I had never heard of Morgan Wallen until  January, when he released his chart-topping double album, “Dangerous.”

I admittedly only listen to classic country and a few, usually more progressive, country music artists. However, given the mass success of “Dangerous,” it was on my list. Yet, I never got around to listening, and now I never will. 

As many know by now, “The Voice” star, after spending his first three weeks at the top of the Billboard 100, faced major controversy and seemed to be the next subject of cancel culture. His neighbor’s Ring doorbell system caught a video of a drunk Wallen exclaiming a racial slur. This video was released, taking the media and his fans by storm. 

He was immediately suspended by his labels, Big Loud and Republic Records for an indefinite amount of time. He was dropped from his talent agency, WME.

So many people who I know, particularly women, were raving about Wallen’s music. Links to his songs were all over Facebook, Instagram stories and the sidebar of Spotify. 

However, something strange happened after this scandal released: people were angry. 

Well of course people were angry, but people I witnessed on social media were mad at Wallen’s neighbors for releasing the video. People were mad at his label for temporarily removing his music and putting him on suspension. 

To me, this is absolutely appalling. 

We fought a war over this that almost ripped the United States in pieces, yet country music fans who claim to be “all American,” are angry at the exposure of a musician for using an outdated, derogatory term that has been deemed unacceptable. 

I truly saw a white girl who comes from a privileged family say that racial slurs are just words and that it was “just one time.” She stated that it was “unfair” that she could no longer find Wallen’s music online. I dared not ask her when the last time anyone had directed a racial slur at her was. 

I want to clarify that I saw many former fans denounce him, but for those who did not: Why not? Is it because you, yourself are unbothered by the issue? Why is your instinct to call out the person who exposed him instead of the person who you idolize who did such a thing?

“Dangerous” still sits at number one on Billboard at the time of writing this. 

It is disheartening to see America’s reaction to something so blatantly against the values our nation swears to uphold.