Speak up and sing

Boston Globe ^ | Feb 13, 2007 | GLOBE EDITORIAL

[conservativehusker]

It's telling when country luminary Merle Haggard has an entry on Rolling Stone magazine's list of top protest songs. Country musicians and their fans tend to hail from conservative states with high enlistment rates. Then again, the toll of the war on the sons and daughters of these states has been acute

[conservativehusker]

I was curious after watching Daryl Worley's video I just came back from a war..it seemed anti-war especially since Have you forgotten...

It seems that some of my heros are losing faith in our struggle over there....Merle Haggard???he wrote Okie from Muskogee didn't he???

[GodBlessRonaldReagan]

Merle Haggard???he wrote Okie from Muskogee didn't he???

Yep, and "Fightin' Side of Me" too. Merle's been turning lefty for a while now. Heratbreaking - he's always been one of my faves.

[AmericaUnited]

The Siren Song of exaltation and fame is just too much for some to resist.

"Sell your soul to the devil and we will give you another 15 minutes..."

[MNJohnnie]

To The Worst Generation.

Really pathetic. Tell you what sheep. 99% of you know NO ONE in Iraq. Know NO ONE in the Military. So how about you keep your pathetic baa baaing about Iraq to yourselves. It is a issue of supreme indifference to the vast bulk of you what is going on in Iraq. So rather then getting yourselves all in uproar about an issue that means NOTHING to you. Sit down, shut up and quit looking for ways to stick knives in the back of the guard dogs protecting your dumb woolly butts from the wolves.

[Past Your Eyes]

I knew there had to be some reason I never liked him other than his songs all sound the same and pretty much suck.

[Eclectica]

Then again, the toll of the war on the sons and daughters of these states has been acute.

In the enlisted ranks, The South—pretty much—fights all our wars.

[Steel Wolf]

Sometimes, its not what you say, or how you say it, but who you are. Merle Haggard making a protest song is about the only way the Boston Globe would ever give him the time of day. Same goes for people like Ron Reagan Jr. He's only able to spout his lightweight, ill-formed opinions on TV because it creates a sense of contradiction from his conservative President father.

If there's one thing the media loves, it's a sellout. To cash in your background for a little more air time, just sign at the dotted line, and start badmouthing the president. They'll cut you a check that day.

[Laserman]

"Then again, the toll of the war on the sons and daughters of these states has been acute."

The toll has been acute for the friends and families of those that have died, but for the general population of the US or theSouth the toll has been miniscule compared to previous wars. 3000 in 3 - 4 years is an orfer of magnitude less than those lost to car accidents, or a myriad of other accidental or natural causes.