I’m gonna keep this short, sweet and simple… I have no problem with what Natalie Maines of the Dixie Chicks said the other week in London about being ashamed that President Bush is from Texas…
The main reason for her statement was our President is bent on going to War. As far as I’m concerned when it comes to the issue of life and death and killings of any kind that are gonna be done in our name then we better speak up and keep speaking up…especially if you disagree. I say No to War!..and I say No to George Bush’s approach toward resolving this conflict with Iraq…
The fact that George seems bent on ignoring world opinion has made me feel ashamed. The fact that he’s reduced the thousands of people who have come out and spoke out against this impending war to being ‘special interest groups’ who can be and should be dismissed has made me feel shamed.
What’s even more disturbing is the fact that in a land where we are supposed to have freedom of speech and vigorous debate over political issues is encouraged, there seemed to be a swift well organized effort to silence Natalie and the Dixie Chicks and send a strong message to anyone in the public eye that if you speak out we will use our resources, mainly radio and other corporate owned media outlets to shut you down…In short what took place was a pre-emptive strike to shut down any sort of debate or dialogue. If you don’t believe this was a concerted well financed effort just look what conservative media mogul Rupert Murdock is doing with his Page 6 section of the NY Post.. He’s printing a blacklist of those who are opposed to war.. he’s equating opposition to loving Saddamn…That’s utterly ridiculous.
I guess no one had a problem when Natalie did the song ‘I Believe in Love’ on the America: A Tribute To Heroes TV special and soundtrack album where they expressing their sympathy about those who suffered on 9-11. I guess no one had a problem when they recorded a stirring rendition of “The Star Spangled Banner”, The Dixie Chicks like many other celebrities ranging from Dr Dre to Naughty By Nature to actors George Clooney to James Earl Jones all gave time, resources and money to the 9-11 relief efforts. They all stepped up and loaned their star power to the cause..No one had a problem then..We were all together in the same boat or weren’t we?
Now after the dust has cleared and people began to take a long hard look at our foreign policy and how we are seen and perceived around the rest of the world and have come to different conclusions then the ones advocated by the Bush administration, we now have a serious problem . Now we must be banned and silenced…Now we must be labeled unpatriotic..
Who the hell gave anyone the right to label one patriotic or unpatriotic? If you pay your taxes, don’t break any laws and partake in the Democratic process that is supported by our constitution, then we should be speaking out and making sure our voices are heard on important issues…I’m glad the Dixie Chicks did..I support them.. And I clearly understand that they are being forced to apologize and take back their remarks and go along with the program..
Sadly even after they apologized, you still have a bunch of folks who are going out of their way to shut them down… Perhaps they feel they are exercising their Democratic Rights..Maybe they’re part of this disturbing pattern to silence dissent especially from those who can sway public opinion. It sure is funny how you don’t see a whole lot of celebrities leading rallies and saying Yes Let’s go to War.. Only a small handful.. Perhaps they know what everyone else who gets to travel around the world knows.. We ain’t doing the right thing!!!
What’s even more ironic about this entire fiasco is that if things don’t go to plan.. we are likely to have the Bush administrations and those who support him calling up celebrities to use their star power and donate resources to efforts designed to uplift our embattled troops or to keep an anxious American public calm.
All in all if certain radio stations wanna smash on the Dixie Chicks.. I’m gonna step up and support them along with all the other anti-war artist who have been convientely shut down and left out of the conversation and silenced..
Although I do a weekly Hip Hop show.. expect to hear a couple of Dixie Chick songs in between mixes..What the heck we all need to expand our musical horizons anyway… Thanks Natalie for saying what many are thinking. They just don’t have the public platform to be heard…And even though you apologized and all that.. we clearly understand the pressures that are being put upon you… Dixie Chicks and 50 Cent.. That’s not a bad combination..
DAVEY D is a hip hop historian, deejay and community organizer. Visit his excellent website at: http://www.daveyd.com/
Drop the Dixie Chicks a line and let them know how you feel… I support the Dixie Chicks.. They Speak for Me!
