Some Criticism of the Dixie Chicks is Misplaced, Ignorant, and Deceptive

Superdork, in his article "Why The Dixie Chicks Got Exactly What They Deserved" not only fails to make his case against the Dixie Chicks, but he illustrates why it was important for Natalie Maines to make her views public.

To begin with the facts, Natalie Maines, in a March 2003 concert in London said "Just so you know, we're ashamed the president of the United States is from Texas."  Later on that month she issued a statement saying "I feel the president is ignoring the opinion of many in the U.S. and alienating the rest of the world. My comments were made in frustration, and one of the privileges of being an American is you are free to voice your own point of view."  At that time, the group issued a statement saying that they had been abroad for several weeks and "the anti-American sentiment that has unfolded here is astounding. While we support our troops, there is nothing more frightening than the notion of going to war with Iraq and the prospect of all the innocent lives that will be lost.”

The criticism of the president unleashed a rash of criticism from people who felt that Maines should not air her political views and people who disagreed with her views.  It also resulted in a sharp decline in airplay for the group as radio stations removed the group's songs from their playlists.

Superdork contends that "she disrespected our country and its citizens."  There is nothing in Maines' statement that shows "disrespect" for our country or its citizens.  The statement that she was ashamed of the president was, from a historical American perspective, extremely mild.  Thomas Paine, perhaps the one man most responsible for inspiring the American Revolution, once wrote in an open letter to the president  "And as to you, Sir, treacherous in private friendship (for so you have been to me, and that in the day of danger) and a hypocrite in public life, the world will be puzzled to decide whether you are an apostate or an impostor; whether you have abandoned good principles, or whether you ever had any."  That was describing George Washington.