Still, many wonder why Macklemore is being treated more harshly than Chris Brown, the Grammy-winning singer who performed at Gillette Stadium in August despite a history of legal troubles that includes a 2009 felony conviction for assaulting his then-girlfriend, Rihanna. Or Ye, the rapper formerly known as Kanye West, who has expressed admiration for Hitler and the Nazis and released a song called “Heil Hitler.” Ye played last month at sold-out Soldiers Field, an NFL stadium in Chicago, and is scheduled to perform in the coming weeks at NFL stadiums in Houston, Arizona, and at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, where the Dallas Cowboys play. The Cowboys are owned by Kraft friend and confidant Jerry Jones. When Sheeran performs at AT&T Stadium next month, Macklemore will not be on the bill.

Because these are the values of the USA. When someone tells you who they are for a decade, 2, 5, 10, 25, 60… When do you finally believe them?