In 2003, the Dixie Chicks, Emily Robison, Martie Maguire and Natalie Maines, were the most popular female group in country music history, with a number one single, millions in sales, multiple Grammy awards, legions of fans and sold-out concerts across the world.
Then, during a concert in London on March 10, 2003, just days before the U.S. military would invade Iraq, Natalie felt she had to say something about what was happening in the world. To those English fans—whose own government joined America's Iraqi invasion—she said, "We do not want this war, this violence. And we're ashamed that the President of the United States is from Texas."
The controversy that followed—documented in the film Shut Up & Sing—came swiftly and harshly. Radio stations refused to play their once-popular songs, conservative political commentators offered outraged judgments, they were labeled un-American and traitors, their concerts and CDs were boycotted, and they received death threats.Billionaire Oprah
2006-10-27 20:01:58 · 22 answers · asked by tina 3 in Politics & Government ➔ Other - Politics & Government
Winfrey was called unAmerican and told to take her hairy, ***** *** back to Africa because she just ASKED THE QUESTION IS 'WAR THE ONLY WAY?" YOU MAY HAVE FREE SPEECH BUT BIG BROTHER AND OTHERS ARE PREPARED TO DEAL WITH YOU.
2006-10-27 20:04:17 · update #1
Big brother will "deal" with you? Get off the couch, throw away your starbucks, put the remote away forever and throw out your TV. Now I need you to pick up a book or two on world history and I need you to leave the house and stop talking to your paranoid friends. When was the last time "big brother", whoever that is, infringed on your right to free speech? Do you even know what free speech is? If you say something stupid about the greatest president this country has ever had in concert and nobody wants to buy your cd's anymore then that is called our rights as consumers. Did I miss the part about FBI agents storming the stage when she made those remarks? Oh that didnt happen? Why is it that YOU get to decide what songs radio stations play? Why is it that you get decide what is the right and wrong thing to say? The next time you ask a dumb question, back it up with some facts and not emotions about your favorite band. Again I ask...give me ONE example where this guy "big brother" stopped you are anybody you know from saying anything? Just one example. anyone? Didn't think so.....liberal clowns.
2006-10-27 20:46:24 · answer #1 · answered by True2it 2 · 1⤊ 4⤋
Yes, freedom of speech exists to some extent. So do the consequences of free speech. An economic boycott is not imprisonment or death. Natalie Maines made an honest statement, she is a liberal from a liberal family, and can't stand GW. She just happened to damage her relationship with her fan base, she didn't get jail time!
As to the death threats - so what? Every celebrity in this country has gotten them at some point, because at some point every celebrity has screwed someone else over to get famous. These are not "nice" people - they are professional shills, sales points for multibillion-dollar corporations.
2006-10-27 20:51:03 · answer #2 · answered by Jim P 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Free speach and freedom of thought is only a reality in so far as it never confronts, questions or invokes any challenge to what is deemed as "acceptable" by those in power - esp if those questions or challenges come from anyone who's voice is likely to be heard.
To make things worse at the moment, any challenge to the war is often misread as a betrayal to the soldiers out there on the battle field, rather that taken for what it is - questioning the fact that the soldiers were even sent there in the first place.
Unfortunately fear and anger so often cast aside logic and humanity
2006-10-27 20:13:20 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 0⤋
They used their right of free speech. In Iraq if someone would've said that about Saddam they would've been killed on the spot. You think that we're so oppressed but by people not listening their CDs and not buying their merchandise, they were practicing their freedom as well. They didn't believe in what The Dixie Chicks did so therefore, they boycotted. For Americans who think we are not free, you should go to another country that honestly, truly, isn't. You will be begging to come back to America.
2006-10-27 20:16:37 · answer #4 · answered by Abby 1 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Good question. Recently the common law writ of habeus corpus (detainees can seek release from unlawful imprisonment) was overturned by the US government. Taken to its extreme, (and some things are getting a little extreme these days) it means the government can imprison anyone for anything - they just have make a judgment, possibly a very biased judgment, that you are an enemy combatant, terrorist or anyone else they would like to silence. Be right back, there is a loud pounding on my door....
2006-10-27 20:37:47 · answer #5 · answered by buffalobo 2 · 3⤊ 0⤋
COME ON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The Dixie Chicks??
What happen to them in no way has to do with free speech. She made a statement that her fans did not like so they stopped listing and buying. The people that run county music stations did not care but heard to the fans and stop playing them......
We all have free speech even the poor farmer the sent his son to war has free speech. It does not all ways come in the from of words but actions. Her fans spoke with one voice and told her to go jump.
If she stop there but they would have been fine. If she said this is what I think but BUT I still support the troops that were in Afghanistan at that time and wish to go the and play for them as Tody Keith did it would have been OK.
The thing they had with Tody Keith did not help in any way. That put the nails in the lid of there music coffin.
2006-10-27 20:19:04 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
Sorry, but it's extremely doubtful because of Bush's clamping down on our Constitutional rights since 9/11! It seems that we have to put up with Bush and his supporters' foolishness over the free speech matter. If I have to say the war was wrong, then I'll have to take my chances with them! Kudos to Natalie Maines and the Dixie Chicks for standing up to Bush and his die-hard supporters (namely the Conservatives)! I applaud them!!!
2006-10-28 02:24:43 · answer #7 · answered by brian 2010 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Good question. But ultimate free speech allows for dissent. One of the main components of Western cultures is the free exchange of ideas in the marketplace. The Dixie Chicks are free to be outraged and rednecks are free to boycott!! Hey, at least it's not government censorship.
2006-10-27 20:10:26 · answer #8 · answered by Jon M 2 · 3⤊ 0⤋
These days, the so called FREE SPEECH is "MONITORED SPEECH. So careful. You still can say whatever you want, but REMEMBER it is been listened by Big Brother.
It is sad, fast changing country. Since when did we have to call somebody unpatriotic, simply because they criticize the president or the war in Iraq?. It is scary that we are turning to a third world.
2006-10-27 20:07:28 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Freedom of Speech is a contract between government and the people it serve. I believe Freedom of Speech was exercised by those people you mentioned and government did not censor them or put them in jail. So the contract has been fulfilled.
In a relationship other than people vs. government, there really is no guarantee for freedom of speech. For example, you can't say anything you want at work, you'll be dismissed quickly.
2006-10-27 20:15:52 · answer #10 · answered by oskeewow13 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋