Bruce Springsteen defends (and SUPPORTS) the Dixie Chicks

[OtherHD]

The Boss Rises to Dixie Chicks' Defense

by John Nichols

"America has entered one of its periods of historical madness," argues author John Le Carr, who suggests that the current drive by conservatives in Congress and their media allies to search out and destroy dissent is "worse than McCarthyism."

That may sound extreme to some, but it certainly must ring true for Dixie Chicks singer Natalie Maines, whose mild criticism of President Bush in the days before the war with Iraq began has made the group target No. 1 for the Elite Republican Guardians of patriotic propriety.

After Maines, a native of Lubbock, told a crowd at a London Dixie Chicks show that "we're ashamed the president of the United States is from Texas," South Carolina legislators passed a bill declaring those words to be "unpatriotic," disc jockeys organized rallies at which tractors were used to destroy Dixie Chicks CDs, and radio stations across the south barred songs by the group.

Though officials of Clear Channel, the media conglomerate that controls more than 1,200 radio stations across the United States, denied that they had issued a network-wide ban order, Clear Channel's country and pop music stations were among the first to declare themselves "Chicks free." And the chattering class of conservative talk-radio and talk-TV piled on with calls for boycotts of the group's upcoming concert tour.

With the experience of the Dixie Chicks providing a cautionary tale - and with high-profile actors who have expressed anti-war views, such as Tim Robbins, Susan Sarandon and Janeane Garofalo, being branded "casting couch Bolsheviks" and worse - there was a clear signal coming from the entertainment industry in general, and the music industry in particular, about what happens when artists speak out.

While outspoken groups and individual performers such as the Beastie Boys, System of the Down, REM, Lenny Kravitz, Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder and Zack de la Rocha dared to speak out musically, radio playlists have tended increasingly to feature Bush administration-friendly songs like Darryl Worley's "Have You Forgetten" and "Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)" by Toby Keith, who derides Maines as a "big mouth."

Madonna remade an anti-war video for her new single, "American Life," because, she said, "I do not want to risk offending anyone."

And, against the pressure to make music conform to the conservative agenda of the Bush administration, there has been a whole lot of silence from most of the music industry's biggest names.

But Bruce Springsteen is not one to let his voice be frozen out by a free speech chill. The man whose song "Born in the USA" remains an anthem for patriots of many stripes - including those who see dissent as the truest expression of Americanism - has let rip with a defense of the Dixie Chicks and artistic free speech.

"The Dixie Chicks have taken a big hit lately for exercising their basic right to express themselves. To me, they're terrific American artists expressing American values by using their American right to free speech. For them to be banished wholesale from radio stations, and even entire radio networks, for speaking out is un-American," Springsteen said in a statement that was set to be posted today on the http://www.brucespringsteen.net Web site.

"The pressure coming from the government and big business to enforce conformity of thought concerning the war and politics goes against everything that this country is about - namely freedom. Right now, we are supposedly fighting to create freedom in Iraq, at the same time that some are trying to intimidate and punish people for using that same freedom here at home," added Springtseen, whose 2002 album "The Rising," a groundbreaking rumination on Sept. 11, 2001, and its aftermath, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart and has been certified double platinum.

"I don't know what happens next," Springsteen said of America's current moment, "but I do want to add my voice to those who think that the Dixie Chicks are getting a raw deal, and an un-American one to boot. I send them my support."

As usual, Springsteen has his finger closer to the pulse of America than the ranting right and those over-cautious celebrities who have shied away from the controversy. Of the 59 shows on the upcoming Dixie Chicks tour of major arenas, 53 are sold out and the remainder are on the verge of being fully booked.

Copyright 2003 The Capital Times
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Time to boycott Bruce, no? Thoughts? Comments?

[southerngale]

Maybe he wasn't really Born in the USA

[j]

Never liked his music anyway..and his "patriotic" attitude always seemed like joke. Maybe he should go to the Bi-Lo Center in Greenville, SC thursday night and wave his flag, wear his bandana, and support his beloved Dixie Chicks.

The true Patriots will be at the other side of town in Spartanburg with the Marshall Tucker Band!

[azsnowman]

Man, just when you think you've seen it all, truly sad, well...."Another one bites the dust!"

Dennis

[wx247]

Never liked his music anyway..and his "patriotic" attitude always seemed like joke. Maybe he should go to the Bi-Lo Center in Greenville, SC thursday night and wave his flag, wear his bandana, and support his beloved Dixie Chicks.

The true Patriots will be at the other side of town in Spartanburg with the Marshall Tucker Band!

I hate to beat a dead horse into the ground, but I would just like to point out that just because you might be at the Dixie Chick's concert at not watching the Marshall Tucker Band does not mean that you are NOT a patriot or a patriotic American or a hater of G.W.

[j]

you are correct wx. I'm sure there will be thousands of "Troop Supporters" there.

[wx247]

You definitely have me there j, but I am just saying that everyone going to see the Dixie Chicks are not anti-troop, anti-American. I understand a lot of people are upset and I see why, but let us not stoop to the low level of criticizing the FANS of the Chicks now.

[chadtm80]

He probly just saw there new "Cover" and decided to give them a hand.. hehe

[wx247]

LOL Chad. That is possible, although I have seen much better WITH CLOTHES ON!!!!

[chadtm80]

LOL, me to wx247.. I myself will continue to boycott them.. I will not beat this to death (like it already hasnt.. lol ) but i got to say that the cover was the stupidest thing they could of done now... Did they think that was going to win back the lost fans?? Im just wondering what fed this latest idea of theirs

[Lindaloo]

We all have rights to free speech. But when you bash the Commander in Chief on foreign soil IMO that is abusing free speech. WE as Americans have the right to exercise our rights by boycotting them.

Big Brucie Baby better watch out or he will suffer the same. He says "true American values" who the hell is he trying to kid.

[j]

Not to mention Linda....when you "SAY" you support our troops.....you better think about what your saying. Our Troops commander and cheif is George W. You can't have it both ways Peacenicks!

[Stephanie]

Not to mention Linda....when you "SAY" you support our troops.....you better think about what your saying. Our Troops commander and cheif is George W. You can't have it both ways Peacenicks!

Not quite - you can support the troops because they're doing their job. So is the President, but you don't have to agree with everything that he says. The troops go in and make the ultimate sacrifice for their country no matter who is in charge. If it was Al Gore or ANYONE Democrat that sent them in, you better believe that those of you chiding those of us for disagreeing with President GWB, would be doing the samething now against that Democratic president BUT supporting our troops.

[j]

My point Steph was that every Peacenick, Hollywood type, Artist/Activist out there seems to say whatever they want about our Country, our President, our Patriotism, and when they are all through bashing away...they ALL come out with the catch all phrase.."But we Support our troops". I'm sick to death of hearing that lip service!..and that's all it is!

[Stephanie]

And my point is that you could do both! You could be wrong, but you could do both!

Remember, I wasn't one of the most supportive of the War in Iraq, but I did support the troops and not just because my stepson is involved. Some people do pay lip service to CYA - I wasn't!

[Lindaloo]

Not true Steph... I would support the president no matter who was in office. But see one thing is different here... Gore would have NEVER made the decision to go in. He would have tried another approach, like the Clinton administration did with N Korea, he accepted blackmail pure and simple. We all know that Clinton could have extradited UBL from Sudan but chose to turn the other cheek. Yeah so what, he dropped a few bombs on their heads after the USS Cole but did nothing about the bombing of WTC in 98. At least this President takes no crap and we have managed to weed out some of the bad and formed a democracy in Afghanistan and now Iraq. No matter what side you are on whether it be left wing or right wing not everything is right when the situation is definitely wrong. Bin Laden was wrong, Hussein was wrong and what we did was right!! This administration can't hardly focus on the economy from having to clean up the Clinton administrations mess. THAT is why Dems show a good economy because they ignored everything else.

And by saying that they are ashamed he is from Texas is not showing their opposition to the war they are announcing their view about the President. I did not hear them say on that stage that they have questions for the President and I darn sure did not hear them say they supported the troops until AFTER they suffered backlash.

[JQ Public]

Good for him. Since when was it wrong to speak your mind. There are just as many people for the war that have said stupider things.

[chadtm80]

Since when was it wrong to speak your mind

Never..... Since when was it wrong for us to boycott them?

[wx247]

It is not. My beef was the insinuation that if you still liked the Chicks that you weren't a TRUE patriot!

[mf_dolphin]

I for one would support ANY serving President in a time of war! Disagree on domestic issues? Yes. Disagree about a war decision that already been made. NEVER (until the troops are home at least).