Creed frontman Scott Stapp launched an impassioned, anti-establishment speech during a performance in Texas over the weekend, bringing the concert to a halt in order to urge Americans to stand up for their rights and fight back against the abuses of what he called the “powers that be.”
He also advocated for the U.S. as a Christian nation, “built upon the Bible and the word of God.”
Scott Stapp didn’t mention any political candidates or parties during his monologue, but he appeared to be speaking out against establishment powers in general.
“They want us divided. They want us separate. They want us compartmentalized in our little niches, in our own little groups… to keep us distracted from holding them accountable,” the rocker said.
Later, he urged Americans to “start reminding them what our Constitution says, we start reminding them what our Bill of Rights says. We remind them that we are a Constitutional Republic built upon the Bible and the word of God, and not a ‘democracy.'”
During his speech, Stapp urged Americans to come together.
“They start dividing us and programming us in kindergarten, my friends. They teach us how to be good slaves to authority,” he said, later adding, “It’s divide and conquer.”
“Everything we accuse nearly every other country of doing, we’re doing right here — your civil rights are being violated, every singe minute of every single day.”
It wasn’t clear what provoked Stapp to launch his speech mid-concert. The singer has mostly avoided politics during his career, though it is assumed by many that he is right-leaning. Stapp reportedly appears as Frank Sinatra in the recently released Reagan biopic, starring Dennis Quaid.
Creed has used Christian imagery and themes in its music, though it isn’t technically a Christian rock band. The band’s best-known hits include “With Arms Wide Open,” “Higher,” and “What If.”
Despite its massive popular success, especially in the 1990s and 2000’s, Creed has been ruthlessly mocked over the years by elite music critics who look down on the band’s populist and Christian appeal.
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