Bruce Springsteen, the gravel-voiced bard of the working class, has dropped a fresh protest anthem called Streets Of Minneapolis, and it’s as predictably partisan as a CNN chyron. Clocking in with lyrics that lionize the 2020 rioters who torched the Twin Cities—framing them as noble insurgents against King Trump and his ICE enforcers—this track is less Born to Run and more Born to Burn. Springsteen, who’s parlayed his blue-collar cred into decades of lefty activism, paints federal agents as jackbooted oppressors while glossing over the billions in damages from those protests. It’s a musical Molotov cocktail, timed perfectly for an election cycle where Democrats are dusting off their riot-romanticizing playbook.
But here’s the 2A angle that Springsteen and his coastal elite fans conveniently ignore: those Minneapolis streets weren’t just stages for smash-and-grab artistry; they were war zones where armed citizens stepped up as the thin blue line crumbled. Ordinary Minnesotans, clutching AR-15s and shotguns under the Second Amendment’s vigilant shield, formed ad hoc patrols to protect businesses from the very chaos The Boss now glorifies. While Springsteen croons about the people’s fire, real defenders with firearms prevented further anarchy—proving once again that when the state abdicates, the right to keep and bear arms is the ultimate backstop against mob rule. His ode to insurrection isn’t just tone-deaf; it’s a unwitting tribute to why we fight for 2A rights, as it exposes the left’s soft spot for violence when it suits their narrative.
The implications for gun owners? This is red meat for the anti-2A crowd, who’ll cite Springsteen’s celebrity wattage to push assault weapon bans, arguing that armed citizens escalated tensions in Minneapolis. Yet history—from the LA Riots to Kenosha—shows self-defense saves lives when authorities side with vandals. As Streets Of Minneapolis climbs indie charts, 2A advocates should counter with unapologetic truth: the Second Amendment isn’t for parades; it’s for precisely these moments when rock stars cheer the flames. Springsteen’s swan song to law-and-order might just rally more patriots to the range.
