[BlackThornn]

If this were actually people individually outraged at that statement deciding to stop listening and 'burn cd's', etc. Then I wouldn't have any problem with it. Freedom of speech can net bad consequences, and people have just as much a right as individuals to not buy music as the Dixie Chicks have the right to be ashamed they're from the same state as George W.

BUT, the fact is that this is not the will of the people that the Dixie Chicks' careers are under attack. It's the doing of the GOP for starting a massive email campaign to try and incite as many radicals as they can to make noise and by huge megaconglomerates of media such as Clear Channel communications, which owns many of the stations that would play Dixie Chicks music and is publicly and intimately tied with the Republican Party.

Personally I'm disgusted at these people working to stifle free speech, not even associated with in-the-works acts such as Patriot Act II and CAPPS but just working as smear campaign workers. The Dixie chicks were just the beginning, now there are ads put out by the "Club for Growth", a republican organization, basically working to stir up some kind of public outrage among the idiot throngs by comparing two Republican Senators that SIMPLY DID NOT AGREE WITH BUSH'S HUGE UPPER CLASS TAX CUT with THE FRENCH, questioning their loyalty, their patriotism, their judgement, and I guess their heritage in their comparisons between "noble" dubya (He bravely led the nation to war.. *american flag superimposed in background*) with the 'treacherous' senator who's name I forgot (HE voted against a tax cut that would spur the economy *french flag superimposed in background*).

A little info about this tax cut.. 1/3 of the people in this country get nothing. Another 1/3 get 100$ or less.. roughly another third beyond that would get 500$ or less.. and 220,000 people who earn 100,000$ anually or more would end up getting more than 130 MILLION people who earn 20,000$ anually or less. This upper class pocket-padding is being described as economic stimulus.. hard to imagine the uppermost 1% doing anything to repair our economy.

Also note that this cut is after the 1.5 TRILLION dollar cut he'd already given to the wealthy.

Because two republican senators have said no to a 500 billion dollar cut (they didn't say no to any cut, they just wanted a smaller one) they are now being touted as unpatriotic, unwise, inept, and... *gasp* FRENCH!!

Dangerous times for the ideals of freedom.