The opinions expressed in this article are strictly those of the author and not necessarily those of  NightMoves and AAN.

I’ve been around for quite a few years and decades and have experienced and seen a lot of change in this great country. But what I have seen and heard over the past few weeks makes me wonder, “Where did my country go? Where did that strong spine we used to have go?”

Ever since the George Floyd incident this country has been flipped upside down by riots, paid rioters, looters, rabble rousers, troublemakers and pandering politicians in slave owners scarves. Yes, there have been peaceful protests around the country as well and people speaking out about injustice and they have that right to do so in a peaceful way.

Don’t get me wrong, regardless of his background, what happened to Floyd at the hands of Derek Chauvin and the other cops should have never happened. It was flat out murder of a human being by a known bad cop. That incident was further fueled by the national media because of two words (black, white) they used to instill more fear, hate and to continually stir things up. They turned Floyd into a martyr, which he is not. But again it was fueled by the national media (all day live coverage of the funeral by every network, celebrities, speakers, music, accolades, a procession that looked like a Hollywood production, etc.) If one didn’t know you would have thought a president had died, it was way over the top.

But now we get to see just how weak and spineless this country has become. Here are just a few things that have suddenly changed after years  with no problems, no outcry, no demands of change..

Elmer Fudd and Yosemite Sam cartoons will now have these characters without guns. But will they do away with all the blood, gore and violence in video games that kids play? Of course not. HBO pulled the classic film “Gone With the Wind” from its streaming service (now they say it will be back but with a discussion and disclaimer prior to it being shown), The award winning country group Lady Antebellum has changed their name to Lady A because the other word was “hurtful”. Hurtful? Will record companies do away with all the rap music that promotes violence, the “F” word and worse? Hell no!  There is a petition to have  the Splash Mountain attraction at Disney Land removed or changed. Why? Because it is based on the Disney film from the 40’s “Song of the South” that is now considered racist.  TV networks have pulled the long running shows COPS and Live PD. Warner Brothers will now make cartoons that are softer and have no violence. Amazon is pulling the “Dukes of Hazard” from their schedule because of the Confederate Flag on the car.  Just before we posted this feature, we saw this. Aunt Jemima Pancake Mix, around since the 1880’s is changing their name and logo,who’s next Uncle Ben? And there are even more.

Then you also have the removal of statues that Pelosi and others are calling for at the Capitol building, and statues being defaced, destroyed or taken down elsewhere. There is even the possibility of changing the names of some military bases that are named after soldiers of the Confederacy. There are some cities and towns seriously thinking of changing street names. What the hell has happened to this great country when they think Elmer Fudd cartoons minus a rifle will stop violence, or by shelving one of the great movies of all time will curb the race problem (even with a disclaimer now)? Where did that strong spine we used to have go?

I want my great country back and I would hope that you do too, enough is enough!

Art Koch, National Features & DVD Editor, NightMoves Magazine and AAN