In an interview with NPR, 72-year-old Elton John explained how having two children has changed his life by giving him focus and a renewed purpose. “Ten years ago […] I had nothing planned for the rest of my life except making music and touring, and then we had two fabulous little boys. […] And as much as I love playing, I want to be with my boys now. This is the new part of my life.”
Lately, John has been directing his energy to his family, to championing the fights against AIDS and HIV, and, even, to sticking up for his friends.
Recently, Ellen Degeneres was criticized by the LGBTQ mob and others on the far-left for daring to allow herself to be seated next to former President George W. Bush in a suite owned by Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones.
Here is one example of a tweet from the discredited producer of an anti-fracking movie, who was caught misleading viewers in the movie “Gasland.”
Hey @TheEllenShow – how does it feel to watch a game with a mass murdering genocidal war criminal? https://t.co/tIdWrBGFBQ
— Josh Fox #BanFrackingNow (@joshfoxfilm) October 7, 2019
Instead of apologizing to the rabid mob, Ellen Degeneres responded in a funny and powerful monologue, reminding everyone we all need to be more tolerant of others, regardless of our political views.
“Just because I don’t agree with someone on everything doesn’t mean that I’m not going to be friends with them. When I say be kind to one another, I don’t mean only the people that think the same way that you do.”
Yes, that was me at the Cowboys game with George W. Bush over the weekend. Here’s the whole story. pic.twitter.com/AYiwY5gTIS
— Ellen DeGeneres (@TheEllenShow) October 8, 2019
Elton John responded to the outrage by the left and the LGBTQ crowd by reminding everyone that it was George W. Bush who initiated an emergency fund for AIDS relief, and it’s President Trump who’s made a commitment to end the scourge of AIDS within ten years.
“I admire Ellen for standing up and saying what she said,” said John, in response to recent criticisms of Ellen DeGeneres, who sat with former president George Bush at a football game and later commented that she has a friend who doesn’t necessarily share the same beliefs as she has.
“George Bush has made a lot of mistakes. I made a lot of mistakes. Ellen DeGeneres has made a lot of mistakes,” said John. “People need to come together […] They need to respect people’s views on life. Except when it’s heresy, and I don’t think George Bush is that kind of guy.”
And while he shied away from diving too deeply into his opinions on American politics (claiming that England has enough problems of its own at the moment), he noted that President Trump has kept PEPFAR — the President George W. Bush-era emergency plan for AIDS relief — “so that’s a good thing.”
“PEPFAR came from the Republicans,” said John. “People have to remember that.”
John added that Bush’s program is “the most incredible thing a Republican president has done on a philanthropic level.”
After North Korean leader Kim Jung Un increased the number of ballistic missiles he was firing off in September 2017, President Trump mocked the dictator by dubbing him, “Rocket Man,” a name that many of his fans are familiar with because of Elton John’s hit single by the same name.
During the 2016 campaign, “Rocket Man” was a go-to crowd-pleaser at more than a few of Trump’s presidential rallies. In fact, John’s hit was played so many times that the singer himself weighed in. He told the Guardian that he hadn’t given then-candidate Trump permission to use any of his songs.
“I don’t really want my music to be involved in anything to do with an American election campaign. I’m British,” said John. “I’ve met Donald Trump, he was very nice to me, it’s nothing personal, his political views are his own, mine are very different, I’m not a Republican in a million years.”
Elton John isn’t simply offering lip-service when he suggests taking an open-minded approach and being kind to those with whom you may have political differences. John has a history of breaking bread with other high-profile people he disagrees with on certain political issues.
In August 2010, Elton John infuriated the left when he made the trip to Florida to perform at Rush Limbaugh’s wedding to his wife, Kathryn.
Elton John had the confidence to pose with Rush Limbaugh for a photo. According to Sean Hannity, who was a guest at the wedding, Elton John joked with the guests about his appearance at the wedding of conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh, saying, “I’m not here to bring walls down, I’m here to bring people together.”
What do you think? Should more people on both sides take the advice of Elton John? Do you see as much intolerance on the right as you see on the left? Tell us what you think in the comment section below.
