The family of Johnny Cash has shared a statement demanding that no white supremacists, neo-Nazis and other hate groups use Cash's image or likeness in any form.
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On Aug. 16, a statement was shared by Rosanne, Kathy, Cindy, Tara and John Carter Cash on their individual Facebook pages.
"We were alerted to a video of a young man in Charlottesville, a self-proclaimed neo-Nazi, spewing hatred and bile," the post begins. "He was wearing a t-shirt emblazoned with the name of Johnny Cash, our father. We were sickened by the association."
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"Johnny Cash was a man whose heart beat with the rhythm of love and social justice," the letter reads before listing off a long list of the late country legend's humanitarian awards. "He would be horrified at even a casual use of his name or image for an idea or a cause founded in persecution and hatred. The white supremacists and neo-Nazis who marched in Charlottesville are poison in our society, and an insult to every American hero who wore a uniform to fight the Nazis in WWII."
The Cash family goes on to say that several of their extended family members served in WWII, and that they "do not judge race, color, sexual orientation or creed."
"To any who claim supremacy over other human beings, to any who believe in racial or religious hierarchy: we are not you," they explain. "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."
