Travis Tritt wants his thoughts on vaccination requirements known, and he hopes others will stand with him to fight "against discrimination and the squelching of any specific freedoms and basic human rights."

An official statement — provided without request from media, to the media — begins with Tritt explaining why he felt compelled to make a statement.

"In light of recently announced policies and mandates from some entertainment companies, promoters, and local municipalities which would discriminate against specific concert attendees who are not vaccinated, I feel compelled to make a statement," he says.

Tritt doesn't name specific companies, but AEG Presents is the largest-known promoter to require full vaccination for fans and employees, beginning Oct. 4. Others, like Live Nation, are requiring either proof of full vaccination status, or proof of a negative test either 48 or 72 hours prior to an event, beginning Oct. 1.

Tritt is on the Brooks & Dunn Reboot Tour (Live Nation) through Oct. 9, and after that, he has a mix of theater and casino dates planned through the fall, presented by an assembly of different promoters.

Nationwide, the CDC reported on Monday (Aug. 16) that the current seven-day moving average of new daily COVID-19 cases increased by 19.9 percent from the previous seven-day moving average. Current rates are similar to the rates seen in late January and early February — up more than five times from the 12-month low in late June 2021.

Tritt doesn't make his opinion on vaccinations explicitly clear in his statement, only inferring that the unvaccinated shouldn't be prevented from attending concerts.

"I have always been a huge defender of basic human rights and liberty for all. No government, employer, or private entity should ever be allowed to infringe on those rights and liberties," he continues.

In the United States, childhood vaccines are largely required to attend public schools, and private companies have long been permitted to require certain health measures from their employees. As of this summer, many private and publicly traded companies are requiring vaccinations for COVID-19, as well: Facebook, Google, Ford, Walmart and Disney are among dozens of well-known companies requiring vaccination from some, or all, employees. Public gathering spaces have also long been able to restrict certain behaviors (smoking, for example) not thought to be safe for the masses.

Tritt's four-paragraph note seems to infer that unvaccinated persons are being discriminated against in a way similar to other minority groups throughout history. His call is one against all forms of discrimination, and he concludes by urging those to stand up and fight with him against such mandates.

He also quotes the late Martin Luther King Jr., who said these words in his fight to end racial discrimination in the 1960s. Read Tritt's statement:

For these reasons, let me say that I fully support anyone who is willing to publicly stand against discrimination and the squelching of any specific freedoms and basic human rights around the world. If you agree that any form of discrimination should be condemned and that basic human rights are worth defending, I urge you to stand up with me and let your voices be heard. The only way these injustices can be defeated is with a unified front against them. Use your voice to stand for what is right and against what is wrong. Long live freedom!
"In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.”
-M.L. King, Jr.
Sincerely,
Travis Tritt

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