In news that should surprise absolutely no one, Kid Rock has defiantly dismissed protesters offended by his use of the Confederate flag at concerts.

The Michigan-born singer and rapper was the focus of a recent Fox News segment (which you can watch above) discussing the protest of a museum exhibit in Detroit devoted to his career. One might think that Rock, as one of the city's best-known performers, might get a free pass from the residents of Detroit, but in this case, he's being held to a higher standard by those who wish he'd set a better example and question the meaning of the Confederate flag to a guy who was neither born nor raised anywhere near the South.

As National Action Network director Sam Riddle puts it in the segment: "How in the hell can Kid Rock represent Detroit and wave that flag just generating millions and millions in ticket sales — a flag that represents genocide to most of Detroit?"

The flag has obviously been at the center of a huge national debate lately, but Rock — who's currently on tour with Foreigner — doesn't seem terribly interested in trading points of view. In response, he offered a written statement to Fox host Megyn Kelly, who read it on air: "Please tell the people protesting to kiss my ... ask me some questions."

The iconography of the flag is an issue that a number of Southern artists have wrestled with in recent years — Lynyrd Skynyrd caught flak from fans when they expressed their discomfort with it — but anyone expecting a nuanced response from Kid Rock on this or any issue was bound to be disappointed. Those seeking a genuine Southern musician's thoughts on the matter are encouraged to seek out "The South’s Heritage Is So Much More Than a Flag," the recent New York Times editorial penned by Drive-By Truckers frontman Patterson Hood.

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