Johnny Cash's Family 'Sickened By Association' With Charlottesville Neo-Nazi

Jenna Amatulli
Updated
(Photo: <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4799310/Johnny-Cash-s-kids-denounce-neo-Nazi-wearing-dad-s-shirt.html#v-8309126595945121998" target="_blank">Fox News</a>)
(Photo: Fox News)

A self-proclaimed neo-Nazi wearing a Johnny Cash shirt during last weekend’s violent Charlottesville, Virginia, protests has been disavowed on social media by the late singer’s family, who claim they were “sickened by the association.”

Rosanne Cash shared a Facebook post Wednesday night on behalf of herself and her siblings Kathy, Cindy, Tara and John Carter, where they describe their country icon father as “a man whose heart beat with the rhythm of love and social justice.”

“To any who claim supremacy over other human beings, to any who believe in racial or religious hierarchy: we are not you,” the post reads. “Our father, as a person, icon, or symbol, is not you. We ask that the Cash name be kept far away from destructive and hateful ideology.”

The post also describes the “Walk the Line” singer’s history with advocating for rights of marginalized people. It mentions the groups Cash championed for: protesters against Vietnam, the poor, the struggling and the disenfranchised, prisoners and Native Americans. In 1964, Cash released an entire album in order to expose listeners to the harsh treatment of Native Americans in history called “Bitter Tears: Ballads of the American Indians.”

“Johnny Cash was a man whose heart beat with the rhythm of love and social justice,” the post reads. “He received humanitarian awards from, among others, the Jewish National Fund, B’nai Brith, and the United Nations. He championed the rights of Native Americans, protested the war in Vietnam, was a voice for the poor, the struggling and the disenfranchised, and an advocate for the rights of prisoners.”

Additionally, the letter mentions that several members of the extended Cash family had fought the Nazis in World War II and that Johnny had taught his children to “choose love.”

Our dad told each of us, over and over throughout our lives, “Children, you can choose love or hate. I choose love.” We do not judge race, color, sexual orientation or creed. We value the capacity for love and the impulse towards kindness. We respect diversity, and cherish our shared humanity. We recognize the suffering of other human beings, and remain committed to our natural instinct for compassion and service.

Social media was abuzz with support for the post.

In addition to Cash’s family, other stars like Demi Lovato, Jennifer Lawrence, Mark Ruffalo, and more have all spoken out against the hatred shown in Charlottesville.

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.