Dixie Chicken Out

Laura's Weekly E-Blast | 17 March 03 | Laura Ingraham

[murphyb]

Dixie Chicken Out

(Houston, TX) Spend just a few hours at the annual Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, and you realize how moronic the Dixie Chicks were to trash President George Bush in London last week. The 70,000+ people who showed up for the final day of this 23-day extravaganza at the new Reliant Stadium are the Chicks’ fan base—or, I should say, were their fan base.

All I had to do was mention the name of the Grammy Award-winning country trio to elicit immediate disgust and anger from housewives, business executives, and event staff and volunteers. “Who do they think buys their albums?!” asked Ellie, a catering employee. “I whipped my copy of ‘Fly’ (the Chicks first CD) across my daughter’s soccer field so the dog could chew it up,” laughed a high-profile restaurant owner.

The fury surrounds the now-infamous comment Chicks’ lead singer Natalie Maines made to a packed London audience that she was “embarrassed” that George W. Bush was from Texas. Apparently unaware that Americans at home have electronic access to her inane comments abroad, Maines was blown away by the landslide at home. Within a few days, radio stations in Texas were announcing on-air boycotts, fans were ripping up tickets to the groups’ upcoming American tour, thousands of others were vowed never to purchase another Chicks’ CD.

The reality of losing gobs of money in today’s struggling record business slapped Maines across her chubby little cheeks.

The official Dixie Chicks website posted this “apology” 4 days after the lead singers’ initial remarks: "As a concerned American citizen, I apologize to President Bush because my remark was disrespectful. I feel that whoever holds that office should be treated with the utmost respect. We are currently in Europe and witnessing a huge anti-American sentiment as a result of the perceived rush to war. While war may remain a viable option, as a mother, I just want to see every possible alternative exhausted before children and American soldiers' lives are lost. I love my country. I am a proud American."

To forgive is divine, but to forget what lies at the core of Maines’ original comments and those of the more vicious anti-war/anti-Bush brigades is ill-advised and dangerous.

Maines’ outburst is simply the latest and loudest of the caterwauls coming from those who believe they are intellectually and morally superior to the average American who supports this president and his view of the dangers posed by Saddam. People like Susan Sarandon, Jimmy Carter and Jessica Lange feel it’s their solemn duty to tutor the rest of us who have neither the time nor the money hang out at peace rallies or travel to Baghdad courtesy of the Ministry of Information. Most of what we hear from the “anti-war” crowd hasn’t been reasoned debate; it has served only to foment anti-American sentiment abroad. Those like Maines who go overseas to malign our leaders merely help those who are cheering on the demise of America’s global super power status.

When hit with charges of ‘anti-Americanism’ these elites invariably respond that they “support the troops, but not the war.” But why take their word for it? Let’s ask the troops to see how much they feel supported by the likes of Sean Penn and Danny Glover, who believe we should have more faith in the intentions of the UN and Saddam, and less in our President. Imagine a USO tour, lead by Jessica Lange, Tim Robbins and Bill Maher. Neither can I.

When the war is over, when Saddam is gone, when his hidden weapons caches are on display for the world to see, and when Iraqis are living in freedom, we must not allow anyone to forget the obstacles we had to clear to make it all happen. The French and their ideological soul-mates here in the US will try to wallpaper over their previous comments and actions. To honor the memory of those who will lose their lives in this war, we cannot allow that to happen. We do not want to find ourselves struggling to climb out of this same UN-manufactured quicksand the next time we face a threat of weapons of mass destruction.

The closing ceremony at the rodeo Sunday night featured a parade with surprise guest “41,” former President George Bush, who rode around the stadium in an open-air truck, waving to the deafening crowd, no doubt his mind and his heart with his son in Washington. Then Lee Greenwood sang “Proud to be an American,” before the country legends Alabama kicked off what was billed as its final concert.

“You know the Dixie Chicks played here last year,” my friend Dan said, as the fiddle music electrified the stadium. “Somehow I don’t think they’ll be back.”

[mvpel]

"It is really sad that the Dixie Chicks are so liberal. They are good musicians. Too bad the political sides of their brains do not perform as well as the musical sides."

Their "Travelling Soldier" is one of my favorite songs... Truly a shame.

[fire_eye]

Hopefully, Nat will have a nervous breakdown and cancel the American tour. I have heard all sorts of talk about trashing the upcoming tour.

This morning, Mike Gallagher was agitating for a Charlie Daniels concert to be held in Greenville, SC on the same night as the upcoming Dixie Twits concert.

A few instances of *that* happening around the country - and it wouldn't have to be Charlie every time either; you'd probably have to break up fights between the country musicians over who would get to play for free - would Send A Message - *big time*...

[Conservative independent]

However, I believe that people can support the troops and not the war.

What are troops used for? This is like saying, "I support mailmen but not when they deliver mail." Or, "I support firemen but not when they put out fires."

[way-right-of-center]

You're right, of course.

On the other hand, if you bash the president of your own country on foreign soil, then give a half-a$$ apology 4 days later and only after your handlers tell you to, you deserve everything you get.

[Texas2step]

"This morning, Mike Gallagher was agitating for a Charlie Daniels concert to be held in Greenville, SC on the same night as the upcoming Dixie Twits concert."

Wouldn't it be sweeeet is they could pull this off, and offer front row seats for Dixie Chix tix holders?

[mvpel]

On the other hand, if you bash the president of your own country on foreign soil, then give a half-a$$ apology 4 days later and only after your handlers tell you to, you deserve everything you get.

The problem is, all the lovely Rubenesque Freeper ladies are getting it too.

[thetruckster]

"Sean Penn is blacklisted, and so are the Dixie Chicks."

And so the pendulum swings again. McCarthy lives. America is less free because of it. I thought all conservatives were for freedom. Only freedom as is acceptable under the new PC rules, I see. We shouldn't be the other side of this nasty coin.

[mvpel]

The so-called "blacklist" is not an official policy, it is a result of free consumers in a free market making free choices as to what albums they will buy and what radio stations they will listen to.

I'm sure their album sales will do just fine over in Europe.

[Moby Grape]

You silly spewer of lies....a BLACKLIST (of the nature you mention) would be with pressure of government of industry...the American people can BLACKLIST whomever they wish...it is childish, yet typical, liberal whinning to suggest that leftist are getting blacklisted....take this goofy spew to Democrat Underground where it will be accepted as "factual informatin".

[thetruckster]

"This is like saying, 'I support mailmen but not when they deliver mail.' Or, 'I support firemen but not when they put out fires.'"

Actually, it is like saying, "I support you, soldier, in your effort to defend America at the direction of your leaders like a good soldier would. I will send you letters, food, cheer, pictures, and love. And I will do everything I can to bring you home safely as soon as possible, including fighting the old men who believe war is the option to take."

[luvtheconstitution]

Well said. I would have been more impressed with that, too.

[thetruckster]

I see you don't like the new PC rules. It's hardly worth getting your panties into such a big wad.

[Moby Grape]

What PC rules?

[thetruckster]

I'm glad you want to talk.

Now, under the existing PC rules, you may not dissent when a woman is chosen to do a job better suited for a man, when a man is chosen for a job better suited for a woman, etc., lest you be termed sexist. Further, you may not even suggest that terrorists could possibly have an ethnic or religious background in common, lest you be termed racist.

The new PC rules are that you may not dissent against George Bush. You may not dissent against Rumsfeld. You may not dissent against Powell, etc. Do so (or comment that someone has the right to do so) and you risk being called a spewer (or worse, someone guilty, by God, guilty of TREASON and screw the right to a jury!!!).

We've just added more stupid rules to stupid rules. We must not become what we loathe.

Both of these sets of rules will not, in my so very humble opinion, lead to a well reasoned climate for a working dialog among people which will foster communication aimed toward creating a wholesome America. Rather, these types of rules foster tension among our own people which creates isolation among ourselves. Recall the parable about the king who demonstrated to his sons that one stick can be broken easily, but a bundle of sticks will stand up to any force.

PC rules, whether tagged left-wing or right-wing, break up the bundle.

[husky ed]

If I was you I'd find the smellyist, dirtyist drunkisk bum I could find and give them to him and a buddy.
Then as a bonus, I'd pay for a couple of 5ths and maybe 40oz-ers to really get the party going.

If any trouble started just have them point to the sign around their necks saying "We're French". Then no one would bother them.

Just an Idea.

[Moby Grape]

I think you have crossed the line in terms of reason...it is not PC to have strong objections to someone who disagrees with Bush....the illogic and out right lies told by those who disagree (and of course the stupidity that many of them put on display) is the point...and if we make a choice to boycott them, that is NOT blacklisting and that is not McCarthyism....it is silly to suggest that it is. If someone has logical, reasonable objects to Bush, that is one thing, but when they spout the goofy crap about it all being about "oil" and that Bush is stupid, and the rest of the typical vomit spew from these folks, then there is going to be a reaction, and sometimes that reaction will result in them being boycotted by the comsumer...and that is NOT PC and is not blacklisting...and if a bucn of like-minded people suggest that you don't buy their product, it is a called a boycott...not blacklisting and not McCarthyism.....there is also the hypocrite factor...most of the anti-Bush rants are coming from people who SUPPORTED war as long as a democrat was in the White House, they even said we did not need approval of the UN....It is hypocricy to yell "McCarthyism" when these people are called to account to prove their silly assertions, or when the citizenery decides that they will not give them their hard earned money any longer.

[AppyPappy]

That was lame.

[thetruckster]

"and if we make a choice to boycott them, that is NOT blacklisting and that is not McCarthyism....it is silly to suggest that it is."

Agreed. I didn't suggest that they were blacklisted. A fellow Freeper did. Thus, my initial response.

And as far as supporting the war under Clinton, review the history. This is a great story. What do you think?

http://slate.msn.com/id/2079324/

[thetruckster]

Glad you are free to think so and say it.