Conservatives and ""hippies"" alike united Wednesday night in the Wisconsin Union Theater to hear Ted Nugent's ""God, guns and rock 'n' roll"" speech.
The 30 million record-selling musician focused on his conservative values of conservation, hunting, capitalism and sobriety.
Nugent emphasized hunting the second he took the stage, holding an antler rack on top of his head resembling a hat. Later, Nugent described hunting as ""hands-on conservation"" and the ""last harmonious ballet"" man has with nature.
He also declared he has been sober for all 58 years of his life and scoffed at his deceased rock and roll colleagues who laughed at him for not using drugs.
""They were assholes that gave up their life for being hip,"" Nugent said.
Nugent stressed the importance of steering clear of alcohol, drugs, tobacco and junk foods—substances, according to Nugent, commonly used and abused by college students.
In regard to his own education, Nugent joked, ""I never went to college—I was busy learning shit.""
Nugent associated liberals with ""laziness"" and conservatives with hard work. Nugent argued that in the long run, the conservative's theory improves the homeless by ingraining a sense of hard work and pride in them.
With regard to social welfare, Nugent said, ""The truly needy don't get what they need because of bloodsuckers.""
Nugent said many in his Detroit hometown sit at home collecting checks for ""bling,"" consequently depriving some war veterans of needs as basic as wheelchairs.
The crowd generally supported Nugent but some hecklers scolded him. Taking advantage of a post-speech discussion, a war veteran chastised him for what he described as Nugent urinating and defecating his pants to dodge the Vietnam War draft.
Nugent denied the allegations, asserting his patriotism. He proceeded to tell the man to ""eat shit and die.""
Collegians for a Constructive Tomorrow, a group promoting conservation through private property rights and free markets, sponsored the event. National director of CFACT Bill Gilles said Nugent was invited to speak because he aligns himself with the group's stance on conservation.
Many students said they came to see Nugent the rocker, not the conservationist.
""I hope he busts out the guitar,"" UW-Madison freshman Mike Goyette said.
Alas, he did not.
