Eric Church Shares His Take on Politics and a ‘Broken’ System
Following the release of his powerful new song, "Kill a Word," Eric Church is opening up about his thoughts on the presidential election and current political system.
Church's recent single is all about the power of words, both to heal and to harm. And according to an interview with Rolling Stone, Church says that the song is especially relevant given the current social and political climate of the United States.
"I've never had a song that felt more meaningful and relevant than this one," says Church. "It's something that people need to hear."
The song is especially "relevant," Church proclaims, because America is in the middle of one of the most chaotic seasons we've seen in recent years, both when it comes to politics and even how we interact with one another on a daily basis.
"It's a pretty charged-up time right now. At the end of the day, we all have to get along. I don't care what your belief is – we can't kill each other. It can't happen that way," Church says, referring to recent violence in the States. "There's a lot of racial tension in this country, a lot of authoritative tension with police, and I think all that stuff makes for a tumultuous time."
Going on to speak about the current presidential election, Church admits that what he sees when traveling the country as a famous country singer is what many of us see in our own communities and neighborhoods.
"We have a broken political system. It's been broken a while. And there is a lot of anger. There is a lot of discontent. It's very important that we don't dismiss it," says Church, adding that it might be time for leaders to readjust their priorities. "I think all of our politicians need to take a hard look at what their goals are and where we're headed. Because I think a lot of the anger is against the political system, and that can be dangerous if it continues to get worse."
And when it comes to the candidates? Church says he hasn't made up his mind about who to vote for in November, mostly because he doesn't trust politicians and their ability to affect real change. But he does have hope when it comes to local government.
"People feeling certain ways and feeling that anger and angst is the bigger issue. I don't believe it's something a president can fix," he says. "To me, the most powerful people in this country, politically, are mayors. If you took all the mayors of the 25 biggest cities and you got them together, you could do more on that level than you ever could through the bureaucracy in Washington. For me, it is more community-based. We have to fix it at a lower floor, before a president comes in."
This isn't the first time Church has spoken out about politics and the 2016 presidential race, likening it more to a WWE match than a process to select a new leader of the United States. But at the end of the day, it looks like Church is staying focused on his music more than politics. The award-winning country star just announced his 2017 Holdin' My Own Tour that will feature three-hour solo shows sure to delight fans.
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