2004 Soap Box Archives

An Open Letter To Mr. Imad Hamad 08/06/04

Mr. Hamad, you need to check your facts before you start mouthing off about me being a bigot using bias and hatred to become popular concerning my song, "This Ain’t No Rag, It’s A Flag”.

First of all, Mr. Hamad, let me fill you in on a little of my musical history. I had my first hit way back in 1973 with a song called “Uneasy Rider” and since then have sold somewhere in the neighborhood of twenty million records. So I’ve been trying to get popular for a long time way before this song came out.

Secondly, this is not my first brush with controversy. I’ve been pilloried by the Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post and numerous music publications through the years and I’m still rocking and rollin’.

Thirdly, my song has absolutely nothing to do with racial prejudice. If you could find it in your heart to listen to something besides the first two lines you could find that out for yourself.

My song refers to terrorists and terrorists only. I know because I wrote the song. Me and me alone can say what the true meaning of the song is and me says it’s not about racial prejudice.

You see, Mr. Hamad, I know what true racial prejudice is. I was born in 1936 in the Deep South when the Jim Crow laws were in effect. I saw it first hand and rose above it. So I resent being called a bigot or a racist.

I happen to love this country, Mr. Hamad. I love what this country is about and the fact that people as diverse as you and me can live here. My family came here from a foreign country too and you have just as much right to America as I do.

Now if you love America and love being an American you will deplore what happened on 9-11 as badly as I do. In fact,
you should be angry about it. You should be just as angry with the terrorists as I am.

Well you see, Mr. Hamad, I speak through my music and the song I wrote is a pro American song and no matter how hard you try to make it a racial slur you are simply wrong, wrong, wrong and falsely accusing me.

I have seen the word “rag head” in some of my e-mail concerning this I assure you that I have never written any lyrics using the word “rag head”. That would be a racial slur.

So Mr. Hamad, wise up and look around you. You have enough problems without criticizing somebody who is not trying to harm you or your people.

I am not your enemy, Mr. Hamad, and I think you would be well served to realize this.

Pray for our troops.

What do you think?

God Bless America

Charlie Daniels