Last night, Diane Sawyer interviewed the Dixie Chicks, and it was most definitely an informative hour. Well, at least it was for those who didn�t already understand where the Dixie Chicks were coming from, or so I assume. For me, it merely stirred up issues which I�ve already touched on.
Since I�ve gone into it before, I�m not going to drag it all out again here, except to say that I love the Dixie Chicks more now than I did before, if that�s possible. What Natalie Maines said was neither incendiary enough, nor anti-American enough, to warrant the shitstorm of vitriol to which they became subjected. This country was built on the backs of men and women willing to fight and die so that people like Ms. Maines would someday have the right to speak out against the government without fear of retribution.
And, dude, she wasn�t even speaking out against the government! She didn�t say anything anti-American, at all! I�m sorry, I know I said I wouldn�t get into it, but whenever I think about it, it just absolutely makes my blood boil. People are just so imbecilic, you know? In the interview, Maines admitted that her wording was unfortunate and not really representative of what she meant to convey, and for that she apologized. However, she won my undying respect and admiration when she flat-out refused to apologize for the sentiment behind it.
The Chicks made it very clear that they support the troops, and they love the country, but that they don�t agree with the president. And I think it�s very important that they made that distinction and that they let it be known such a distinction is both possible and logical. It really pushes me right to the edge of sanity when people make this moronic �with us or against us� argument, like just because we were at war, it meant we should all suddenly believe the exact same thing, swallow our individuality, and lock step behind President Bush. Hey, remember those men and women who fought and died for my right to free speech? Yeah, they started this country because they were sick of swallowing their individuality and complying with unfair governmental policies with which they didn�t agree. Martie Siegal read a quote last night from Theodore Roosevelt which goes like this:
�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.�
You go, Teddy! Damn skippy.And now, people are gathering together and actually burning CDs by the Dixie Chicks, and then they turn around and compare Iraq to Nazi Germany? Hey, why are we burning these CDs again? Oh yeah, because Natalie Maines said she was ashamed the president was from her home state. Well, gee, why don�t we just have her executed? Oh wait, a few people already suggested that. Whee! Go America! Land of the free! Unless, you know, you don�t agree with the president. In which case, you evidently deserve to die.
The Dixie Chicks have class, y�all. All three of them stuck together on this, refused to point fingers, and seem perfectly willing to bear the brunt of all this bizarre national aggression in support of Maines, claiming that even if this means the end of their musical careers, that�s fine. In the grand scheme of things, there are more important parts of life to each of them than selling a bunch of records. I applaud them for their perspective and for their unity in the face of such off-kilter persecution.
The world already thinks of America as a bunch of half-wit, jingoistic cowboys. Let�s not prove them right.
