POLITICS

Ted Nugent calls for kinder, gentler political discourse

Ted Nugent recently urged Americans to tone down harsh political rhetoric — starting with himself — after the June 14 shooting that wounded a congressman.

Ted Nugent performs in the 2014 "Shut Up & Jam" tour.

A part-time Naples resident, Nugent talked to the Daily News this week in a 45-minute telephone interview. Here are more excerpts on why he decided to speak out and call for more civility among Americans with opposing beliefs.

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The right-wing activist began by saying how some have threatened the lives of him and his wife, Shemane, who spends more time than her husband at their high-rise home overlooking the Gulf of Mexico.

“The hate and dishonesty is just heartbreaking," he began. "The left never talks about issues. All they do is attack personally. It’s really a sad, sad day. The fact that I am the lead voice in conservation, the most environmentally beneficial lifestyle in the world, hunting, fishing and trapping. Yet the left, the Huffington Post, Moveon.org, Media Matters (For America), the Southern Poverty Law Center, all they do is lie and attack me, and people come to my website and my Facebook threatening to kill Shemane and I because we eat venison.”

Shemane Nugent, wife of rock star Ted Nugent, poses for a photo in her North Naples home Monday, Oct. 5, 2015.

“The hypocrisy of the left was manifested in a shooting, where thank God one of our elected employees had an armed security detail," Ted Nugent said. "Had they not, they would have been slaughtered like sheep in San Bernadino and Sandy Hook and Paris, et al., etc., etc.," Nugent said, referring to past mass shooting.
"So, I saw that this was such a glaring example of the violence and the soullessness of the left when you listen to (U.S. Reps.) Maxine Waters speak or Nancy Pelosi speak or that (former Attorney General) Loretta Lynch could possibly meet on the tarmac with Bill Clinton while his wife was being investigated.

“The left is out of their minds. And they’re dishonest. And they’re criminal in their dishonesty. And I use the term oath violations. So, I saw that this was an opportunity to raise more hell to make sure that good people are not forced into unarmed helplessness as the left escalates their murderous violence," Nugent said.

"And that I would make an attempt, and actually succeed at this attempt, to reduce the terminology that I use. Because I know, if you go to my Facebook, I have tens of millions of Facebookers and I’ve received hundreds and hundreds of correspondence and emails from hardcore, liberal Democrat fans of my music because some liberal Democrats still know what good music is,” he said, chuckling.

Nugent was referring to those who have thanked him for calling for more civil discourse following the congressional shooting in Alexandria, Virginia, that wounded U.S. Rep. Steve Scalise, a Louisiana Republican, and three others on a baseball diamond.

“And they have thanked me as sincerely and as passionately as a person can for making that leadership statement that we should all get along and have heated and fiery debates on policy but we should never harm our fellow Americans, we should never allow violence against our fellow Americans," Nugent said.

"And I know that I’m never going to stop the lunatic fringe, I’m not going to stop numbnuts from burning schools down and attacking people with Trump hats on. I’m not going to stop just rotten, soulless, evil people.

“But there’s so many, certainly the majority, of even those who embarrassingly consider themselves liberal and Democrat. That there’s some really good people of goodwill and decency that occasionally bump into some logic and common sense that I know I have impacted. Even (comedian and left-leaning commentator) Bill Maher came out the next day, and Bill Maher and I have jousted for 20-some years and I’ve been on his ‘Politically Incorrect’ show more than a dozen times. And I think the reason he stopped inviting me was I got more laughs than he did,” Nugent said, laughing, “but I always crushed his policy nonsense. And he stated on his show the day after I made my statement that Americans should not tolerate and work aggressively to never allow harm or violence upon our fellow Americans. And he read that and invited me on his show and I will be going on here as soon as possible.”

“I know it’s going to work. And I don’t think any of my rhetoric had anything to do with some evil person shooting anybody," Nugent explained.

"I don’t think my rhetoric, even my most harshest street slang, has ever inspired any violence anywhere. I have got these letters confirming that my gesture for zero tolerance for violence, I know it will resonate to some degree. I don’t know what degree that is yet. I’m pleased with the degree it has resonated. And I will stay on course.”