Reid on the Dixie Chicks
Here’s a nice opinion piece from CommonDreams.org focusing on the whole Dixie Chicks thing. By Joy-Ann Lomena Reid: Whistling Dixie. She has a lot of good things to say about the importance of allowing criticism of the president during wartime, including this quotation from Teddy Roosevelt:
The President is merely the most important among a large number of public servants. He should be supported or opposed exactly to the degree which is warranted by his good conduct or bad conduct, his efficiency or inefficiency in rendering loyal, able, and disinterested service to the Nation as a whole. Therefore it is absolutely necessary that there should be full liberty to tell the truth about his acts, and this means that it is exactly necessary to blame him when he does wrong as to praise him when he does right. Any other attitude in an American citizen is both base and servile. To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public. Nothing but the truth should be spoken about him or any one else. But it is even more important to tell the truth, pleasant or unpleasant, about him than about any one else.
There’s also this passage, where Reid hits the nail on the head, at least as far as I’m concerned:
And then there was the hour-long, televised rebuke of the women Thursday night, in which ABC News correspondent Diane Sawyer repeatedly pressed, in tisking, school-marm fashion, for just one more apology to Bush. Maines heroically resisted the attempts to reduce her to a wicked child, who surely must realize that it isn’t nice to criticize her betters, but the interview ought to go down in history with the House Committee on Un-American Affairs hearings for its daring presumption of guilt. What many of the rest of us still don’t get, is just what Maines is guilty of: Feeling ashamed? Being from Texas? Or speaking her mind?
Really. What exactly is Natalie Maines guilty of? Because whatever it is, there’s a whole bunch of us who are just as guilty.
April 30th, 2003 at 10:36 am
She isn’t guilty of anything other than being human and making a thoughtless comment on a very public stage. It doesn’t take a genius to know that if you make a blanket, condemming comment regarding the president to a foreign crowd on the eve of wartime, that there may be some negative repercussions! (obviously those mental midgets who thought it was their patriotic duty to threaten her or her family’s lives are not an acceptable “repercussion”)
As many have suggested, if she had said something like, “I have serious concerns about this war, but regardless I don’t condemn those who are going to do battle, but I do hold my government responsibile to have been truthful to the world for the reasons this is happening”, she would not have gotten any flak for it.
Diane Sawyer’s job is to simply ask the kinds of questions that many Americans would like to have asked themselves. I give Maines credit for recognising an inappropriate way of expressing her belief, but in not backing down from the fact that she is still concerned about the need for war (despite bumbling around for the right words to express herself).
October 26th, 2003 at 10:42 am
She’s not guilty of anything, and if she had any cajones, she’d say: “I’m not sorry and don’t regret a thing I’ve said. I said it and I meant it.” But let’s not leave out the part about her apologizing because of the economic repercussions to her and her group’s business. She apologized because she didn’t want to lose record or concert sales.
Any of us may say anything we wish, short of inciting riot or seriously threatening someone, in a free society. The difference is, I’m not famous, and I don’t have a platform. Natalie Maines is and does. So if there are repercussions, as in her fame and fortune being threatened, let us not call that a threat to free speech. It’s a threat to Natalie Maines’ way of life, and she was threatened enough to chicken out of her statement.
I don’t in any way agree with her statements. But I certainly recognize she has a right to say them. She doesn’t have a right to be protected from any social or economic impact from saying them.
Again, if she’s guilty of anything, it’s being a coward about her convictions. She’d rather be wealthy and popular than speak her mind and suffer the consequences
September 17th, 2004 at 12:52 pm
The Dixie Chicks aren’t the least bit sorry about what Maines said. It’s evident that teaming up with Anti Americans such as REM, Pearl Jam, Jackson Brown, Bruce Springstein etc for the Anti Bush concert is proof that their interview with Sawyer was just a complete sham. They’re sorry that they got caught and they simply want to be loved again. They’re not sorry for what they said, and now they’re just bitter. Consider what they did say. In a time of war they alienated the President Of the United States and in effect, strengthened the resolved of our enemy. If you’re intellectually honest, who do you think Maines’ statement hurt more, Al-Quida or the US Army? As a former Army Ranger myself and Dixie Chicks fan, I feel really sorry for them. This man’s army is and will always be stronger than any evil, even if that evil comes from within. Hey Natalie, thanks for flexing your free speech over seas just because you could. You’re a real hero. The next time you feel that empowered, remember you wouldn’t have the basic right to say the things you do had it not been for the soldier that fought overseas. It’s ironic that you tore our country down in the name of freedom of speech and in the name of peace on the eve that our soldiers left to fight to ensure that you have those rights. I’m ashamed that I ever bought their records.
January 16th, 2005 at 1:07 pm
What are the Dixie Chicks names?
April 3rd, 2005 at 6:03 am
Hi all,
Right On Aaron, true to word, those Dixie Chicks are bloody tarts!! who would do anything for fame and money and don’t give a rats arse about Americas or Australias (I’m Aussie) troops over there who are doing a brilliant job, George Bush is not the Bad Guy here either you Dizzy Chicks, he is a Hero!!
Also Lizzy, good point, who are the Dixie Chicks anyway ? I mean there not like an Important Band where you know all there Names like…… “The Beatles”.
The Dixie Chicks Suck, they don’t know what they are talking about and should shut the Fuck Up!!!!
the Good Doctor
December 28th, 2006 at 6:05 pm
Natalie Maines has done nothing wrong in this situation.. people have completly over-reacted… everyone has the right to disagree with her (personally i agree with her).
Natalie also never really appologised for what she said.. she appologised if it offended anyone coz that was not her intention and she also at the time felt that she had worded it the wrong way and decided that anyone who holds the office of President deserves respect whether the man himself deserves it or not! that was the only appology she made.. to the office of the president and what that office means! not to the man himself!
and as for the just appologising to save her career.. where have u been my friend???? the Dixie Chicks lost MILLIONS because corporate companies decided they didnt like what Natalie said so they’ll just ban her music! doesnt that make u upset??? doesnt it make u as Americans MAD, ANGRY FURIOUS that someon big shot corporate guy has made the decision for you that u can’t listen to the Dixie Chicks on the radio.. even if u dont wanna listen dont u want to be able to turn off the radio and know that YOU made a choice and not some corporate asshole! The Dixie Chicks have no problem with people refusing to by their records as long as the comsumers get the choice which three years ago was NOT the case and still today although to a lesser extent, it is still happening! its wrong and the American people need wo WAKE UP and realise the corporate assholes are taking away your right to choose what u listen to and what you dont listen to!
she has stuck to her guns and she refuses to appologise for being ashamed of G.W.B… nor should she have to.. it is her right to be ashamed of him!
for the person who doesnt know their names they are Natalie, Emily and Martie!
Just because Natalei is a celebrity doesnt mean that she looses her right to say what she feels whether it be onstage or in her living room… there should be more people in this world who are brave enough to break free of the mould instead of following like a herd of sheep!
February 12th, 2007 at 8:56 am
Ok, what is being missed here is this. Maines took the liberty to trash our Country, our Service Men and Women, our way of life, our dignity, our President and everything that the United States stands for. If you cannot see this, you are just too complacent and naive. She miss spoke or didnt really mean what she said really means ooooooops!!! I thought my left wing buddies would shield all of this from me and have my back. Statements like hers and all the other left wing nut jobs do nothing but break down the fiber of this Nation. Not only that, but makes her look like an ass. Hey, I know, why doesnt she go into politics and make a difference? Why doesnt Maines run for President? If you want to run your mouth on foreign soil or here, you should have an action plan to back up what you are saying. It is easy to be a back seat driver or a Monday morning QB. It is easy to be hundreds of miles from home and think no one will know what you said. Maines has acted like a tasteless person. She is allowed to have her point of view. How about use some common sense and just support your Country?? When did country music go to the left?? If all you that support Maines cant see that she was and is wrong, I feel sorry for you. I really do. Maines is not a person I wish my Daughter to look up to. Wearing almost but not quite foul language shirts on National tv and bashing the Land I love. Hogging the mike from her fellow singer and saying nothing but garbage at the Grammys. She had a chance at the Grammys to be a classy person. I guess its not possible for her. She chooses to quote the Simpsons?! She obviously has really bad judgement. Too bad she chooses to say such horrible things instead of using words that uplift. Too bad she cant see that United we stand and divided we fall. Maybe she would like to fly to Iraq and become a citizen and live the life of a Woman there. At least Bush would not be her President. I think she would be happy.