Jason Aldean may not be the brightest bulb in the chandelier, but I don't believe he's advocating lynch mobs. I'll clarify.
First: Pairing footage from a BLM protest gone bad with those lyrics? Incredibly ignorant move. Small towns, particularly in the south, have historically dealt with black "troublemakers" by way of a noose. Jason Aldean may not have made that connection because he isn't and never was black. He didn't grow up being warned about Sundown Towns or Emmet Till. But ignorance is not malice, people.
Second: Jason, dear, they do have a point. A simple "Oh crap I didn't realize" could have gone a long way to defuse the situation. There should be no shame in admitting your ignorance or your error. I've said and done a lot of things from in my straight white ignorance - and usually been forgiven when I admitted it.
Third: It's more reasonable to believe the entire thing is a publicity stunt. The song has been out for a while, but few seemed to notice until the video was released. Jason Aldean just happens to be opening a bar/restaurant the same summer. I'm more inclined to think he's greedy than ignorant or racist.
Fourth: Jason Aldean is a city boy. He's got no idea about small towns, especially the ones with a church on every corner. The list of people who died because they tried something in a small town is growing every day. There is a tragic drive in small towns to conform. Especially in towns with strong political or religious leanings. That's what killed Brandon Teena and Matthew Shepard. That's what got the West Memphis Three convicted of murder.
