As a soldier with traditional values, I know that punk rock shows are not the friendliest places for me. I expect to have to tolerate the bands occasionally stomping on what I believe in; after all, they gotta do what the kids think is cool. I do not expect, however, to be attacked for being a soldier and disagreeing with the political statements made on stage, which is exactly what happened at Pop’s on Feb. 28 at a show headlined by Flogging Molly.

The Street Dogs, one of the opening acts for Flogging Molly, dedicated a song to the troops, but tempered their dedication with some mild anti-war rhetoric, which I ignored as I continued listening to the show. A few minutes later, the band played a new song called “Last Transmission.” Preceding this song, lead singer Mike McColgan announced a dedication to the fallen soldiers who will never get to come home. This time, however, he added a remark to the effect of, “they’re dying for no reason over there, get ’em home, no more war for oil.” Most of the crowd ate it up.

The song “Last Transmission” is about a boy from a small town who joins the Marines for college money and is killed in Iraq in an improvised explosion devices explosion. The song laments “reality caught up to him.” Once dead, the boy wants Bush to “get the troops home.” This song ignores the facts that most soldiers and Marines support the war, support the mission and know the risks when they sign up to serve. We are generally not ignorant fools who fail to grasp “reality.”

In addition to being a soldier, I am also a student of political science and political journalism. I am an activist for my political beliefs, and I am tired of hearing the ignorant myths surrounding this war. Myths about how soldiers are victims, how we were lied to and sent off to die for a cause we do not believe in, how this war is making people rich off oil money and-the most insulting myth-that we are idiots or simpletons who do not understand the reality of war and serve only because we need college money.

McColgan’s comments perpetuated these insulting, dangerous myths. He took advantage of the bully pulpit and a captive audience to spew his ignorant views, and I had few options to express my discontent. I chose a simple one: I took off my dog-tags and held them high above my head, with both my thumbs pointing down in disapproval. I was only a couple feet back from the front of the stage, and the band saw me. Most members of the band noticed me and averted their eyes. After only a minute or so, one of the bouncers told me I had to stop my little protest or I would be ejected. While I was debating the fairness of this policy with the bouncer, the drummer, Joe Sirois, threw his drumstick at me.

I know it is commonplace for drummers to toss drumsticks into the crowd as souvenirs when they break and after shows, but this drumstick was not tossed to me, it was hurled at me. The stick ricocheted off the girl in front of me, bounced off of my girlfriend and then off of me. Several of the people around me noticed the incident and immediately remarked how wrong it was, and expressed that they supported me on this issue, regardless of their political views.

Punk music is about expression. The Street Dogs sing about “fighting for what is right” and “standing up for what you believe in,” unless, I suppose, it clashes with their opinions. McColgan is a former soldier himself, but when a current soldier disagrees with his uninformed propaganda, his supposed support for the troops must not apply. On their first album, Savin Hill, the band even has a song called “Don’t Preach to Me.” The song contains the line, “Don’t preach to me, you’re so self-righteous, you’re a celebrity.” Tell me about it.

Nobody was injured by the drumstick, and I am not going to go on about the possibilities of someone losing an eye or anything. Many people are going to suggest that I drop this and move on. Considering the lack of injuries, I can see how people might suggest that. I am not, however, going to drop it-and I will tell you why:

Imagine I was a minority, and I was at a show where the band made a racist remark and, while expressing my disapproval, I was first told to hush by the bouncer, and then attacked by the band. Put me in the same situation as a Jew, or Muslim, or perhaps a homosexual who was attacked for expressing disapproval with those who bashed my lifestyle. Would you care then? Would you tell me to drop it? Imagine I was an anti-war advocate who was attacked by a soldier or war-supporter; would the news be covering that attack? Many of you will have the instinct to tell me to let it go, but would you have that same instinct if I were something other than a soldier?

The Street Dogs’ Web site announced that Mr. McColgan is a war vet who “walks the walk, not just talks the talk.” Exactly what walk is that, I wonder?

Sirois and the Street Dogs were wrong. The question is: Will the media, and will you, the reader, put away your instinctive double standard and demand the same response you would have demanded if I would have been black, gay, Jewish or anti-war?

Do I want an apology? Do I want some publicity? I do not know, really. You tell me: What would be fair if I were anyone but a soldier?

Shawn McCarthy is a senior in the
College of Arts & Sciences.