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.”

[thetruckster]

" . . . but one cannot oppose an active war without harming the troops who are fighting it. The two are tightly tied together and cannot be separated."

Sort of like laws and the police. A good policeman will enforce a bad law. Like 55 mph. A good person does not hold the policeman responsible for a stupid law.

[Mamzelle]

It's pretty much useless to try to boycott the likes of Sean Penn, Susan Sarandon, etc., but it just might be effective as a gesture to go after the Ditsy Chicks. Usually I think boycotting won't work, but maybe this time, this case, these PR circumstances...

[thetruckster]

"When war is ineveitable one cannot just support the troops and not ones country, period."

When 55 mph is inevitable, one cannot just support one's policemen and not one's government, period.

[tuna_battle_slight_return]

I was driving on I-75 N. in Toledo this morning and saw that a clean finger had scribbled these words into the dirty backside of the semi-truck:

DIXIE CHICKS ARE UN-AMERICAN

Glad the word has been out and be seen by millions of fellow drivers (without having to vandalize the semi)

[SerpentDove]

[techcor]

Pretty good. I asked DFU if he'd do a parody song with that title but I'll save yours.

[southern rock]

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

To paraphrase an Andre the Giant line from the movie "Princess Bride" -

You keep using this word PC, but I don't think it means what you think it means.

[thetruckster]

"You keep using this word PC, but I don't think it means what you think it means."

I didn't see "Princess Bride." The only PC I was referring to is the common meaning--politically correct--which I belive has arbitrary assignment depending on one's view based on any number of factors. Have you another meaning to which you refer?

[Gopher Broke]

Letter from Navy pilot to Dixie Chicks

Letter from radio station website in Lubbock, home of the Dixie Chick that spewed forth about our president:

Name: LT Layne McDowell

Date: 03/15/03
Time: 01:54:49 PM

Comment

An open letter to the Dixie Chicks: Earlier this week, while performing in London, you stated that you were ashamed that our President is from your home state. I wonder if you realized how many Americans would be listening.

This American was listening. This Texan is ashamed that you come from my state. I serve my country as an officer in the United States Navy.

Specifically, I fly F-14 Tomcats off carriers around the world, executing the missions that preserve the very freedom you claim to exercise.

I have proudly fought for my country in the skies over Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan without regret. Though I may disagree wholeheartedly with your comments, I will defend to the death your right to say them, in America.

But for you to travel to a foreign land and publicly criticize our Commander in Chief is cowardice behavior. Would you have so willingly made those comments while performing for a patriotic, flag-waving crowd of Texans in Lubbock. I would imagine not. How dare you pocket
profits off songs about soldiers, their deaths and patriotism while criticizing their Commander in Chief abroad, even while they prepare to give their lives to ensure your own freedom of speech. Please ask yourself, what
have you done to deserve that sacrifice?

Do not try to justify your comments by claiming that you made them only because you care about innocent lives. Never once in our history have we committed troops to war for the purpose of taking innocent lives. We do it to protect innocent lives, even yours.

If the world leaders of the late 1930's had the vision and
courage of our present Commander in Chief, perhaps the evil men who caused the death of millions in WWII would have never had the opportunity to harm a soul. The potential loss of millions of lives in the future at the hands of
today's evil men necessitate action.

In a separate correspondence, I am returning to you each and
every Dixie Chicks CD and cassette that I have ever purchased. Never again will I allow my funds to support your behavior. All you have done is to add your name to a growing list of American "Celebrities" who have failed
to realize that they have obtained their successes on the backs of the American blue-collar workers such as our servicemen and women.

To Natalie Maines: This Texan? This American will continue to risk his life to guarantee your freedoms. What will you do to deserve it?

[Cogadh na Sith]

There are mothers everywhere who would rather have their courageous sons and daughters deployed in peace times.

Of course they would. Unfortunately, to turn away from a war when it is brought you you will guarantee that more mothers will grieve in the future.

Obviously, ignoring the war we were embroiled in for the past 12 years isn't saving any lives right now.

Thusly, not to support a just war is to actively support the deaths of more troops in the future.

[thetruckster]

I got that in an email early last week. Thanks.

[lilmsdangrus]

ROFLMAO!!!!

[thetruckster]

"Obviously, ignoring the war we were embroiled in for the past 12 years isn't saving any lives right now."

This statement has too much spin for me, especially that we were "embroiled" in war for the last 12 years. I think the Iraqi people previously chose to allow Saddam to embroil them.

And the word "ignoring." I don't think many Americans ignored Saddam, nor do I think they perceived that the U.S. continued to be "at war" after the first engagement, but I certainly have no handy reference for you to look it up.

And I sure don't believe the war was "brought to" us. Some people in the U.S. might benefit by having an increased sense of safety, perhaps. Others will benefit by fat pockets. Sorry, life has taught me to be skeptical about government spin on government motives--any government.

And an on-point quote one of my favorite Republican presidents of all time regarding the Dixie Chicks' supreme lack of judgment:

"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."
-- Theodore Roosevelt speaking against Wilson's crackdown on dissent after the U.S. entered WWI.

I still believe that many Americans feel they can support the troops and not support the war. One military father explained it in effect as follows:

I would try to prevent my son from getting into a car with a drunk driver. If he did get into a car with that drunk driver, I would still try to stop the car.

[Cogadh na Sith]

I would try to prevent my son from getting into a car with a drunk driver. If he did get into a car with that drunk driver, I would still try to stop the car.

You advocate stopping it by throwing someone elses kid under it.

I don't ask people to stand by their president and nation right or wrong. Standing by him when he is right is good enough.

BTW, don't try to pull any 'chickenhawk' arguments on me. I am a soldier, I just haven't been deployed in this....

[VOA]

bump

[lilmsdangrus]

You go Boy!! I was sitting here fuming so much after reading those posts I couldn't even write a reply. Yours said it all, and much better than I could have. Well said, friend!

[thetruckster]

"You advocate stopping it by throwing someone elses kid under it."

No, I don't. Especially, when it might be one of my two kids who I am very proud to say are United States Marines. Or it might be my nephew, a Navy Medic who is serving those Marines in the field. None of us feel that we are chickenhawks. A mistake many make is to think that pacifism means a lack of courage. Not so in our case by any measure.

And obviously, I disagree about what you feel is right. War is always the poorest option. I feel America needs to lead in a different direction, and I had a lot more hope in Bush's ability to do this before now.

Do I agree with the Dixie Chicks? No. Will I fight for their right to say what they think? Yes. And so will every other soldier. America is bigger than Bush, although I'm not sure now that he would agree.