“Our community and our Marquette neighbors witnessed another horrific officer-involved shooting just blocks from our festival grounds, leaving us in deep pain and justified anger. In acknowledgment of what has happened far too often in our community and our country as a whole, this year’s AtwoodFest, themed “The Heartbeat of the Neighborhood,” is canceled.

“AtwoodFest’s core values have always centered on building community, using each festival’s proceeds to support the groups doing important work right here in our neighborhood. Now it is vital to support our neighbors, particularly those who have borne the brunt of this pain and injustice, by taking time to mourn and reflect on our role in these broken systems, so we can create a community that truly lives up to our values.

“The heart of our neighborhood needs healing. We encourage you to spend your time and energy this weekend on supporting events and spaces demanding change, mutual aid, and loving and supporting your friends and neighbors.

“We also want to thank the countless volunteers, sponsors, musicians, vendors, and community members who have worked tirelessly planning this festival, this year and every year. We are doing our best to reach out to each of you personally, and we will use social media and other channels to share additional logistics and information.”

The announcement as well as the decision to cancel a community event in order to persuade people to protest a police involved shooting regardless of the circumstances surrounding it is peak Great Stupid. Nothing about the music festival, nada, zero, zzzzzzip, has any relevance to a life-time thug getting himself shot by defying the law and law enforcement. The musicians, artisans, food providers and contractors should not be made to suffer because of a crime and its consequences. Similarly, those Madisonians who had planned on enjoying the festival should not be forced by woke fascists to march to their political demands. The proper, appropriate, deserved and American response to “spend your time and energy this weekend on supporting events and spaces demanding change” is “Bite me.”

As I have argued here many times, “The show must go on” is an ethical mandate and a core value for me. It stands for the principle that life goes on, obligations do not evaporate because of tragedy, stress, misfortune or unhappiness, and to break promises because it may be inconvenient to keep them is still breaking promises. The character traits the principle embodies are sacrifice, fortitude, commitment, honor, integrity and responsibility.

What is exemplified by the festival’s cancellation is knee-jerk, reflex grandstanding to show fealty to the mob.