The Justin Reed Show salutes America Friday at 10

There’s something about a song that can say what a speech never will.

That’s why, this Friday from 10 to noon, The Justin Reed Show is turning the dial to one thing: America.

We’re calling it The Justin Reed Show Salutes America, and from Waylon Jennings to Johnny Cash, Ray Charles to Toby Keith, it’s a playlist soaked in stars, stripes, grit, and grace.

We’re leaning heavy on the patriotic, but not just the predictable. You’ll hear “The Eagle” and “Ragged Old Flag,” but you’ll also hear Garth Brooks singing “We Shall Be Free” just minutes after Charlie Daniels shouts, “This ain’t no rag, it’s a flag.” Two different takes. Same love of country. And that’s the point.

See, what makes America different from anywhere else in the world is that we’re a melting pot. We come from different places, we think different thoughts, and we feel different things. And still, we find common ground in the music. The same station can play “God Bless the USA” and “This Land is Your Land,” and nobody’s getting kicked off the air.

I’m proud to be an American. I know that means different things to different people. And that’s okay. I want this show to be a place where all of those feelings can coexist. Because at the end of the day, we live in the best country there is. Not because it’s perfect, but because we’re free to say it’s not.

And here’s the deeper part:

Freedom isn’t easy. It’s noisy. It’s messy. But it’s precious. And if we can all still stand up, put our hands over our hearts, and tear up just a little when we hear “America the Beautiful,” then maybe there’s still more holding us together than pulling us apart.

So tune in Friday, 10 a.m. to noon. Whether you catch five minutes or the whole ride, I hope you walk away proud. Not just on the Fourth, but every day. We’ve got a lot of work to do. But we’ve also got something worth working for.

And that, my friends, is worth singing about.