Prince George, BC, September 21, 2026 - In his chapter “The Historical Imagination”, British philosopher Robin George Collingwood wrote, “The only clue to what man can do is what man has done.”
How does this relate to our current chapter of history?
Recently, there has been intense criticism of musician Ed Sheeran. His conduct has placed his highly publicized Loop Tour in jeopardy. Is his condemnation warranted, or is Sheeran an ordinary person caught in an unfortunate circumstance?
Sheeran had been touring with rapper Macklemore as one of the opening acts. Macklemore has been an outspoken advocate for Palestinian rights, and this has resulted in significant criticism. During a September 4 performance at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, Macklemore said to his audience, “If I let that fear that I felt on the plane yesterday stop me from speaking my heart in order to keep my own comfort and the audience’s comfort, that is the day that I no longer feel the need to be on stage.”
Addressing concerns that his message could be construed as antisemitic, Macklemore said, “To all of my Jewish brothers and sisters: criticism of Israel, criticism of apartheid, being against genocide in no way is a criticism of you.”
He further clarified, “My message is for peace; love for all human beings to be treated with dignity, respect and equality …. I say free Palestine. I say free Lebanon, free Cuba, to the Congo, to Sudan, to Iran and to all the people living in America that have to live in fear because of this terrorist organization ICE. No one will be free until we are all free.”
This resulted in billionaire Robert Kraft, the owner of the New England Patriots football team and Gillette Stadium, taking action. Kraft had connections to Jeffrey Epstein. He is also a friend of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is subject to an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity. Kraft appears to have communicated with several other billionaire stadium owners. A decision was made that, if Macklemore continued to perform, the Loop Tour could not be held in their venues.
Rather than stand up for his friend, his freedom of speech, and suffering human beings, Ed Sheeran allowed Macklemore to be removed from the tour. He has understandably faced significant backlash. Other performers, even Sheeran’s own band members, have withdrawn. Sheeran has faced such significant condemnation online that some have speculated that his music career could be over.
Everyone appears to be saying, “In a world of Ed Sheerans, be a Macklemore.”
The problem is that very few of us have the courage to be like Macklemore - or admit that we are no different from Sheeran. The genocide in Gaza has been going on for nearly three years, and it has taken until now for support of the State of Israel in Europe and North America to weaken. Many people have lost their jobs, their scholarships and their reputations; they have been canceled for advocating for an end to the suffering of Palestinians.
This is not only due to pressure from pro-Israel billionaires like Robert Kraft, or other zealous pro-Israel advocates; it is because people in positions of influence have not dared to stand up to them. It is because too many of us have chosen to remain ignorant and inactive. And yet we still feel justified in condemning Sheeran.
Outspoken children’s educator Ms. Rachel posted the following statement regarding Ed Sheeran: “Imagine yourself 20 years from now kicking someone off a tour because they spoke out during a genocide that has killed over 20,000 kids.”
This is a message to all of us. Our children and grandchildren will be justified in judging us harshly. Unless we admit our cowardice and learn from our failures toward the people of Palestine, we will always have genocide.