequent resignation.

Mike Huckabee goes on to say, “All of us have deep passions about our beliefs. I do about mine. But I hate no one. I wish upon NO ONE the loss of life or livelihood because that person sees things differently than me. I hope that the music and entertainment industry will become more tolerant and inclusive and recognize that a true love for kids having access to the arts is more important than a dislike for someone or a group of people because of who they are or what they believe.”

Yes, again. We have a solemn obligation as a music community to put all differences aside and come together for very important causes with nearly universal support like promoting music education in schools. The fact that you had a Republican—who traditionally wage war against institutions like the National Endowment for the Arts—willing to work with Jason Owen, the CMA Foundation, and others in the promotion of this important cause, should have been seen as a unique moment to come together for the common good. Unfortunately though, some chose to use it as a moment to stir political divisiveness.

The reason nothing is getting done in America is because too many people—like Jason Owen and many folks on the conservative side as well—refuse to work with people they may not agree with. So instead, we end up putting all our energy towards undermining each other’s efforts, as Jason Owen did with the CMA Foundation by threatening to pull support, and forcing the resignation of one of the most qualified individuals from the CMA Foundation board.

Instead of attacking Mike Huckabee, why didn’t Jason Owen reach out, invite Huckabee over to his house for dinner, show him that gay households are just like any household. They have values, love their children, some even worship God. If you think Mike Huckabee is misguided, then what does banishing him from your community do but allow him to go and be homophobic somewhere else? What does showing fear and distrust do but make individuals reflexively hold tighter to their predisposed positions? Having Mike Huckabee in Nashville could have posed an opportunity to build a bridge and further understanding with him and the conservative community for Jason Owen and others.

Of course the national media was going to couch country music as an intolerant and closed-minded society in regards to this issue. Undoubtedly there are still pockets of intolerance, but the careers of Jason Owen, Shane McAnally, CMT Cody, Brandy Clark, Brandi Carlile, and others have proven that whatever prejudice that may have prevailed in the country genre in the past for gay individuals has been at least dulled. This is something the country industry should be proud of as it continues to strive for equality and tolerance. But equality and tolerance is a two-way street.

Mike Huckabee stepped down, and almost immediately, and in a gracious manner after the firestorm his appointment stirred. The folks who wanted him off the board got exactly what they wanted. They won. But that wasn’t enough. They wanted a bowl of blood. They continued to work to impugn Huckabee, and mischaracterize his efforts, causing further schisms in the country music community. The AV Club wrote an article titled, “Mike Huckabee is being a real dick about getting kicked off the CMA board.” Country performer Chely Wright—who came out as gay in 2010 and has since been an activist for gay rights in country music and beyond—wrote an open letter in rebuttal to Mike Huckabee’s resignation letter, and went far beyond the pale with her accusations.

“Do you have any idea how many young people will read your letter? Do you know how many of those young people will be shattered, yet again, to hear someone with so much power saying the things you’re saying about who God made them to be? Some of these young people will consider ending their lives, like I considered doing in 2006.”

Yes, Chely Wright insinuates that because of Mike Huckabee’s resignation letter to the CMA Board—a resignation that Chely Wright and others were demanding and makes no mention to political causes whatsoever—that more young gay individuals will contemplate and potentially commit suicide. You can read the full Mike Huckabee resignation letter below and in its entirety, and try to find something, anything that would lend to this irresponsible opinion by Chely Wright. But since Chely Wright, Jason Owen, and others are perceived to have an absolute moral high ground on this issue, they are free to take liberties with their words, regardless of the authenticity of the accusations, or the damaging results of them.

Saving Country Music’s official stance on this matter is that Mike Huckabee was an excellent candidate for the job he was appointed to … who should have never even been considered because of the political climate and his past statements that were sure to cause unnecessary controversy. But like Huckabee said in his resignation letter, we cannot let political hatred permeate the music space, we cannot let our differences get in the way of working together on universal causes such as music education in schools, and we cannot let our rhetoric get so out-of-control that we build un-navigable divides between us where we can never work with each other again.

Country music is the crossroads of the culture war. Because of this, some see it as fertile ground to undermine the conservative ideal of the United States by infiltrating the country industry and undermining its values as opposed to respecting its people and long-held beliefs, while also perhaps asserting a more progressive perspective to erode certain outmoded or prejudicial behaviors that are past their time.

However the anger, vitriol, irresponsible accusations, and other extreme attacks that are occurring now on nearly a daily basis against often innocent parties only looks to undermine the common efforts we all seek to work towards as a music community. Perhaps the Mike Huckabee appointment should have never been made in the first place, for a myriad of reasons. But governing by rule of mob is a dangerous precedent for the country music community to accept, and that is exactly what happened in the case of Mike Huckabee.

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Mike Huckabee’s Resignation Letter:

To the CMA Foundation Board
From Mike Huckabee
March 1, 2018

Dear Board Members:

I hereby tender my resignation effective immediately.  I hope this will end the unnecessary distraction and deterrent to the core mission of the Foundation which is to help kids acquire musical instruments and have an opportunity to participate in music programs as students.

Since I will not be able to continue in what I had hoped to be useful service in this endeavor, I wanted to at least put some things on the record.  I have no expectation that it will change the irrational vitriol directed toward you or me for my religious or political views that necessitated my abrupt departure, but I want you to know what you would never know by reading intolerant and vicious statements on the internet about who I am or what led me to want to be a part of your efforts to empower kids with the gift of music.  So please bear with me.

Music changed my life.  I grew up dirt poor in south Arkansas.  No male upstream from me in my entire family ever even graduated from high school.  I had no reason to believe that my life would consist of anything but scratching out a meager living and hoping to pay rent in a house I would never own just as generations before me had done.

Music changed that.  The gift of an electric guitar by my parents when I was 11 put in my hands a future.  It took them a year to pay for the $99 guitar they bought from the J. C. Penney catalog.  Granted, I was never good enough to make a full-time living at music, but the confidence I gained by playing, being in front of people, and competing against myself and the low expectations I grew up with was transformative.

No need to recite my entire history, but I was especially baffled that I was accused of not being supportive of public education.  I am the PRODUCT of public education.  As Governor my own children were the first children of a Governor in 50 years to have their entire education grades 1-12 in the PUBLIC schools of Arkansas.  I fought to give teachers the largest pay raise in state history.  I successfully led the effort to allow teachers to retire with full benefits after 28 years of service after my two Democrat predecessors vetoed the same bill.  I personally shepherded through legislation that mandated both music AND arts programs for EVERY student in grades 1-12 and taught by fully certified teachers.  We were one of the only states to have ever done that.

I was Chairman for 2 years of the Education Commission of the States, comprised of all 50 Governors, education leaders in the Senate and House from all 50 state legislatures, and the state education chief for each of the 50 states.  My chosen theme and agenda for those two years was music education for every child.  I launched an initiative “Play it Again, Arkansas” that promoted donation of musical instruments that would be professionally refurbished and provided to students whose parents couldn’t afford the rent or purchase of an instrument allowing them to be in the school band.  I traveled repeatedly to DC with the NAMM Foundation to advocate for music education and have worked with them for several years to urge states to mandate music and arts education.  Now someone who has never met me threatens to wreck valuable programs of the CMA Foundation because of a personal contempt for my faith and politics.  I am willing to get out of the way for the sake of the students the Foundation will hopefully help.

If the industry doesn’t want people of faith or who hold conservative and traditional political views to buy tickets and music, they should be forthcoming and say it.  Surely neither the artists or the business people of the industry want that.

Until recently, the arts was the one place America could set aside political, geographical, racial, religious, and economic barriers and come together.  If the arts community becomes part of the polarization instead of bridging communities and people over the power of civil norms as reflected in the arts, then we as a civilization may not be long for this earth.

All of us have deep passions about our beliefs.  I do about mine.  But I hate no one.  I wish upon NO ONE the loss of life or livelihood because that person sees things differently than me.

I hope that the music and entertainment industry will become more tolerant and inclusive and recognize that a true love for kids having access to the arts is more important than a dislike for someone or a group of people because of who they are or what they believe.

My sincere thanks to the CMA Foundation for believing I had something to contribute.  I regret that my presence caused controversy and threats to vital support for deserving kids.  Kids wanting to learn music shouldn’t be the victims of adults who demand that only certain people can be in the room or be heard.

I wish you nothing but good will and success at reaching students across America who need music as much as I did.  At the end of the day, I’m not worth the fight, but the kids are.  Never stop fighting for THEM!

Sincerely,

Mike Huckabee

 

 

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