On March 7th, the rock band Filter was set to play a concert in El Paso, Texas.

Hours before the show, the band posted a video on Facebook with the caption; “This is sound check!! We’re Playing El Paso!!! Get Here!!! Later and it will be packed!! A lot of Trump bashing! Does anyone know Beto?? Bring Beto!”

After the video was shared, the venue told the band they were no longer welcome.

Vocalist Richard Patrick voiced his opinion about the cancellation.

“This country is totally jacked up!! This is my right to artistic expression. If they are going to tell me that I am un-American for saying that about the President, I’d ask them if they have been to Iraq or Afghanistan. I have been over there and love and respect the job that our troops are doing over there – fighting to ensure our rights to say what we like. As a matter of fact – I was asked recently what FILTER stands for and THIS IS IT – our freedom of expression!” he wrote.

Richard Patrick’s claim of being to Iraq and Afghanistan is a little problematic when you know the back story, in particular, the story of Filter’s original Bass player Frank Cavanagh.

After ten years of playing with Filter and touring the world, at the height of his success, Frank Cavanagh joined the US Army to serve his country.

When Richard Patrick visited Iraq and Afghanistan, it was part of “Operation MySpace,” a USO style musical tour, and Frank Cavanagh played a major role.

While serving in the Army, Sgt. Cavanagh kept his past as a rock star a secret but at the behest of Operation MySpace, the Department of Defense contacted Sgt. Cavanagh and flew him to Kuwait to perform with his old band, Filter.

Richard Patrick has a long history of parroting far-left talking points and in 2013 while calling for gun control and labeling patriot Americans as terrorists, he wrote, “Alex Jones? He’s an extremist, terrorist nut.”

Sgt. Frank Cavanagh responded in defense of Alex Jones and as a result, Richard Patrick systematically blacklisted him.

After being a founding member and working in the band for ten years, Frank Cavanagh’s name was erased from all band profiles, including their Wikipedia page.

It has all the optics of “Stolen Valor.”

While speaking out against our Second Amendment, Richard Patrick claims the honor of our proud men and women who have served their country and attacks Frank Cavanagh, who left a successful music career to serve his country.

Here is the full email from Frank Cavanagh to Richard Patrick:

A Letter in defense of Alex Jones.

First of all, to Jonny Radtke, Phil Buckman, Rob Patterson, Mitchel Marlow, John Spiker, Mika, Geno lenardo, Brian Leisgang, Steven Gillism Allan Bailey, Matt Walker and Robbie Stevens; I want you to know that this in no way is directed toward you or the music that you as well as myself have enabled Richard Patrick to make in his career. For with out us he would be nothing, and I regret if I have made you feel that your music or political beliefs are irrelevant. Even as I know some of you totally disagree with me, I also know that some of you are 100% behind me and I thank you for the FLOOD of support over the last couple of days, Happy Easter (Ishtar)!!

This isn’t about you, and I regret involving you.

this is about Richard Patrick, the Authoritarian Statist Thief.

I just want to start out Rich by saying I am very disappointed in what you have become, you have become a parrot, parroting whatever your sycophantic yes men put into your mind controlled brain. It is not surprising coming from someone that rarely has an original thought of his own.

I also want you to know that I made a post on Facebook denouncing your hatefully prejudicial, bigoted statements and then I spent an awesome Easter weekend with my daughters, planting new strawberry bushes and teaching them some of the finer points of Gun safety. Just got a new Gun, you see.

I was VERY surprised to find a flood of texts, calls, and emails asking why you were saying such hateful, bigoted, slanderous things about me. I haven’t read a one, you can own your hate, I will no longer allow you into my world, many of these texts and emails coming form your own family, supporting me.

“The Tea Party and the extreme right are literally turning into the new terrorists.”

Specifically, how? Are they inciting violence? Or, are you labeling a whole sub section of our society as “Terrorists”?

That, Richard Patrick, makes you a Prejudicial Bigot.

I hate bigots.

Maybe, God forbid, someone had road rage.

When I was 19 years old I was a victim of a racially motivated hate crime on the corner of Hampshire and Coventry road in Cleveland Heights, I was targeted for being white. My jaw was shattered and broken in three places. I responded by helping to organize a protest. A multi-racial, multi-cultural, multi-lifestyle protest AGAINST racism and bigotry, in all its forms.

You sir are a bigot.

I hate bigots.

You Said, “Alex Jones? He’s an extremist, terrorist nut.”

Alex Jones isn’t an extremist terrorist, but let’s look at who is.

Attorney General Eric Holder, who is guilty of running Operation Fast and Furious, allowing over 5000 AR and AK derivative “Assault Weapons” into the hands of Mexican Drug cartels. In our country we have separation of powers, in this case congress acted to demand information about the who, why, and when of Operation Fast and Furious. They called the nation’s Top Cop to testify, Mr. Eric Holder. He REFUSED a lawful demand by his bosses, the United States congress, and through them, We the People. He denied us, he denied YOU.

AG Holder stonewalled and then was held in Civil Contempt of Congress. When he persisted on covering up the illegal activities perpetuated during Operation Fast and Furious, he was found and is currently being held, in CRIMINAL CONTEMPT of Congress. Stop and let that sink in; THE TOP COP has been found to be in Criminal Violation by the TOP LAW MAKING body. That is TEXT BOOK TYRANNY, and you want to talk about taking my guns? Gimme a break. You SUPPORT that craziness, I won’t.

I have my guns because your buddy Eric there GAVE “Assault Weapons” to Criminals. I need to protect my family from the Narco Terrorists that your AG Armed. They are in the City I live in now. You want a Terrorist to Rail against? Well there he is. And by YOU supporting them, YOU Mr. Richard Patrick, and every one of the Authoritarian Statists like yourself, are a Terrorist and a traitor to the United States of America and the Constitution that makes it so.

You claim that Sandy Hook was your 9/11 which is an apt comparison but not for the reasons you have put forth. They are alike because both events have been manipulated by your Government to take rights from law abiding citizens all in the name of “safety”, when In reality it is people like you, people detached and ignorant of the real world, who live in a fantastical Utopian dream land that created the “Gun Free Kill Zones” that everyone of these mass shootings have occurred at. It is authoritarian elitist “progressives” such as yourself that set up this perfect scenario for slaughter; Victim Disarmament Zones. The Blood of Sandy Hook is on the hands of people like you.

I own multiple weapons, I have owned multiple pick up trucks, I’m down with ALL the Gods (the good ones), I swore an Oath to defend the Constitution, I spent a year in Iraq.

How DARE YOU imply that I am a Terrorist.

I have marched with the Tea Party and I have also marched with the Occupy movement and consider both of them to be good in the beginning until they were usurped by the establishment that you represent. I swore an Oath and sacrificed a Year doing the Real Deal to defend your First Amendment Right for you to be a Sophomoric, Banal, Idiot, BRAVO, job well done!! You’re not welcome.

Why aren’t you upset by the fact that 22 Veterans commit suicide everyday?

Why aren’t you upset about the fact that Mayor “Murder” Emanuel’s Chicago, our old home town, is on course to have 2 Sandy Hooks a month in gun murders?

Because you are a Parrot, and you only spew the latest trendiest propaganda from the left; brainwashed is basically what you are.

I will no longer sit idly by while you actively endeavor to subvert the Constitution that I swore an Oath to defend.

You have made some incredibly bad business decisions in your career, and the history of your band is the text book example of what NOT to do to be a success. Stealing from, degrading, demonizing and vilifying every person that you have ever worked with is a horrible business model. And it makes you a thief. But that’s just the good side.

I’m glad I don’t have to live like that, it must suck.

Why don’t you sacrifice a year for your country and then come back and talk to me about taking my guns, until then, stop being a bitch when someone with a pair and the courage enough to do it puts you in your place.

Watch Kavanagh’s interview with Infowars’ Owen Shroyer below:

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Infowars video with live comments: