It is a shame there is no longer freedom of speech in America.

I took my daughter to her first concert in Autin last night-yours. I was so proud to explain to her the reason you guys have been through what you have for the past two years and that you have stayed true to your beliefs. Your children will be very proud of you one day for this. We all have not only the right, but the obligation to question our leaders and until the entire American population understands that, we will never really be a democratic nation as we imply we are. After all, isn't that what we are "suppose" to be fighting for in Iraq? I don't think any of us knows anymore. All I know is that we need more outspoken individuals like yourselves because you are not just performers, but citizens of our country, and as such I hope you never ever shut up! But please keep singing though! I love you guys!

you guys look hot

 

I want to travel every were like you

Thank God for television! If I had seen the Dixie Chicks on Larry King and Bill Maher, I would not have known about their incredible docuentary, Shut Up and Sing. In review of the circumstances, I believe that the only reason for the outrage for Natalie's remarks was that she went outside "the family" (the US) and shared family business. Many of us dislike Bush and his politics! I am a believer in free speech and do not limit it to travel outside the U.S. What started out to be an innocent remark was blown way of out of proportion by a corporate controlled media that has investments in the unwarranted U.S. invasion of another country. First we are told it was over WMD but not oil. Now we are told it isn't about WMD but it's about oil. The U.S. President and government lied to the American people, sent our soldiers to die for corporate gain, and people are expected to go silently into the night without exercising their rights to freedom of speech. Who is worse, the person who openly and honestly disagrees, or the person who exploits our country's passivity, naiveite, and fails to protect the Constitution and the United States?

 

I spoke out against the war and Bush over 5 years ago, and lost friends over this. Now, some of these friends are slowly finding their way back, but battle-torn. They live with the betrayal of a president that they believe in, who ultimately betrayed them and proved the opposition correct. There is no bitter sweet justice found, because it is our country, the many lives of our soldier and Iraqi civilians who have paid the price for those men who have never seen the blood of battle.

 

The Dixie Chicks are modern heroes and true patriots to speak truth to power. Your example of courage and commitment to be your authentic selves inspires me beyond belief. As a result of seeing your movie, I walked away with a fresh image of what being a real friend is , what  a real person is, and what a real American is! I believe the stand the Dixie Chicks have taken will benefit us as a nation to stand up and fight for our quickly eroding freedoms. Thank you does not say enough!!!

 

All the best,

John

Vietn Nam era veteran

Unfortunately I’d have to disagree with the fact that what NBC did was not censorship- in fact it the very essence of censorship. A broadcasting company strives to give its viewers the best interpretation of current events, and promote what most interests their views- i.e. the values and perspectives of the viewers- however, anyone who understands the what happens off screen knows that each company runs advertisements, commercials etc… according to an already adopted bias of the company management that comes from either political views and values that they uphold. Therefore anything their company upholds maintains a certain bias and furthermore, anything they withhold – whether it be due to ideologies like patriotism can been interpreted as censorship.

I don’t live in the United States, I live in Canada, and here the ideology of the “nation-state” (being a centralized form of government- that tries to instill upon its citizens some kind of common identity) is not widely promoted, and therefore the concept of patriotism really doesn’t exist in the sense that it does in the United States, however it if very true and very noticeable that “freedom of speech” does not truly exist, it is in truth an ideal- part of a utopian society that will never exist. The concept of the “nation-state” immediately puts a halt to it in that it promotes and unified state taught that to be a group- where if one person is hurt- it hurts the group, and therefore you must protect the group! And censorship- protects the group and keeps them believing in the “nation-state”.

 

Frankly, to say to say a company- with such a wide viewer population, can pick and choose which advertisements its going to run and which they aren’t- you are basically telling them that you don’t mind if they control the information you hear and see- if you allow it in such things as an advertisement then it can be assumed that you would allow it in larger things such as you news and the information your government wishes to share with you. Freedom of speech hold the government accountable- something the United States hasn’t done since the presidency of the either Bush and as a result it is a terrible waste of a government seat that could be put to good use.

To: Lilchickfan30: Well then this is a good news / bad news post, I'll give you the bad news first: I found this site last week doing just what you said you would not believe, turning on my computer. My MSN home page had the Dixie Chicks something something about the something something Shut Up and Sing Video.  They are on my MSN hompage regularly, PRESTO right there! I finally got annoyed and had to see what the Sam Hill was going on with the Danged Dixie Chicks. So I clicked on the photo and a list of items came up, one being this blog. I realize you won't believe that, but this is a guess,  but do you experience bashers in waves? Could it possibly be they were on the MSN home page again?  Now the good news for you, they are getting a lot of exposure on the MSN homepage. I have no control over who is ignorant or rude or suffering from some complex that lists things according to height and popularity. You do what you can but idiots are idiots unless of course they are dullards.  SA

SA: I respect your opinion, but let me tell you how I found this website.  I went you MSN search engine, put in "Dixie Chicks" and this website was one of the choices.  Which means that most people who are on this site likely did the same, which is odd to me when the posts I was commenting on say their sick and tired about hearing or seeing the Dixie Chicks. It's not like they just turned on their computer and somehow this page miraculously appeared.  They sought out this website, so the idea that people are unaware this is a fan website is unrealistic to put it nicely, but I digress.

 

Yes, everyone has a right to their own opinion. Freedom of speech is extremely important and should be honored regardless of the stance.  BUT, just as I say that I have the right to say that some of the posts on this site are ignorant and have no consideration towards people's feelings or what their words might incite.  This isn't my website, so I have no control over what is posted here, but just because I believe in the right to free speech, it doesn't mean I am forced to read everyone's opinion.  I'm sure half the people who come this page won't read what I have to say, but I won't cry censorship or unfairness. 

 

SA I am sure you are a level-headed and kind person, so no offense.  I know that freedom of speech is a two-way street, but I just couldn’t sit by and let the Chicks get bashed without expressing how much I like them and hate to see them treated this way.  I said what I had to say and I stand by every word.  If that makes you and other people think I am inflexible, then so be it.

 

Lilchickfan30***Chicks Rule 

    

To Lilchickfan30: I believe this is a public blog. When you have a public forum of any kind, there is bound to be lots of different opinions. The question becomes, if you defend the Chick's position will you defend others rights to a different position or is this all one sided with no flexibility abI have stated earlier when I saw it I was not aware it was a Chicks "fan" blog. But once again, I think the former applies.

So here I am looking at the address of this website, double checking, making sure, yes it is called Dixiechicks.spaces.live.com/, yes I am sure I am in the right place.  Instead of seeing fan comments about the Dixie Chicks I see everyone hating on them.  It's funny how you guys have all this free time to come and bash the Chicks on their own website when you say you are sick of hearing about them, that you don't like them, so I ask the obvious question of WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!  This is a Dixie Chicks fan website... I don't go to the Toby Keith website and start bashing him.  Maybe that’s just being polite or considerate. Something called MANNERS.

 

Now before I get pillaged and maliciously criticized for standing up for the Dixie Chicks (On their OWN website), I remind you it is my right to say I LOVE THE DIXIE CHICKS and that I have the right to disagree with all your negative posts about them. 

 

I have to hand it to the Dixie Chicks and Junichi and the people who run the website for allowing these negative, and some of them I have read have vicious and violent threats toward Natalie Maines, which is horrible, stay on here.  Some websites require your posts to be screened before they are actually available for people to see.  If it was up to me, I'd erase them, but because the Chicks and their people practice what they preach, they are aloud to stay up here.  So be grateful you live in a free country cause your ignorant and hateful ways are still available for anyone to see.  Now excuse me as I scroll past all your posts.  Some of you might cry censorship but that is my choice.

 

I hope for joy and laughter. 

I hope you’ll have more than you’ll ever need

I hope for happy ever afters

I hope you can all live more fearlessly

And you can loose all your PAIN AND MISERY!!!

I hope

 

Words & Music by Emily Robison, Martie Maguire and Natalie Maines.

 

lilchickfan30*** Chicks Rule

 

I'vw always wondered why no one sees what I see as the major point. Question? Would they have made these comments inside the United States? If they had been performing in Dallas would that comment have come out? Honestly, I don't think so. They have the right to say what they want? Sure? But it's mean and unfair to pick an audience who agrees with you. Only chickens say things when the people around them will agree with you. Stand up for your beliefs where they're not as appreciated. That could be considered bravery. In England at a concert it's just a cheap shot for no reason other than acceptance and publicity. Sying it in your own country, maybe I could have respected that you felt you had to speak your mind. Cheap shot ladies, next time don't say anything you wouldn't say in your own country. On this Veteran's Day, my prayers and encouragement go to all of the people who have been called to serve their country in foreign soil.

Love the Sarcasm...I guess most people don't get it...as for the people who support our president and his bunch of cronies who have stolen our goverment and rendered us as lackluster jokes in the eyes of the free world...you may want to look up the definition of treason, the president is not the country. It is our presidents job to support us. The constitution, or what's left of it starts with We the people, not the president, our king or corporations of america. When we feel that any our our elected representatives are not doing their job we have every right to critisize them. That's not treason, just Democracy at work. You may not like it, but you have to live with it. It is our duty as citizens to speak out against injustice and tyranny. Dump the tea in the harbor, brave Americans, show that you want a country that represents the people, not just the Fortune 500. Rise up and let your voices be heard, and crank up the Chicks (I'm not much of a country fan, so I'll probably crank up the Gil Scott Heron, H2OGate blues is as relevant today as it was in Nixon's time) Love to all, everywhere; for without love, we might as well not exist at all.

I used to be a big fan of the chicks but I absolutely hate them now.

I took all the cds I had of them and broke them up.

I will not listen to them or watch any program they are on.

That is my right of course.

I can understand them having opinions, I don't agree with them at all but they have the right.

However they can keep it to themselves.

I feel sad that I can't like them anymore :(

I hope they just  go away

Maybe NBC is just clued in that most of us don't want to hear this garbage.

The celebrities, like Natalie Maines, exercise their freedom of speech, then go on to criticize the rest of us for doing the same thing.  She is fortunate to be the citizen of a country that allows her to express her feelings, and she was also lucky to attain the degree of success she did in her career.  She decided to vent her political spleen in a foreign country as is her right.  It's also MY right to no longer buy Dixie Chicks music or concert tickets, and I don't.  NBC has the right to decide what to run on the airwaves it's responsible for.  FREEDOM GOES BOTH WAYS!

 

Like COVERTOPERATOR, I am sick of the Chicks as well as the other whiners, like Tim Robbins, who think the public HAS to support them when they inflict their opinions on us.

 

Now, I'll further exercise my freedom of speech and email MSN to ask why they insist on force feeding us this Dixie Chick propaganda and ask them to stop. 

 

Just shut up already about the Dixie Chicks. You're making me sick.  They can say what they want, but this has gotten old. Enough already. You would think they are doing something significant. Try donating some money to a worthy cause. As for there ads not being ran, being called censorship. That is alot of bull. Last time I checked the networks can choose what ads they want to run or not. Just like they have the right to be critical of the president. Why is it that when things don't go someone's way they get it twisted. It's called choices. That is the price you pay when you speak your mind. Not everyone is interested in what you have to say.

As for my post below, fogive my spelling mistakes.  It's not "chocks" I meant to type "choke". This is what happens when you don't use spellcheck and not proofread before you post.  Oh well, no one is perfect :-)

 

lilchickfan***Chicks Rule