POISON's RIKKI ROCKETT Defends His Right To Speak Out On Political Issues: 'I Am Not Going To Hide Who I Am'

POISON drummer Rikki Rockett has decried the divisive nature of today’s political scene in America after he was criticized for comments he made when it was announced the President-elect Joe Biden had won the White House.

On November 7, after it was reported that Biden was projected to defeat Donald Trump in the U.S. presidential election, Rockett posted on his social media: "Congratulations to Joe Biden and especially Kamala Harris for being the first woman to become Vice President. I wasn't sure I'd ever see that in my lifetime." His comments were quickly met with backlash from some Trump supporters, who are struggling to accept that their candidate had lost his bid for re-election.

Less than two hours later, Rockett returned to his Facebook and made a lengthy post in which he defended his right to speak out on political issues, saying that he is not going to hide who he is from his fans so that they don't have to see him as a real person.

He wrote: "So, I congratulate the first woman to be elected to the Whitehouse. I pretty much have said nothing more than, 'Dare to dream' and certain people want to never listen to POISON again over it! If this describes you, then you don't want to really know me in any way shape or form in the first place. You just want the circus monkey to perform. Fine. If you go over to the POISON page, there is no politics whatsoever over there. Just POISON stuff.

"I never speak of politics in interviews, onstage or at meet 'n greets. I keep it away from POISON. However, as an individual, I do have personal views and opinions. Don't want to know anything other than the man behind the drums? Fine, but this is MY page.

"I am a person who's job is playing drums, I am not going to hide who I am from you so that you don't have to see me as a real person. Read that again... I am not going to hide who I am from you so that you don't have to see me as a real person.

"If we were all sitting at a table having coffee, I doubt most of you would get up and walk away or if I was just a random friend, tell me to fuck off and would never deal with me again. If you did, you wouldn't be my friend or share my table in the first place and I wouldn't want to be at yours. Same goes here. If you don't like me as a person, I have no idea why you are here. I'll me and you do you. I am open minded, but I won't be bullied because you think since you bought a ticket or a record that I have to mute myself on my own social media pages so you don 't have to deal with a difference of opinion.

"I am not shoving my opinion down anyone's throat. This is my page and I have my views. I will not try and tweak my likes and dislikes to appeal to my possible 'demographic' so that I maximize my social media. Do you really want that from me? Do you want me to be that fake?

"I bust balls and I don't mind it back, but when you threaten to never like what my life's work has been over simply giving props to what I see as historic, well then that is just too damn bad. If she turns out to be a bad Vice President, then she does. Still, this is historic and that in and of itself is the point of my post. I am so sorry if you missed it."

Rockett's words were met with support from his social media followers, one of whom said that she did not vote for Biden but that she thought it was "cool" that we will finally have a female vice president. Rikki replied: "I understand. It's why I voted for Trump in 2016. However, my taxes were worse! I am not a Democrat only because of taxes and Government interference too much. Socially... I am pretty liberal. I'm in a glam band for fucks sake! Lol".

POISON's "The Stadium Tour" with DEF LEPPARD, MÖTLEY CRÜE and JOAN JETT & THE BLACKHEARTS" was originally scheduled to take place this summer but ended up being pushed back to 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic which is sweeping the globe.