System of a Down guitarist Daron Malakian has revealed in a social media post that he is against gun control, is a strong supporter of the Second Amendment, and claims “Guns are essential tools for self defense,” while adding the hashtag #DefundGunControl.
This is post is NOT about System drummer John Dolmayan, who has spent the better part of the last year screaming loudly on the internet in support of far-right conservative ideals. Dolmayan, you surely recall, called Donald Trump “the greatest friend to minorities,” asserted that “there is no systemic racism in the United States,” claimed that “the Black Lives Matter movement could care less about black people,” and believes that the 2020 presidential election was illegally stolen from Trump.
No… this post is about Daron Malakian. It is, to my knowledge, the first time we’ve seen him post publicly in support of a political issue that usually tracks conservative. It shouldn’t need to be said, but because clearly it still does: System of a Down have vocally supported liberal causes throughout their career to the point that it’s part of their very identity.
The revelation came in a Facebook post on Wednesday, March 24, in which Malakian re-posted a video of a man known as Gun Drummer (whose videos we’ve covered before) simultaneously drumming and shooting a pistol as an added percussive instrument along to System of a Down’s “B.Y.O.B.” That song, it must be stated, is about the exploitation of America’s poor to fight wars overseas (at the time of the song’s release in 2005, the U.S. occupation of Iraq was in full swing).
Daron’s own caption to the video reads:
“Another great performance from GunDrummer. Guns are essential tools for self defense!!!!!! And they make great percussive instruments as well!!! #2A #2ndAmendment #DefundGunControl #GunsareLoaded #BYOB #SOAD #DMSOB #DaronMalakian #ScarsOnBroadway #SystemOfADown”
Now, it must be said: just because Malakian is a proud gun owner does not mean he is conservative. I know plenty of liberals who own guns and I know Republicans who believe more gun control is needed.
That said, it certainly is a head-scratcher that a second member of one of metal’s most notoriously liberal bands is siding with a typically conservative viewpoint, even if just on one issue… and we have to wonder whether it is in fact just this one issue or not. It’s also an incredibly tone-deaf message to put out after two horrific mass shooting took place within a week of each other.
You can watch the video and view the post below.