Chuck dropping some truth bombs.
Ahead of yesterday’s Final Four matchup between Baylor and Houston, Charles Barkley took the opportunity to share his thoughts on race relations in the United States. His response came after a video was shown of President Kennedy announcing the news of Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination in 1968.
Believing that most people, black or white, are awesome people, Chuck placed the blame squarely on the shoulders of politicians on both sides of the aisle for intentionally dividing people:
“I think most white people and black people are great people. I really believe that in my heart.
But I think our system is set up for our politicians, whether they are Republicans or Democrats, to make us not like each other and so they can keep their grasp of money and power. They divide and conquer.
I truly believe in my heart that most white people and black people are awesome people, but we are so stupid following our politicians.
Whether they are Republicans or Democrats and their only job is ‘hey, let’s make these people not like each other. We don’t live in their neighborhoods, we all got money. Let’s make whites and blacks not like each other. Let’s make the rich and poor not like each other. Let’s scramble the middle class.’
I truly believe that in my heart.”
His thoughts echo what Eric Church has said in the past about the divisive nature of politics.
In a recent interview regarding vaccines and touring this year, Eric weighed in on the matter, saying that politicians win elections by dividing people, not uniting them:
“I just want to play shows. Politics’ job is to divide… that’s how you win elections. Those things that unite us are music and sports. The times when, whether you’re a Democrat or Republican or whatever, you throw your arm around the person next to you.”
And straight from Eric himself, that’s pretty much what “The Snake” is all about:
“‘The Snake’ is really a song that was written about this political discourse battle Armageddon that I think everybody gets involved in.
And full disclosure, by nature I’m just not a very political person, I think it’s something that’s silly because I kind of get what’s going on, and I feel like in order to be a career politician you have to keep your base riled up. The best way to rile up your base is to attack the other side and the other side does the same thing.
So you have these two sides that are attacking each other vehemently and they’re doing that just so they can stay in office, not for any legitimate reason… I feel like that’s all they do all day and in the meantime, the whole world is burning down.”
Cue it up.
