There will be some controversy surrounding Tim McGraw when his tour reaches the XFINITY Theater in Hartford, Conn. on July 17 and performs a benefit show for Sandy Hook Promise, a non-profit organization that formed in the wake of the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings.
Billy Currington, scheduled to play the benefit as well, cancelled his appearance Thursday from the result of being caught in the middle of social media mayhem triggered by gun rights advocates.
It started on Tuesday, with an article published by Breitbart.com, a conservative website, examined the Sandy Hook benefit calling it a “gun control fundraiser” and promising that “the money McGraw and Currington raise will ultimately succeed in making it harder for law-abiding citizens to acquire and carry the guns they need for self-defense,” Rolling Stone reported.
Sandy Hook Promise, whose mission statement is to “protect children from gun violence so no other parent experiences the loss of their child,” doesn’t see itself as an anti-gun organization.
Moreover the, the non-profit organization’s website lists mental wellness programs and “firearm safety and security” as its main areas of focus, even offering tips for proper gun storage.
Even so, champions of the Second Amendment rallied behind the Breitbart article, with everyone from Travis Tritt to the NRA voicing their dissatisfaction with McGraw and Currington via Twitter.
Currington fought back tweeting “i didn’t sign up for sh*t,” in a since-deleted Tweet on April 15th, and later added “just hearing about it like you are. so f*ck u too,” in response to a Twitter comment.
One day later, on Facebook, Currington announced his decision to pull out of the show.
“I do feel strongly about honoring and supporting the Sandy Hook community and will be making a donation to a local organization,’’ he wrote. “I appreciate people’s freedom and passion for whatever cause they want to support, however, I am choosing to step aside from this fundraiser and will focus instead on the rest of the tour dates.”
