Canadian singer Matthew Good is denying reports by some right-wing media outlets that he suggested unvaccinated people should be shot.
“This should be a cautionary tale of how easily things can be taken out of context and how you should not believe everything you read on the internet,” Good said in a statement to iHeartRadio.ca late Wednesday.
A video clip circulating on social media shows Good talking to the audience during his show this past weekend in Nanaimo, B.C. He said: “I guess what I’m saying is that I’d like to put those people on planes and fly them to the Congo and they can get off and, like, 14-year-olds can fire AK-47s at them.”
The Western Standard misquoted Good as saying “unvaccinated people should be flown to the Congo” and Rebel News reported that Good was “making strange remarks about unvaccinated people.” (Both websites have since revised the posts.)
On social media, Good has been attacked for the comment, which he insisted was actually part of a rant about tyranny.
“At no time did I mention unvaccinated people or vaccines,” said the 51-year-old singer. “I don’t even know where that came from, and I would never argue that a person does not have the right to govern their own body.
“I was talking about people who believe they are living in tyranny in Canada, and yes, I did say I would like to put those people on planes to the Congo, and when they got off 14-year-olds with AK-47’s could fire at them, so they know what living in a real tyranny is like.”
Good explained he was referencing child soldiers to make the point that Canadians are not faced with such violence.
“In the context of the tyrannical, we do not dwell in a nation in which armed men and boys as young as 9 show up in villages and towns and carry out gross acts of violence,” he said. “We simply do not face that reality. My reference to it was to point out that those who believe this nation is tyrannical know nothing of its modern truth, and therefore I used an extreme example to demonstrate that.”
Good said the video “cuts off just as I start talking about how our liberties are the most important thing we have in Canada, and I do believe that wholeheartedly, and it was my liberty to say what I said.”
He said he was shocked to read a headline on a Vancouver blog that read: “Vancouver rock star says unvaccinated people should be 'shot by 14-year olds' during B.C. concert.”
“They did not reach out for a comment or to confirm what I said, they just further took out of context a post from Twitter,” said Good. “It's really mind boggling.” (Vancouver Is Awesome has since revised its post.)
He insisted he doesn’t believe anyone should be shot. “Of course not, that’s ludicrous. This whole thing is ludicrous.”
Good is scheduled to kick off a 16-city Canadian tour on Nov. 10.