Don’t punish political dissent

The sheer vitriol of some of the voices directed at the Dixie Chicks for their comment to a London audience that they were “ashamed” that President Bush was from Texas is making me ashamed that people are still gloating over the resulting havoc done to the band’s career.

Bush supporters (28 percent now, is it?) should have paid attention when President Bush himself said that the Dixie Chicks were entitled to their opinion of him.

I’ve noticed other artists making scathing comments about Bush, but their careers have not been damaged. Bruce Springsteen told an audience recently that Bush had wrecked the only agency (the Federal Emergency Management Agency) that might have helped with the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, and his career is booming.

As a democracy, we are supposed to have a representative government. But when that government is making a mess of everything, it’s true patriots who have the courage speak out and demand that their country do better.

Elizabeth M Gerber
Kansas City

Comments

[GCYL]

"They immediately tried to back track and kiss up to their fan base. Doesn't sound very patriotic to me."

"Hmm. Sounds a lot like Bush to me." - CRD

Strange, I thought most liberals had a problem with Bush because he never stops kissing up to his fan base. You know, that whole “Bush the great divider” thing, that whole “stay the course” thing. Can you give me some examples of the President back tracking on issues to kiss up to his fan base?

[JUNGLEJACK]

"They immediately tried to back track and kiss up to their fan base. Doesn't sound very patriotic to me."

"Hmm. Sounds a lot like Bush to me."

CRD - even YOU have a right to your opinon...IMO.

[CRD]

"They immediately tried to back track and kiss up to their fan base. Doesn't sound very patriotic to me."

Hmm. Sounds a lot like Bush to me.

[CRD]

Springsteen's doing okay.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000EU1PNC/sr=8-1/qid=1153451804/ref=pd_bbs_1/103-7609059-5130253?ie=UTF8

# Amazon.com Sales Rank: #7 in Music (See Top Sellers in Music)
Yesterday: #7 in Music

Dixie Chicks ain't hurting either:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000F7MG4G/ref=pd_sim_m_3/103-7609059-5130253?%5Fencoding=UTF8&v=glance&n=5174

# Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1 in Music (See Top Sellers in Music)
Yesterday: #2 in Music

[JUNGLEJACK]

Back to the letter:
"Bush supporters (28 percent now, is it?) should have paid attention when President Bush himself said that the Dixie Chicks were entitled to their opinion of him."

So... The Dixie Chicks entitled to their opinion of the President, but apparently Bush supporters are NOT entitled to their own opinion of The Dixie Chunks - I mean Chicks. I'm suprised this obviously illogical letter was printed.

"Bruce Springsteen told an audience recently that Bush had wrecked (FEMA), and his career is booming."

Did I miss something? Has Bruce released any music in the last ten years? If so, has anybody heard it? Even if he has, I'd hardly say his career is "booming". Not that it has anything to do with his comments - I just didn't think this point had any merit.

"...it’s true patriots who have the courage speak out and demand that their country do better."

Wow! What a distorted view of a true patriot. Jack's son, and the thousands like him, who CHOOSE to serve in our armed forces and preserve our freedoms are patriots. If The Chunks had espoused their sentaments out of pure necessaty that they be heard - and damn the consequences - I'd at least have more respect for them. Instead, They immediately tried to back track and kiss up to their fan base. Doesn't sound very patriotic to me.

[CRD]

Well, Mark, Bush has led us to the brink of WWIII with his policies, and a number of us disapprove of that. Call it vitriol if you will, but much of it is simply well-deserved criticism of exceedingly poor policymaking.

[Mark Robertson]

What am I missing? Supposedly President Bush is very unpopular, but people are boycotting the Dixie Chicks because of their criticism of President Bush.
That sounds like the kind of logic that comes directly from the Dixie Chicks.
This whole letter is lacking logic. Can we decided not to buy certain products only for certain reasons?
And I guess the 5 plus years of daily nonstop vitriol and hatred( most always illogical) directed at President Bush, from every direction and source imaginable, doesn't count. Thankyou.

Mark Robertson
Independence

[CRD]

I bet their political stance actually increased their sales to people who normally don't buy country music.

[Kansasdog]

Kate says... "No one from the government confiscated the Dixie Chicks' recordings or ordered radio stations not to play their music. The Chicks' fans simply stopped listening to them."

Chicks respond

"Four weeks after its release on May 23, Taking The Long Way has achieved a platinum certification by the RIAA for sales topping 1 million units.

The U.S. success has been echoed in similar chart-topping sales figures around the world. Taking The Long Way debuted at #1 (and remained in the top slot for four weeks) in Canada, where it is already 2x platinum, and at #2 in Australia, where it's certified platinum. The album debuted at #8 in New Zealand, where it's been certified gold. Released in Europe on June 12, Taking The Long Way has already crossed the two million mark in sales worldwide with the album hitting the Top 10 in Sweden (peaked at #1), Australia (#2), Germany (#5), Europe (#6) Switzerland (#6), Ireland (#7, gold), Norway (#7), Austria (#8), and the UK Top 75 (#10, gold). The album is a new entry on the charts in Finland (#17), Denmark (#37), Holland (#42), and Belgium (#61). In every market in which it's charted, with the exception of New Zealand and Ireland, Taking The Long Way has the highest-charting debut numbers of any album in the Dixie Chicks' career. "

[CRD]

There seems to be a number of country singers that have performed for USO since 2001.

I'd prefer to see Alyssa Milano, myself.

[Kate]

What's your point?

[CRD]

According to the Wikipedia entry, the following is a partial list of USO performers, since 2001.

50 Cent
Ben Affleck
Charles Barkley
Drew Carey
Cher
Kelly Clarkson
Chelsea Cooley - Miss USA 2005
Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders
Diana DeGarmo
John Elway
Al Franken
Morgan Freeman
Roy Green
Hootie & the Blowfish
Wynonna Judd
Toby Keith
Don King
Johnny Knoxville
Shelley Hennig, Miss Teen USA 2004
Nick Lachey
Sugar Ray Leonard
David Letterman
Rich Little
Ludacris
Master P
Alyssa Milano
Montgomery Gentry
Brittany Murphy
Willie Nelson
Wayne Newton
Ted Nugent
Shaquille O'Neal
Henry Rollins
Lil' Romeo
Seann William Scott
Jessica Simpson
Gary Sinise
Michael Warren
Robin Williams
Bruce Willis
Lee Ann Womack

from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Service_Organizations#Notable_modern_entertainers

[Just_some_guy]

Jack,

I served for a year in Afghanistan. Almost all of the musicians that came over there in that time frame were country singers. All the other "non-country" singers that did USO tours were usually done in Germany or stateside and shown on Armed Forces Network TV over there. So I would have to disagree with your post. When you refer to "it appears that the more mouthy the "patriot" country star is, the less likely they are to put themselves on the line to support our troops." I would assume you are meaning Toby Keith (at least that is who I think of when you say something like that) In the year I was over there I believe he was there 2-3 times. So Im not sure what you are basing your statements on . . .

[Kate]

Jack, this is from a section of the USO's website titled "Country Music and the USO":

"Displaying his continued support for the troops, USO tour veteran Toby Keith traveled to Cuba, Iraq, Afghanistan, Belgium and Germany in May 2005. Also traveling to Iraq, country music trio Rascal Flatts provided a morale boost to service members. Neal McCoy, another USO tour veteran and strong supporter of troops, entertained guests at the Annual USO World Headquarters' Gala in September. Country singer Ty England visited service members stationed at Camp Lejeune, N.C., during the Second Marine Expeditionary Force Homecoming Celebration in October. Mark Wills, Craig Morgan and Keni Thomas traveled to Iraq, Afghanistan and Kuwait in December to spread holiday cheer. "

This is just a small part of the page, which details country music's association with the USO going back to the 1940's.

The 2006 schedule is also posted -- Toby Keith, Chely Wright and Montgomery Gentry will be performing for the USO this year.

[Kate]

No one from the government confiscated the Dixie Chicks' recordings or ordered radio stations not to play their music. The Chicks' fans simply stopped listening to them. The person writing this letter is an excellent example of "everyone is entitled to their own opinion, as long as it agrees with my opinion."

I think Dennis Miller's had the best comment about the Dixie Chicks: Surprisingly, making fun of the President on a foreign land in a time of war doesn't seem to play with the NASCAR crowd!

[jack]

COuntry Music, home of the phony patriot. How many of the "Country" stars have done USO tours? Virtually none. Annd, it appears that the more mouthy the "patriot" country star is, the less likely they are to put themselves on the line to support our troops.

Country musicians appear to me to be all mouth when it comes to "supporting" our troops. Why should their fans be any different?

[T. Hanson]

The difference between the Dixie Chicks and Bruce Springsteen is the audience that they play towards. Timing has a lot to do with it also. Almost all the music stars, actors (why do we listen to them for their political opinions?) waited till they saw how the majority of Americans felt about Bush before talking.
Example about the audience is "American Idiot" by Green Day has a lot of bashing in it, but it flew up the charts because it catered to the young alternative music audience that has a less favorable opinion of this administration.
The Dixie Chicks' audience were country listeners and the stations that played their music were country stations. Country music audience has a more favorable opinion of this administration, therefore when you insult this administration you insulted your audience. This unfortuanly has become the low point of their career which might not recover with the country music fans. I think their only way to come back is to change their music category.