Follow Your Arrow

The culture wars dividing Americans have long been represented partly as a case of country vs. city. Small town values vs. big city life. That is an over-simplification, of course, but most stories are simplifications.

We tell stories to ourselves all the time about the city-country conflict, but the ones I prefer are about mutual respect and tolerance, even in some cases new levels of understanding.

So naturally I like the story of country singer Kacey Musgraves, who grew up in a small town in Texas before migrating to Nashville in pursuit of her dreams.

Once in Music City, she met members of the LGBTQ community, which in her own telling broadened her awareness of the human experience.

In response, she wrote a song called “Follow Your Arrow” (lyrics below), which was initially banned from country stations and made her an outcast of sorts within the music industry.

But the song caught on, became a hit, and now is a personal anthem at her sold-out shows all over the country.

So this is the kind of story I like. Of course, for every story of tolerance and acceptance there is one of intolerance and discrimination.

But if we as a society are going to move forward we have to celebrate the former and reject the latter.

HEADLINES:

• Trump ends Secret Service protection for Harris (BBC)

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• CDC in crisis: who are the top officials resigning or being forced out? (Guardian)

• CDC Bosses Quit With Doomsday Warning About ‘Deadly’ RFK Jr. (Daily Beast)

• Closure of Florida’s ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ immigration detention center can proceed, judge says (AP)

• UK and EU summon top Russian diplomats after strikes hit British Council and EU offices in deadly attack on Kyiv - as it happened (Guardian)

• Russian Drones Are Flying Over U.S. Weapons Routes in Germany, Officials Say (NYT)

• Trump, Gabbard fired top CIA Russia expert days after Alaska summit (WP)

• An ICE raid breaks a family — and prompts a wrenching decision (LAT)

• A Blueprint for Military Takeovers (Atlantic)

• White House seeks to use Chicago-area military base for ‘sanctuary cities’ crackdown (Guardian)

• Mystery surrounds $1.2 billion Army contract to build huge detention tent camp in Texas desert (AP)

• Judge blocks Kari Lake, tasked to dismantle VOA, from firing its director (WP)

• UN says Gaza famine expanding, 10 more die from hunger amid Israeli siege (Al Jazeera)

• The Perverse Consequences of the Easy A (Atlantic)

• Shooter who opened fire on Minneapolis Catholic school posted rambling videos (WP)

• 911 centers are so understaffed, they’re turning to AI to answer calls (TechCrunch)

• Nvidia Sales Jump 56%, a Sign the A.I. Boom Isn’t Slowing Down (NYT)

• A.I. Is Coming for Culture (New Yorker)

• The AI cheating panic is missing the point (WP)

• Man Entering Fog Of Insanity Asked If This His First Time At Dave & Buster’s (The Onion)

LYRICS: “Follow Your Arrow” by Kacey Musgraves

If you save yourself for marriage, you're a bore
You don't save yourself for marriage, you're a horrible person
If you won't have a drink, then you're a prude
But they'll call you a drunk as soon as you down the first one

If you can't lose the weight, then you're just fat
But if you lose too much, then you're on crack
You're damned if you do, and you're damned if you don't
So you might as well just do whatever you want

So, make lots of noise (hey)
Kiss lots of boys (yup)
Or kiss lots of girls, if that's something you're into
When the straight and narrow gets a little too straight
Roll up a joint, or don't
Just follow your arrow wherever it points, yeah
Follow your arrow wherever it points

If you don't go to church, you'll go to Hell
If you're the first one on the front row, you're self-righteous son of a-
Can't win for losin', you'll just disappoint 'em
Just 'cause you can't beat 'em, don't mean you should join 'em

So, make lots of noise (hey)
Kiss lots of boys (yup)
Or kiss lots of girls, if that's something you're into
When the straight and narrow gets a little too straight
Roll up a joint, or don't
Just follow your arrow wherever it points, yeah
Follow your arrow wherever it points

Say what you think (say what you think)
Love who you love (love who you love)
'Cause you just get so many trips 'round the sun
Yeah, you only, only live once

So make lots of noise (hey)
Kiss lots of boys (yup)
Or kiss lots of girls, if that's what you're into
When the straight and narrow gets a little too straight
Roll up a joint, I would
And follow your arrow wherever it points, yeah

Follow your arrow wherever it points