Good for the Dixie Chicks

How can you not say "hat's off" to the Dixie Chicks after this story?  Let me interject that I am not a HUGE Dixie Chicks fan, though I must admit, of most "comtemporary" country artists, I probably have the most respect for them. I'm generally not a country music fan. I like Southern Rock (see Allman Brothers, Lynyrd Skynyrd, etc), and I like some of the older "standard" country artists (like Johnny Cash, Patsy Cline, Willie Nelson). I'm generally not that into modern country. I'm not into it in the same way that I'm not into modern pop music. It just lacks substance and feel to my ear. And some of the popular country (and pop) artists are just so damn formulaic, that I just can't take it.

But The Dixie Chicks just have a more organic, natural, honest sound to them that reminds me of the older country artists. I admit a BIG part of my respect for them is that they can actually play their own instruments (and do). I don't want to make any vocalists angry, as I fully appreciate the human voice as an instrument in its own right, but being able to sing AND play is great, especially when you can do both very well. Top all of that off with the ability to write songs well, and you've got a heck of a combination.

Which is why I say congratulations to the Dixie Chicks. Not cause they need my approval. But because they spoke their minds, and they kept their wits about them when the majority of their audience turned on them. And now, they can thumb their nose at everyone, and good for them. I defninitely lean to the "left" of center, though I'm probably somewhere between a moderate Democrat and a Libertarian. Thus, I don't side with any singular political mindset. That said, it was painfully obvious which political organization was behind the "boycott the Dixie Chicks" thing. I admit, I just love that it blew up in their closed-minded, simplistic, elitist little faces. And the Dixie Chicks handled it with class, proving why they're on top, and the trailer trash ain't.

If you have a differing political view, fine. I respect that, but you don't make death threats because someone happened to speak an opinion different from your own. That's insane and dogmatic and extremist and about 100000 other things. I just love that all those die-hard, bible thumpin' fools who were going to "teach those girls a lesson" got spanked. You said it, Natalie, "ha ha".