Natalie Maines Pisses Off Pro-War Country Fans
Giving me yet another reason to like the Dixie Chicks, Natalie Maines has apparently annoyed the heck out of many country-music fans with her comment during a recent London show that she was “ashamed the president of the United States is from Texas.” Even nicer is the way Maines and the group are sticking to their guns, using two subsequent press statements to more specifically explain what they’re unhappy about, rather than backing down.
March 14th, 2003 at 7:31 pm
Although I don’t like country music, I guess not all country singers are as bad as the noise they make.
I’m not ashamed that Bush is a Texan as much as I am that Texans are Americans…
March 14th, 2003 at 8:24 pm
I am a Canadian citizen but born in England and I think it is disgusting that the “Chicks” have chosen to voice their negative opinion of their president while outside their own country. Come on girls, get some b…s and speak out politically in your own country not just to appease and please a crowd some where else in the world.
March 14th, 2003 at 10:26 pm
Yeah, as a current resident of Texas I’d _really_ like to see the Dixie Chicks say that back home in lone star country. I mean they’d be murdered instantly, but I’d like to see it.
And Texas isn’t as bad as it’s made out.. well, not all of it anyway. I mean really, just about anyplace has its share of goofballs. Texas’s just tend to be republican … and kinda loud. I’ve survived here for, what, 6 years now as an atheist libertarian californian, although I am white and straight which helps.
March 15th, 2003 at 3:39 am
Being a Texan, who lives overseas because my husband is in the military, I was shattered to hear what Natalie Maines had to say about our President. It seems that her being in a foreign country she exhibited exactly the attitude that every foreigner seems to think about Americans. That is such a disgrace. Being able to live in other countries has made me take a look at America in “another country’s eyes”. It’s really sad what I see. There are very few people who seem to proud to be an American and live the FREE life. As a military wife, you would think that I would be against what Pres. Bush is for, but why? Is he not the right man to be in office now? Every military family stands to suffer a greater loss than that of Natalie Maines…or any other celebrity for that matter. And, if we can back our President, why can’t they…or YOU? If you’re not happy with our President….live somewhere else….and see what it feels like. You people have it so easy.
March 15th, 2003 at 5:44 am
heather — AMERICA is about accepting people. The whole “love it or Leave it” attitude is exactly what this wonderful country is NOT about. I’m sure you think that being a “military wife” gives you some sort of qualification to speak on the subject other than the “common fucking sense and education” everyone else here has, but really, it just gives you a more biased and discredited opinion.
You think we’re living the “free life”? Learn a bit about what a president’s wartime powers are. Read what’s been done to suspected terrorists. Our basic freedoms are no longer guranteed. I’ll admit that every time I write something on here I’m actually concerned that a couple government gorillas are going to bash down my door and drag me off to the deepest shadows. I don’t like to live in fear. We’re now no better than any of the “non free” countries except we have the largest stockpile of weapons and the most fast food restaurants.
And Bush is, by FAR, not the right man to be in office right now. We need a leader who doesn’t bring an axe to the operating table of international diplomacy. We need a leader that is able to admit he’s wrong and think objectively. We need a leader than can pronounce NUCLEAR for Christ’s sakes!
The reason that everyone is against the war is because it’s WRONG. Morally. You remember, morals, those things they strip you of along with free will and independant thought in the military…
The vast majority of Americans are against the war. The vast majority of the world’s population is against the war. It would seem that only Bush and his stupid loudmouth cowboy supporters actually want it to happen, and it’s now as much an ego as an economic thing; Bush is too arrogant to let this one go. Heather, ask yourself — are people’s lives worth not admitting fault?
As for you detractors who bitch about it not being said in the U.S — they’d easilly be called “enemy combatants” and locked away had they said it in the U.S. And, although most people ARE against the war, obviously the militant ones aren’t. Someone would attempt an assassination before the gov’t could bust ’em.
Along those same lines, I’m extremely impressed that they’re actually giving REASONS for their views, unlike Bush who just answers everything with “9/11”.
I should apologize a bit for the Texas bashing. Being from Wisconsin I sometimes get a bit hardcore on the lonestar state. ymatt has a point that the oddballs in Texas are just more noisy than anywhere else, however, I still maintain that there are an above average amount…
March 15th, 2003 at 6:25 am
” If you’re not happy with our President….live somewhere else….and see what it feels like.”
I’ll repeat with jbc has said before: I am not a citizen of George W. Bush, but America.
And I’ve been plenty of other places and generally been pretty satisfied with the way they run things as well. Except they don’t serve soft drinks in nearly large enough sizes.
March 15th, 2003 at 6:26 am
Oops. Above comment by me. I was distracted thinking about large soft drinks.
March 15th, 2003 at 7:41 am
ok….first off, let me say that i don’t think that being a military wife gives me qualification to speak on anything. i speak because i have the right too, and not more so than anyone else. i’m saying that it is a bit different living in another country AND being american. and, you do live in a free country. americans, including myself before i “married the military”, are very greedy. there is a HUGE difference in america and most of the other countries. our government doesn’t regulate our electricity or lengths of our phone calls.
also, i am not necessarily for this war….i’m for america. i DO think that war is morally wrong and it sickens me when i see what comes from war. but, what do we do? should we just let whatever the terrorists want to happen happen? or, should we take as much control of the situation as we can before it gets out of control? i don’t know the right answers to either of those questions, but i do know that president bush has yet to let me down. he stands by his word and i can’t think of too many presidents recently that have done that.
i see the point that you are trying to make and i understand where you are coming from, but i also know that it’s a lot easier to sit in your air conditioned/heated home on a comfortable chair listening to whatever you want, eating/drinking whatever you want and having the freedom to say whatever you want. do you think about what people sacrifice for to be able to do this? because, like myself, people don’t realize what goes on and what’s going in other parts of the world when you live in a country like america and have the freedom to do just about anything you choose.
and another thing….the reason for this whole conversation is the dixie chicks, who i used to be a fan of. there are a lot of americans who do what natalie did… say something that SHOULD be said in our own country, and not somewhere else trying to win over fans. that is one of the main reasons other countries do not like us….we have no ties to our country. we want to all be the “different one” and take a side with someone else….and not just on the war issue. there a very few patriotic americans left.
March 15th, 2003 at 7:51 am
by the way….what is the reasoning behind all the poor thoughts on texas? does texas not basically take care of the rest of the country?
March 15th, 2003 at 10:03 am
“does texas not basically take care of the rest of the country?”
wait… huh?
March 15th, 2003 at 10:08 am
“but, what do we do? should we just let whatever the terrorists want to happen happen? or, should we take as much control of the situation as we can before it gets out of control?”
Well, but the point that most of us who are wary of war are trying to make is that there’s significant disagreement about the degree to which going to war will actually help halt the terrorism situation instead of incite it as well as how much it will cause things to get more out of control instead of less.
I think we can all agree: terrorism bad. I just don’t feel the methods Bush seems sold on are the best necessarily and I’m very dubious of what he’s willing to spend, both in terms of human life and international relations.
March 15th, 2003 at 1:34 pm
i agree with you to a certain extent; however, after 9/11, bush said that this was going to be a long, hard war and everyone was cheering. now, it seems that “the moment” is over and we are trying to become complacent again and very vulnerable. i don’t want a war, but at the same time….i want to be able to watch my daughter grow. i just think that either way, we are going to be dealing with some loss. either ours or theirs….and that doesn’t make war right, but does it make it wrong to defend ourselves on an attack that is inevitable? maybe bush is digging for something and maybe he’s going about it the wrong way, but the fact still remains….we will be attacked again. if we can gain some kind of ground on the terrorists, the better off we are as a people in general. i know there are war mongers and i am definitly not one of them, but there does come a time when america has to be the one that can go out on a leash to make some kind of sense out of all of the craziness in this world. maybe we need to start by looking in america’s mirror first, who knows.
March 16th, 2003 at 6:07 am
heather — once again it seems I’ve to explain things to you with small words and simple ideas. In fact, most of the points I made before you seem to have disregarded…
1) You seem to think you have some sort of insight the rest of us lack, regardless of what that may be. You don’t. You just seem to lack an understanding of the subject outside of what the American media sings. There’s plenty of international news sites on the web, get educated. America isn’t as free as you think, not all other countries are as oppressed as you think. Ever stop to think that America’s wonderful freedom and massive social turmoil are intertwined? Maybe we should carpet bomb a few American cities rather than do so to other countries in order to solve our problems…
2) You say you’re for America and against terrorism… a war with Iraq has nothing to do with terrorism. If you want to help America join or create a special interest group — the presidents seem to be slaves to those rather than the opinion of the non-soft-money-contributing citizens. If Bush hasn’t let you down (either of them) then you AREN’T American. His leadership in general is a disgrace on multiple levels (and even in parallel dimensions).
3) Do you think that by bombing and killing the civilians in Iraq that we’ll be giving them a better life? The “American Dream”? Do you think they WANT it? If we invade Iraq, we’ll just set up a puppet government that will piss off some local warlord so much he’ll overthrow it, then we’ll have someone who runs the country because he hates America. Would you rather have that?
4) The Dixie Chicks didn’t do it to win fans. Had they, they wouldn’t be supporting their argument. TRUE Americans ARE the ones who speak out against what they don’t like about the gov’t… what do you think the founders of THIS country did? People aren’t doing it to “go with the crowd,” they’re genuinely unsatisfied with the direction Bush is leading the U.S. Other countries don’t dislike America because we’ve “unloyal citizens,” they dislike our country because for the most part the citizens are arrogant and ignorant. Much as you’ve proven, heather.
Now, having stuffed your argument down the drain for a second time, please refrain from having to make me do it a third. And by the way, about Texas supporting the U.S…. I find it’s more like Texas is like the Grandpa whom we put into a retirement home because he wouldn’t stop shouting his war stories.
March 16th, 2003 at 7:54 am
stupid…since you live in wisconsin, i’m sure that you haven’t lived in any other country besides the usa. i don’t think that i have some sort of insight that you, or anyone else lacks, but i think that i can speak on behalf of what i see. and that is not driving to and from work on the same tired beaten path i’ve been driving down for 25 years now. i know what it is actually like in other countries and know what kind of thoughts that they have on americans. and guess what…it’s first-hand! yeah, i didn’t have to sit on my computer all night and find what other countries think about americans. i asked them personally! so, before you say that i am uneducated on the present situation that we are in, get off your ass and maybe do a little investigating yourself. maybe talk to some people that different opinions other than yourself and the people who think that america has it sooo bad. you should consider yourself blessed to have been born in america so that you can have the choice to voice your opinion like you do. had this been somewhere else….i don’t think that we would have had to listen to you for very long.
March 16th, 2003 at 9:46 am
“i agree with you to a certain extent; however, after 9/11, bush said that this was going to be a long, hard war and everyone was cheering”
Well, I wasn’t. And it’s real easy to play on a nation’s reflexive desire to retaliate; it’s no justification for doing whatever we want though.
Secondly, I at least certainly haven’t spent my entire life sitting in one place. I’ve been lots of places around the globe, although I think that actually matters little to this argument. We here in the US (and people across much of the globe) have access to free media. Any one of us has access to a large amount of information and are open to hear the arguments for and against war. Many of us just aren’t convinced that it’s going to gain us any ground at all against terrorism and apparently neither are the governments of pretty much the majority of nations of the world.
The “doing something is better than doing nothing” argument doesn’t apply. There’s a very good chance that doing the wrong something may well be very much worse.
I’m finding it increasingly funny that this argument is happening in the Dixie Chicks thread, by the way.
March 16th, 2003 at 10:27 am
Oh and you’re not going to win any arguments being an ass, boxy :P
March 16th, 2003 at 11:27 am
To a_s_b: as much as I agree with your stance, and disagree with heather’s… I find someone who disagrees with me, but is open-minded enough to engage in a rational discussion about the topic, to be a valuable resource. It seems to me that you’ve passed up this opportunity in favor of cheap vitriol.
To heather: you seem to feel that the 9/11/2001 attack, or terrorism in general, have something to do with invading Iraq. Could you explain this assertion? Even the current administration has given up on its laughably weak attempts to create any link whatsoever between them.
March 16th, 2003 at 12:48 pm
onan: no, i don’t think that the iraq situation has anything to do with 9/11, not in the way that bush is approaching it anyway. i do think that iraq does harbor terrorists and probably will be a threat to us sooner or later. as i mentioned earlier, i think that maybe bush is digging for soemthing and may be going about this the wrong way, but i strongly feel that something needs to be done about the world situation. once again, i will say that i don’t agree with war, but i agree with defending ourselves. you don’t have to have a war to defend yourself, and just because people are backing bush does not mean that they are pro-war. it means that they are maintaining faith in their nations president.
to ymatt: i was not meaning you at all in the not ever going anywhere comment. and, i agree with you on doing the wrong something could make it worse….but, i still feel as if some kind of measures need to be taken.
March 16th, 2003 at 1:30 pm
“you don’t have to have a war to defend yourself, and just because people are backing bush does not mean that they are pro-war. it means that they are maintaining faith in their nations president”
Except that the president is pretty clearly is very comfortable with and is planning on starting an unprovoked war any day now, so “backing” him works out to the same thing.
We need to have some thoughtful debate about the policies we’re pursuing and the actions we’re about to take rather than just dividing up into two entrenched camps: one that equates patriotism with supporting whatever the president wants to do and one that is against war because war is bad. Both can lead to extremely bad decisions, but they seem to be the only points of view the media is interested in covering because they’re the easiest to report, they’re the simplest to hold, and they make for exciting talk radio.
March 16th, 2003 at 5:12 pm
to onan and ymatt — thanks for your opinions on my style. I am actually quite open minded and objective, but I can see very easily where rational, calm conversation will fail and where you have to speak to people on a level they understand. I _DO_ consider every point presented, but I’m not afraid to speak against then if they’re groundless at the risk of being considered closed minded or a jerk. I worked customer service long enough and taken enough psycology as well as written communication classes to read a person rather well with only a single paragraph. Bonus points for the word vitriol, btw. Nice use of dictionary.com’s thesaurus.
heather — I am frustrated at the sheer amount of conclusions you draw. I have probably spent more time in over a dozen foreign countries than in the U.S., though I never held citizenship in them. I think you’d be shocked to know that over half of the people on my IM contact lists are foreigners I’ve met while in their countries.
I HAVE been to third world countries. I spent three years in Venezuela. It’s not THAT bad. Sure, they don’t have TV and fast food at every turn, but I thought the people were much, MUCH happier than the average American. True, it’s probably due in large part to an ignorance about what their gov’t is doing, but they can AFFORD that ignorance… they don’t have to worry about their leader making enemies with the world. They didn’t have a lot of the freedoms we (supposedly) have, but you know what? IT DIDN’T MATTER.
At this point I’d be glad to leave the U.S., but I AM patriotic, and as much as I’m against Bush I’m totally for the idea of America. I can do much more good here educating and encouraging people than I can by just moving to central Asia and avoiding the U.S. completely. Someone has to be willing to show those with different ideas that there are ARE others out there who agree, rather than just a bunch of militant republicans trying to beat them down.
Anyway, I’ve made all the points I can regarding every sub-topic you seem to bring up. The reasons why you disregard them is beyond me. Have a nice day, all, I’ve got a house to clean and dinner to cook.
March 16th, 2003 at 5:40 pm
” I worked customer service long enough and taken enough psycology as well as written communication classes to read a person rather well with only a single paragraph. Bonus points for the word vitriol, btw. Nice use of dictionary.com’s thesaurus.”
No trust me, onan talks like that all the time, even face to face. Seriously.
March 16th, 2003 at 10:19 pm
Ouch. Poor guy. Must have multiple personalities or an inferiority complex :D
j/k btw, although this is a rather heated discussion let’s not lose our senses of humor.
March 16th, 2003 at 11:01 pm
Yep, I’m afraid I really do speak that way all the time. Diagnoses of the disorder are probably outside the scope of this discussion. =)
I cannot imagine an even remotely plausible way in which invading Iraq would increase America’s safety. Invading a sovereign nation which poses no threat to us would serve only the dual purposes of giving more people more reason to hate and fear us, and convincing those people that we’re very willing fight dirty, and therefore so should they.
And all evidence (and Bush and Powell said they were giving us the most damning stuff, right?) makes it clear that Iraq does pose absolutely no threat to us. They have never once attacked us, assisted anyone else in attacking us, or even so much threatened to do anything more than fight back every time we invade them.
Even if they do still have some of the chemical weapons we gave them in the 80s, _and_ those chemicals have miraculously not decayed as all other such weapons do over the span of decades, they have no plausible means by which to harm the US with them.
Bush has vaguely hand-waved at the idea of Iraq supplying al Qaeda or a similar group with such weapons. This, of course, would be contrary to the entire history of both these entities, and every detail of their respective beliefs and desires. I am frustrated by the general American willingness to assume that because al Qaeda and Iraq mostly live in the same region, and have about the same skintone, they must all be in cahoots, without being willing to learn about the wide spectrum of beliefs and politics among them. Al Qaeda and Iraq are about as closely linked as al Qaeda and Greenland.
The only way that these two groups could conceivably ever come to cooperate would be if we were to successfully convince them that we’re so much a threat that they need to temporarily put aside their differences in order to fight us off. I don’t know whether it would ever be possible to convince them of this, but our current course of action seems like the best shot of doing so.
March 16th, 2003 at 11:42 pm
al qaeda is not the only network of terrorists in the world. and just because of skintone and geographical location is not the reason i sit here and think the things that i do.
you know, i never once have said that any of your views are wrong, because i don’t think that they are. and i don’t feel that my views are right, but because i take a stand and a belief in our president, it seems that i have become ignorant, biased and a loud mouth from texas. never in a million years will i encourage a war, for one, beides the obvious facts of horror it can cause, i hate being on lockdown on a base. i still think that something needs to be done…what I DON’T KNOW.
asb: i agree with you about the other countries. they do seem happier, and a hell of a lot friendlier…no offense. they seem to know what it takes to get along. i wish that this could be instilled all over the world.
March 17th, 2003 at 6:42 am
it seems to me that a stupid ass, i mean a stupid box, has way too much time on their hands. reading the comments above, i believe heather was making a comment on natalie “don’t call me horse” manines…your dumbass goes from point a to point y….check the subject at hand. i bet it is hard being from wisconsin…i mean hell, your miss america rep plays the flute and eats chicken rectums….go figure. get a life you liberal piece o’ shit….muhahahaha. holla!
March 17th, 2003 at 9:12 am
February 14, 2003. Today it was reported that a severe earthquake has occurred in 10 different locations in France. The severity was measured in excess of 10 on the Richter Scale. The cause was the 56,681 dead American soldiers buried in French soil rolling over in their graves.
According to the American Battle Monuments Commission there are 26,255 Yankee dead from World War I buried in 4 cemeteries in France. There are 30,426 American dead from World War II buried in 6 cemeteries in France.
These 56,681 brave American heroes died in their youth to liberate a country which is guilty of shameful unspeakable behavior in the 21st century. May the United States of America never forget their sacrifice as we find ways to forcefully deal with the Godforsaken unappreciative, forgetful country of France!
March 17th, 2003 at 12:47 pm
Haha, you’re just asking for trouble, Heather.
March 17th, 2003 at 3:01 pm
just adding a bit of humor into the conversations:)
March 17th, 2003 at 3:42 pm
jerome — real mature AND intelligent. I’ll bet you’ve impressed all of zero people with that comment. And you chide ME for being off subject? If you want to make personal attacks, please email them to me and spare the rest of the readers around here your senseless banter. Beyond that I see no need to respond to any specific thing you rattled off.
onan — I couldn’t have said it better myself. Of course, I’d have kept in mind that the average American adult has a third grade reading level and kept it simpler.
heather — whatever that has to do with this topic is beyond me. I don’t understand why everyone is down on France. They’re looking out for their best intrerest which is, believe-it-or-not, the same thing we’re doing. Difference is we CALL it “protecting the world”.
I find it interesting how in two of your posts now you felt it nessessary to note that you don’t know what the right course of action is, yet you support Bush. Perhaps you need to think more on the subject and not blindly follow Bush because he’s impressed you in the past. There are plenty of people I respect and/or admire, but I don’t go along with whatever they say. If they’re doing something I don’t agree with I will stand against them. It doesn’t mean I dislike them at all, only that I think for myself and what I believe is the right course they don’t.
March 17th, 2003 at 10:51 pm
the french thing is called a JOKE, something you obviously have forgot about in your uptight life.
March 18th, 2003 at 1:01 am
I lead an uptight life?… hehehe, with a blood pressure that’s 112/56 it must be a pretty relaxed uptight life…
March 18th, 2003 at 10:29 am
if you respect/admire someone and they are doing something that goes against what you believe in, would say that you are ashamed that you know them? this is what sparked this whole argument…i thought that it was in bad taste for natalie to say these things, especially when she has praised bush in the recent past. that’s the only point that i was trying to make from the beginning.
March 18th, 2003 at 3:33 pm
I wouldn’t say I’m ashamed that I know them, just ashamed of them. Which is what Natalie basicly did. It’s perfectly fine to basicly state that although you think someone is doing a pretty good job that they’re screwing one thing up so badly you’re ashamed of them.
I don’t mean to imply that Bush is doing a fine job. He isn’t. Internationally OR domesticly. In fact, there’s really only one thing Bush has done which I agree with, that being a minor domestic policy.
You seem to be dead-set in the idea that Bush is a leader and must be followed because he’s automatically the best man for the job. Well, I hate to burst your bubble but being the president is just like any other occupation. The job doesn’t always go to the best qualified applicant, merely the one who kisses the most ass.
This country was born of revolution, and a great amount of our presidents have acknowledged and appreciate that. Rooseveldt (I believe) said that a country should have a revolution every 20 years or so. Why? To avoid crazy-powerful institutional governments to form (much as has happened).
There are greater men than Bush who are spinning in their graves in reaction to his actions. This is basicly going to turn out to be another Vietnam, what with the massive social unrest. Only this time it’s going to be on a televised international level.
I’m sure that in 10 years you’ll have to explain to your kids why you supported the war that the world objected to. I wonder what you will tell them? From the sounds of it, all you have is, “Because the president said so.”
March 18th, 2003 at 11:54 pm
please re-read all of my statements, because i have said over and over i don’t agree with war, nor do i support war in any fashion. trust me….my life is already in upheaval because of the 48 hr ordeal. anyway, just because i support bush as a person doesn’t mean that i always support every idea that he has. just as a mother knows that her child is probably wrong, she will back them and support them to the end. that’s why i voted for bush. i will support him….maybe not always his ideas.
March 19th, 2003 at 9:18 am
Texas Our Texas, all Hail the Mighty State.
Bush kissed the most ass….classic. Holy shit, George W. Bush kissed the most ass, that is why he is OUR president. I believe you have no clue when you say that “being the President is just like any other occupation.” To me it sounds like you think you know whats going on but you really don’t have any idea. I’m not going to argue with your points or opinions because I could really care less, but your comments above show you really don’t know shit. And I can’t help to think you are queer, not that it bothers me or anything, but it helps me understand your position a little better.
March 19th, 2003 at 9:40 am
“Our basic freedoms are no longer guranteed. I’ll admit that every time I write something on here I’m actually concerned that a couple government gorillas are going to bash down my door and drag me off to the deepest shadows. I don’t like to live in fear.”
You did say one thing right. THE EYES OF TEXAS ARE UPON YOU….ALL THE LIVE LONG DAY…..
March 19th, 2003 at 1:51 pm
Do you see now why I’m an advocate for better public education systems? With contributions like those last two I seriously wonder why jbc doesn’t institute some type of minimal standards for posting here.
It’s like I’m playing chess against special olympians — sure I can totally outclass and beat my opponents, but for all they know thay’re winning just by chewing on the pieces…
heather — the wandering, cataract eye of Texas doesn’t concern me. It’s the government that does.
jerome — please go back to blathering to items on the same intellectual level as you, such as various breakfast cereals and construction materials.
Oh, jbc, I supported the switch from slash to MT up until this point. I’m missing my moderator status right now.
March 20th, 2003 at 9:32 am
An open letter to the Dixie Chicks: Earlier this week, while performing in
> London, you stated that you were ashamed that our President is from your
> home state. I wonder if you realized how many Americans would be
> listening.
> This American was listening. This Texan is ashamed that you come from my
> state.
>
> I serve my country as an officer in the United States Navy.
> Specifically, I fly F-14 Tomcats off carriers around the world, executing
> the missions that preserve the very freedom you claim to exercise. I have
> proudly fought for my country in the skies over Kosovo, Iraq and
> Afghanistan
> without regret.
>
> Though I may disagree wholeheartedly with your comments, I
> will defend to the death your right to say them, in America. But for you
> to
> travel to a foreign land and publicly criticize our Commander in Chief is
> cowardice behavior.
>
> Would you have so willingly made those comments while
> performing for a patriotic, flag-waving crowd of Texans in Lubbock. I
> would
> imagine not. How dare you pocket profits off songs about soldiers, their
> deaths and patriotism while criticizing their Commander in Chief abroad,
> even while they prepare to give their lives to ensure your own freedom of
> speech.
>
> Please ask yourself, what have you done to deserve that sacrifice?
> Do not try to justify your comments by claiming that you made them only
> because you care about innocent lives. Never once in our history have we
> committed troops to war for the purpose of taking innocent lives. We do it
> to protect innocent lives, even yours.
>
> If the world leaders of the late 1930’s had the vision and courage of our
> present Commander in Chief, perhaps the evil men who caused the death of
> millions in WWII would have never had the opportunity to harm a soul. The
> potential loss of millions of lives in the future at the hands of today’s
> evil men necessitate action.
>
> In a separate correspondence, I am returning to you each and every Dixie
> Chicks
> CD and cassette that I have ever purchased. Never again will I allow my
> funds to support your behavior. All you have done is to add your name to a
> growing list of American “Celebrities” who have failed to realize that
> they
> have obtained their successes on the backs of the American blue-collar
> workers such as our servicemen and women. To Natalie Maines: This
> Texan?this
> American will continue to risk his life to guarantee your freedoms. What
> will you do to deserve it?
i’m sure that this letter will mean nothing to you, but, as this LT states….my husband will also fight for your freedom to voice your opinion however you would like. you’re welcome….
March 20th, 2003 at 2:05 pm
After reading all of the posts on this site, I wanted to say a few things. I myself am from Texas and am extremely patriotic. I have great respect for our armed forces who are fighting with courage for our country. However I have no respect for our leaders who would wage a war without overwhelming support only to gain resources and leverage for new foriegn policy that was pushed out when Bush 1 was in there.
It pisses me off that pro-war and pro-Bush advocates assume just because someone disagrees with what is going on we are not patriotic. I thought that the basis of our freedoms involved the ability to question those in power. I think the outcry over Natalie’s comments are ignorant. Hell I won’t even discuss events with anyone who only watches US news (or shall I say “the Pentagon’s version of the news”)
March 29th, 2003 at 1:00 pm
i know i’ve made many people on here upset because of my views, but please read the following and try to remember that our troops REALLY need the support right now. morale is very low and regardless of your views on the war, they are just doing their jobs like you and everyone else has to do. please remember them in prayers and thoughts…it makes it a lot easier to work under supporting conditions.
> God Bless all our military people
> > May God keep you safe! Thank you!!
> >
> > “Got Your Back”
> >
> > I am a small and precious child,
> > my Dad’s been sent to fight…
> > The only place I’ll see his face,
> > is in my dreams at night.
> > He will be gone too many days
> > for my young mind to keep track.
> > I may be sad, but I am proud.
> > My Daddy’s got your back.
> >
> > I am a caring mother and
> > my son has gone to war…
> > My mind is filled with worries
> > I have never known before.
> > Everyday I try to keep
> > my thoughts from turning black.
> > I may be scared, but I am proud.
> > My son has got your back.
> >
> > I am a strong and loving wife,
> > with a husband soon to go.
> > There are times I’m terrified
> > in a way most never know.
> > I bite my lip, and force a smile
> > as I watch my husband pack.
> > My heart may break, but I am proud.
> > My husband’s got your back…
> >
> > I am a U.S. Soldier,
> > serving proudly, standing tall.
> > I fight for freedom, yours and mine,
> > by answering this call.
> > I do my job while knowing,
> > that the thanks is sometimes lax.
> > Just say a prayer that I’ll come home.
> > It’s me who’s got your back.
> >
> >
> > To any who would protest a war in Iraq, I say follow your own conscience.
> > It is truly only you who knows how you feel. But in doing so I would urge
> > all of you as good, God-fearing, patriotic, AMERICAN citizens to “For
> > God’s Sake” back up and stand by all of the people that are already over
> > there
> > preparing to give their lives for us and our way of life. Let us not have
> > another Vietnam with all the callous abuse our people had to come home to
> > face.
> > I would love to have every American citizen stop and really think about
> > those soldiers and I know of no faster way than this.
> >
> > SUPPORT OUR TROOPS, THEY DESERVE
> > EVERYTHING WE CAN GIVE THEM !!!!!
April 18th, 2003 at 10:42 am
I’ll add here since it’s been almost three weeks since this post has had input.
Linnea Johnson (Natalie Maines’s PR person on her website) has a statement on first entering NatalieMaines.com. It still rings of a hollow retraction. These people are so full of themselfs that they are completely incapable of saying “woops, we made a large mistake and we never should have said such a stupid thing and we totally retract what was said that day.”
Is that so hard? These are like bad little girls that have to answer to no one and they know it.
It’s obvious that the stardom has clouded Natalie Maines’s view of herself and the average person. I guess she thinks when people keep telling her “your great” that she thinks it means they want to hear her speak…well she is a singer and all people want from her is to sing. I don’t want opinions fom her and I don’t want to hear her talk about what her favorite donut is…she’s a singer so sing and when the song is over then go home.
This also applies to all the celebrities who have recently “voiced” their opinions in an anti-American way. Actors and singers who use the “microphone” to blurt out their opinions have to realize that their “worth” is to their “art” and that is as far as it goes. I, for one, don’t want ice cream from my oven…I go to the freezer for ice cream. If I want political opinions I will turn on CNN or another media source where these experts give varied opinions but I certainly am not looking for opinions on the Iraq situation from an over-eating guitar player.
April 18th, 2003 at 7:27 pm
I am proud to live in a country where you have the freedom to express your views. I have read many of these posts and the only thing I see different about N. Maines is that she is a someone that has the ability to reach millions of people where I have the ability to reach a few people.
However, that said, when it comes to the troops fighting in foreign lands to protect this country from more 9-11s, I think we should stand united. We don’t have to like President Bush but he is the Commander in Chief and he sends the troops in harms way. I support that. He has the constitutional right and obligation to protect the United States from any threat, overt or covert.
Our freedom means taking an active part in the way that our leaders are elected. If you don’t vote you have no say in what is going on in this country. If you vote and your candidate lost, for what ever the reason may be, whether you like it or not, you defend the United States.
For the people that think there should be peace all the time, I commend them, however, when we deal with the human being, that is not always the option.
France, Germany, and Russia were all dealing with Iraq in ways that may have been contrary to International law, and therefore can’t point their fingers at us for not doing so. The United Nations appear to me to have been a paper lion, all huff but no action.
Ultimately, only time will tell the outcome of this war. No matter what, I will always stand by the troops as long as they do what they have been trained to do, defend our right of freedom and liberty.
I too have lived in third world countries where you are guilty until you bribe the right amount of people to become innocent. While the United States is not perfect, in my opinon it is still heads above any other form of government existing in todays world.
April 19th, 2003 at 11:03 pm
I was out browsing around and ran across this site. Real interesting debate. I would like for Heather, Jerome, A Stupid Box, Spider, and Robb to check out the following;
http://www.ariannaonline.com/columns/files/041603.html
I thing it brings it all into perspective.
April 19th, 2003 at 11:51 pm
Well we went to war. We won. Iraqis are happy. The French get oil. Saddam can no longer murder innocent Iraqis ona daily basis. Any Problems with that? I didn’t think so.
April 19th, 2003 at 11:51 pm
Well we went to war. We won. Iraqis are happy. The French get oil. Saddam can no longer murder innocent Iraqis ona daily basis. Any Problems with that? I didn’t think so.
April 19th, 2003 at 11:52 pm
Well we went to war. We won. Iraqis are happy. The French get oil. Saddam can no longer murder innocent Iraqis ona daily basis. Any Problems with that? I didn’t think so.
April 19th, 2003 at 11:52 pm
Well we went to war. We won. Iraqis are happy. The French get oil. Saddam can no longer murder innocent Iraqis ona daily basis. Any Problems with that? I didn’t think so.
April 19th, 2003 at 11:52 pm
Well we went to war. We won. Iraqis are happy. The French get oil. Saddam can no longer murder innocent Iraqis ona daily basis. Any Problems with that? I didn’t think so.
April 20th, 2003 at 3:26 pm
Natalie Maines is either for President Bush and America or she is against. Since she has claimed to be against, then she should pack and move to a diferent country because America doesn’t need people like her. She is ashamed of Pres.Bush, well I’m ashamed to say the country group, “Dixie Chicks” is from America. Obviously, she had NO family or friends in New York that died. Does she think all those people were killed and we as Americans should just set and do nothing about it?
With all her anti-war comments, what does she have to say to all the families that lost loved-ones? My opinion is shared by many people about Natalie Maines. She needs to keep her mouth closed! Just because she is on-stage in front of thousands of people does NOT give her any right to speak against America. It’s just sickening! I hope she has learned a lesson. If not, then she need to move on somewhere else!
April 24th, 2003 at 12:08 pm
I have been reading some of the posts on this website. I didn’t think that this would have to be said, but obviously it does. For the past 30 years Sadam Hussein has been murdering, torturing and raping the Iraqi citizens. In 1993, in response to a kurdish up rising, he used chemical wepons to completely obliterate the kurds in that village. He has time and time again called for terrorist groups to kill the dirty americans (and yes this means you). What more of a reason do we need to remove someone as evil as Sadam? Do we need to wait for another 9-11? Do I need to remind you that the US was attacked twice during the Clinton administration and the US did nothing?
The next time you Anti-war pukes feel like speaking out against Bush and his war, think about who you are speaking out in support of.
April 27th, 2003 at 10:05 am
If Natalie Maines doesn’t like George W. Bush being president of this country and being from Texas, then she should get out of America ad never come back. She’s as bad as the Anti-American celebrity Barbara Streisand. Same thing with the rest of the Dixie Chicks. They are a disgrace to our society!
April 27th, 2003 at 9:26 pm
Some of these Anti-War protesters real Agenda is not that they hate War.
Their real agenda is that they hate President George W. Bush.
Where were some of these Anti-War protesters when Clinton was in Office bombing Kosovo?
I would like to know why did Sheryl Crow partake in USO Tours during the Clinton Administration yet with Bush in office Sheryl Crow is going around saying War is not the Answer.
Just exactly why is it ok for Clinton to go to War yet when Bush wants to go to War then it’s suppose to be deemed wrong.
Hello! Clinton had a chance to get Bin Laden and he turned down the offer.
Hello! Most of the Chemical Weapons Iraq has came from Russia, France, and Germany.
And for those who claim there is no link between Hussein and Bin Laden. Our troops have found proof that there is indeed a link.
Afterall Saddam Hussein wanted Americans to swin in their own blood so to all them Anti-War protesters with your undeserved U.S. Citizenships this does mean you are among whom he wants to swim in your own blood.
Those Anti-War bimbos who are going around saying attacking Iraq was a bad idea lemme tell ya something explain to me why a great deal of Iraqi Americans Christian, Jewish and Muslim combined supported taking Saddam Hussein out.
I tell ya why they supported it. It’s cause they know what it was like to be ruled by Saddam Hussein.
Man oh man I wonder why people choose to stay in America if they hate it so much when the door is open for that person to move somewhere else.
Hell, Madonna is living in England, Johnny Deep is living in France and I think some of them other Anti-America Celebrities oughta consider moving as well.
If you are an Anti-America Celebrity reading this or some other person who hates America then please do us all a favor and move to places like France, China, or some other Country and make room in the U.S. for Pro-America French citizens that I am more than happy to welcome here as well as making room for others in other Countries whom happen to love America.
We seriously could maybe perhaps go for swapping Anti-America so called Americans for Foreigners that support America.
June 23rd, 2003 at 4:56 pm
MAN IM FROM TEXAS AND ONE OF MY BROTHERS EX GIRL FRIEND IS LIKE THIRD COUSIN TO NATTELIE AND I HAVE MET NATELIE BEFORE AND SHE IS A REAL BITCH I DONT LIKE HER JUST BECAUSE SHE SAID THAT ABOUT PRESIDENT BUSH I LIVE ABOUT 30 MINUTES AWAY FROM THE PRESIDENMTS CRAWFORD RANCH AND IF NATTILIE SHE IS NOT WELCOME HERE NAYMORE
SHANE FROM WACO,TEXAS
July 5th, 2003 at 8:04 pm
Hi I just Wanna let you know that I forgive you for what you said.I just cant see why people cant let the matter drop.You are a wonderful singer of wonderful songs and the Dixie Chicks are my favorite country group ever.Also it is cool how you sing long time gone.
Lindsey S. Tolliver
October 24th, 2003 at 4:19 pm
Ihate the Dixie Chicks now that they have switched to rock.I’m not even alowwed to listen to that kind of music. So I burned all the cd’s I had of them because I wont listen to them until they use some common sece and switch back to country because they suck at rock!
April 1st, 2004 at 3:58 pm
Hi. I live on Capitol Hill, only about a block away from the Capitol. I personally think that people who do not question authority are running a serious risk. For people who hate France, listen to this. In 1777 the French shipped over twenty thousand troops, tons of guns and supplies to the young nation deeply entangled with England. Had it not been for the French, we would not have won at Yorktown and the British would have kept our country as a colony. So shut up about “the french haven’t done anything for us”.
Also Bush has some charm that is lost on me. This is a man who is using his power as our leader to blunder about getting more oil for the cronies who financed his campaign. There are NO links that have been found between al qaeda and Iraq. There are no weapons of mass destruction. Also, after the cost of 600 American lives and thousands of Iraqi citizens, are we really doing them a favor? With Saddam, at least they had some version of stability.
April 9th, 2004 at 7:10 pm
Also, Amy, please learn to spell, or just stop letting your brother do you doggy-style while you’re trying to type.
April 4th, 2006 at 12:07 pm
It seems to me that people who are not “allowed to listen” to rock music are not the people who should be commenting on social issues anyway. This blog is not only a testament to some great liberal views, but just from sheer writing styles and word usage shows the general incompetence of right-wing conservatives.
April 6th, 2006 at 8:28 am
I THINK THE DIXIE CHICKS RULES IN THE END. SHE WAS RIGHT ABOUT BEING ASHAMED OF MR. BUSH. FIRST, HE FAILED TO MANAGE ALL THE COMPANIES HIS FATHER GAVE HIM. SECOND, HE FAILED TO LIVE UP TO HIS COLLEGE AND ACADEMIC CAREER BY BINGE DRINKING AND NOW, THE ONLY DYSLEXIC AND FAILED PRESIDENT WITH THE WORSE INTELLIGENCE AND RATINGS OF ALL TIME.
TEXANS SHOULD REALLY BE ASHAMED OF HIM COZ WE ALL ARE. THEY SHOULD BE PROUD THAT NATALIE SAID WHAT SHE SAID BECAUSE SHE IS TELLING THE TRUTH THAT YOU ALL COUNTRY WAR MONGERS ARE DENYING IT. NATALIE ROCK!!! YOU ALL OTHER SUCKS!!! SO STEP ASIDE, THIS CHICK GOT SOMETHING TO SAY BACK AT YA SORRY, DIMWITTED ASS!!! GO BUY HER NEW ALBUM OR AT LEAST LISTEN TO HER NEW SINGLE “NOT READY TO MAKE NICE”.
SHE IS MY MODEL AND MY HERO….SHE IS A PROUD AMERICAN AND A GREAT SINGER (OVER 100 MIL. IN CONCERT SALES ALONE!!!) AND ALL YOU KEITH AND FAKE MACHO CAN KISS HER ASS COZ SHE IS 100 TIMES SMARTER AND QUICKER TO THINK AND SING. INFACT GET THIS, SHE IS THE ONLY COUNTRY MUSICIAN THAT I LIKE…NOT EVEN GRETCHEN GET MY ATTENTION COZ SHE’S JUST A ONE HIT WONDER AND WILL FADE AWAY SOON.