An indie-pop band has canceled a show at Liberty University over comments made by the school’s President about gun violence. LANY band member Paul Jason Klein said they would pull out of the show after a Twitter user alerted him to comments Jerry Falwell, Jr. made in the wake of the San Bernardino shooting in 2015.
In the video, Falwell encouraged LU students to carry weapons on campus. He said, “I’ve always thought, if more people carried concealed weapons permits, then we could end those Muslims before they kill.”
A Twitter user shared the video and tagged Klein and the band so they would see it. In introducing the video, she said, “I was completely unaware about Liberty University & what they stand for as an institution & I’m hoping y’all are as well. please do not speak here. please do not perform here. please do not associate Lany with THIS.”
i was completely unaware about Liberty University & what they stand for as an institution & i’m hoping y’all are as well. please do not speak here. please do not perform here. please do not associate Lany with THIS. @pauljasonklein @thisisLANY https://t.co/xdGAZH0dKK
— caitlin (@caitlincalhoun_) August 6, 2019
Klein responded, “this is disgusting. thanks for bringing it to my attention. lany stands for equality and togetherness only. we’re canceling x.”
this is disgusting. thanks for bringing it to my attention. lany stands for equality and togetherness only. we’re canceling x
— paul klein (@pauljasonklein) August 6, 2019
Falwell also encouraged Liberty students to obtain a gun permit for the sake of the campus’ safety. He said, “I just wanted to take this opportunity to encourage all of you to get your permit. We offer a free course. Let’s teach them a lesson if they ever show up here.”
Falwell said that his comments about Muslims were blown out of proportion because he was not talking about all Muslims. Rather, he told the Washington Post, he was specifically speaking about the terrorists who planned and carried out attacks in Paris and San Bernardino.
The Christian Post reached out to Liberty University to see if the show had been officially canceled and they were told that LU “gathered that the concert was no longer happening because of Klein’s tweets.”
LANY is not a Christian band, but Klein attended Oral Roberts University and the band’s drummer Jake Goss worked as a touring drummer for Jars of Clay, Relevant Magazine reports.
Scott Slayton writes at “One Degree to Another.”
Photo courtesy: Getty Images/Ryan Bakerink/Staff
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