I know I promised a rant about the Dixie Chicks last week, but when you’re busy scrounging for dollars you let some things slide.
After their interview last Thursday night the local ABC affiliate chimed in with a poll from 96.3FM KSCS country radio. According to their poll roughly 80% of their listeners still wanted the Chicks banned from airplay. I don’t know if a sampling of about 3000 people counts for the demographic of Texas or even the nation, but I don’t expect the Dixie Chicks will be welcomed home anytime soon.
I would agree that what the Dixie Chicks said was inappropriate given the circumstances. Being in a foreign country essentially dissing the government that’s what everyone is in a huff about. However, I don’t think their actions are that much different than other anti-war folk nor do I believe that there should be such a backlash. In Iraq, where we just removed the evil dictatorship, the people are experiencing freedom, some for the first time. How does a radio ban and CD burnings reflect on the idea of those freedoms?
“Your opinion is valid only if it agrees with mine, otherwise you’re un-American.”
Why is it hard to accept that anti-war folks can actually support the troops? Just because a person questions the government or our reasons for being in Iraq doesn’t mean they don’t want the troops to return home safe & sound. That would be like saying anyone who is pro-war encourages collateral damage. Simply not true. It is possible to feel compassion for the soldiers and the country we are trying to liberate without agreeing with the President. It’s less of an oxymoron than saying “Thank God I’m an Atheist”.
I don’t think the Dixie Chicks are un-American, yet they’ve been outcast and had their lives threatened all for expressing an opinion others didn’t agree with. Funny, but I think the Iraqi people can more closely identify with that feeling than we can. I mean what’s the use of gaining free speech if you’re too afraid to use it?
