November 2, 2006Shut Up and Sing
The Dixie Chicks know when you Speak Strong, you can become the target of bullies who will stop at little to silence you. The Chicks were the most successful female band in America until they spoke 15 words at a concert in London in 2003 that expressed their disapproval of President Bush and the war in Iraq. While their word choice wouldn’t pass the PowerPhrase test, those of us who grew up in the 60’s thought little of it. However, those words resulted in an orchestrated effort to destroy their careers, including blacklisting their music from radio, CD crushing events, media refusal to accept ads for their concerts, hate mail and death threats. They document their experience in their newly released movie, Shut Up and Sing. It’s an alarming story about repression of opinions.
The Chicks are back, with no regrets. As they say in their Not Ready to Make Nice song, “It turned my whole world around and Ii kind of like it.” Their latest album makes it clear why. They have become all the more powerful and expressive. They wrote every song on the album and are making the kind of music they want without feeling restrained by their former base. Because they spoke what they believed they got kicked out of a group they didn’t completely fit with and are discovering a group that feels more like home.
The attack on the Chicks occurred three years ago, and they believe that had they said what they did now it would have gone unnoticed. People are becoming more aware.
This awareness is reflected in the current political climate. Yes, this election season is carrying more attack ads than ever (90%), but this year the attacks aren’t going unanswered or unexamined as they have in years past. There’s more fact-checking and more examining of tactics. Bully tactics are backfiring on the bully. I’m not saying that the bully tactics will fail at every attempt, but I am saying that the bully is losing its grip. I hope the bullies are losing their grip in your life, and it will become safer to speak your simple truth, personally, professionally and politically.
And whether you can speak your truth with impunity or find yourself a target like the Dixie Chicks did, I also hope that speaking your truth leaves you with no regrets either.
(An excellent article on how to lose your fear of losing your job at; http://positivesharing.com/2006/09/how-to-lose-your-fear-of-being-fired/#more-1183 )
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Could you possibly post the text of the article “how to lose your fear of being fired” in one of your newsletters? I am very interested in reading it and ironically it is blocked.
Thank You!
Comment by Andrea — November 2, 2006 @ 1:13 pm
I chose not to read the whole article. The Dixie Chicks had a right to speak and everyone had a right to react. Maybe the reaction has made them feel stronger. I still will not listen to them, I change the channel when their music comes on and I also will not buy their cds. We all have choices in life. Their choice caused mine. I do not respect them.
Comment by Not Necessary — November 2, 2006 @ 4:27 pm
I support President Bush’s stand in Iraq, along with the tremendous work our troops are doing, wholeheartedly. I am proud that our troops are willing to put their life on the line for the freedom of a people. It’s how this nation was founded. It is incredibly sad that our troops have to die for the freedom and protection of the Iraqi people, but there is a cost for freedom, there’s always a cost. Gratefully, many have put their life on the line in the past in order for the Dixie Chicks to have the freedom to speak.
Whatever side of the debate one resides, people will argue for their own views. I believe in freedom of speech. I believe both sides of the debate should have equality in being heard. There are many ways to vote, with our ballots, with our wallets. But voting seems unimportant to so many, which is hard to understand considering how many have died for the privilege.
Comment by Cindy Hapanowicz — November 3, 2006 @ 9:05 am
What a great country we have that we have the freedom of speech. However, the Dixie Chicks didn’t make their comments in this, our great country, of USA. I could have accepted their comments if made on US soil. To make the comments they made outside, cowardly, in another country is and will always be in my opinion, unacceptable. I will never, ever, ever, listen to their music again. It’s not about the war nor President Bush, it’s about respect for what is yours. The freedom that so many of our good and faithful troops have died or scarificed their lives for.
As one of the previous entries states, they made their choice, and I have made mine. They simply don’t exist in my world. God Bless our troops in all the nations in which they are stationed. As I settle in to my nice warm, comfy, peaceful bed and think nothing other than what tomorrow brings…..God Bless those who defend my right to be free….
Comment by Janet — November 8, 2006 @ 1:19 am
When I settle into my comfy bed I am also grateful for those who fight to protect our freedoms. I remember a friends who teaches in China telling me about a student of hers who was deeply moved when Michael Moore criticized the Iraq war, not because of what Moore was saying, but because he knew that anyone who dissented like that in China would be disappeared. I am grateful dissent doesn’t lead to execution here (including when expressed in the UK), but I would also hope that it wouldn’t result in death threats, and the kind of targeting that the Dixie Chicks endured. I understand those who disapprove of what they did and might chose not to patronize them, but either many people don’t understand the nature of the campaign against the Chicks that I described last week or they don’t value the importance of free expression and civility like I do. I am outraged by what was done to them and I am surprised no one else has mentioned sharing that outrage. The kind of democracy I want to live in is one where people may choose not to support those who speak out of school, but not one where it results in a systematic attack.
It’s as if instead of unsubscribing or posting a different opinion my readers called my pubishers, agent, clients and editors and got them all to drop me, got my books pulled from the bookstores, filled the airwaves with graphic descritions of what should happen to me, and threatened me with death. Gratefully that hasn’t happened…but the Dixie Chicks could be a warning of what people are capable of.
Am I the only one here who thinks this is outrageous and not what our troops are fighting for?
Comment by merylrunion — November 8, 2006 @ 7:21 pm
Meryl,
This is a good wakeup call for me and others like me who believe themselves to be too busy to speak out against hate mongers. When I hear of people being attacked for what they believe, as the Dixie Chicks were, I feel sad that our country has fallen victim to the same hate mongering that was alive in Nazi Germany. So-called Christian Americans who preach love and tolerance suddenly turn into radical, closed-minded sheep when something they believe is challenged. Their reactions are so extreme and feel so violent that I instinctively want to hide from their ignorant rantings for fear of being attacked myself. It’s a fear I need to conquer in order to begin supporting not only freedom of speech, but the basic freedoms we take for granted in order to live our lives as we choose. If we’re not careful, all our choices will be gone! Thanks for taking a stand and being a light in dark times.
Comment by Laura Richards — November 10, 2006 @ 5:58 pm
Well, this phenomenon in my opinion is what happens when you live in a “free” society. Dixie Chicks can say what they feel needs to be said, those who support them can say what they want said, those who oppose can say what they want said. The real concern is can we all say what we want to say in an intelligent, civil manner - to express exactly what you mean without all the excessive drama like the death threats? That to me is so uncalled for. How do we get people to voice their opinions in such a way that allows civil dialogue, disagreements, exchanges? The way we Americans act these days saddens me….
Comment by draporter92 — November 10, 2006 @ 6:00 pm
Apparently Meryl, and others, have not been near a college campus lately. The level of crushing others’ rights to say what they want if they do not toe the leftist line is staggering. Also, whosoever calls names, loses the discussion automatically. I doubt most writers even know what the Nazis did, so to compare people they disagree with politically with Nazis is amazingly and profoundly stupid. The Dixie Chicks can say whatever they want anytime and anyplace they want. Why then do others, who do not agree with the Chicks, not have the right to say or do in response what they wish? I wish good luck to the Chicks and to all who do not agree with them.
Comment by skibum — November 10, 2006 @ 6:28 pm
I think the time has come for Americans to realize that with freedom of speech comes just that….the freedom to say what you feel. Since when do entertainers not have the same rights as everyone else? I was never a fan of the Dixie Chicks before this but l listened to their new album and loved the honesty there. I feel that because they are females there is a belief that it is even more OK to threaten them for being outspoken or having an opinion. I struggle with speaking up and speaking out because of the “tapes” in my head…..about being seen but not heard.
And it is not just about the Dixie Chicks……Barbra Streistand had items thrown at her for expressing comments and having a comedic sketch about “W” in her recent concerts.
Comment by Pam — November 10, 2006 @ 10:59 pm
Meryl, I am so sorry to read in this week’s article about the responses to your item on the Dixie Chicks, and especially that nobody shared your outrage. Belatedly, I would like to do so. It seems to me to be gross double standards to applaud soldiers for fighting to defend our freedom whilst simultaneously not objecting to death threats and other draconian measures against people exercising their right to freedom of speech.
Of course everyone has the right to not buy their music if such a thing makes them happy, just as they have a right to object to the opinions voiced by another. But it is our duty, as nations and individuals, to speak out against intolerance, bigotry and violence in all its forms.
Those who dare not to be “sheeple” and stick their heads above the parapet deserve our praise, not our condemnation. I don’t have to agree with all that is said, but I believe we in a democratic and civilised society are meant to defent everyone’s right to say what they feel - so long as they are not inciting racial hatred, or similar? Respond with disagreement and your own point of view by all means - but treat people so horrendously with burnings and threats? Have we learned nothing from the witch trials, the Inquisition and the Holocaust?
Comment by Marilyn — November 11, 2006 @ 10:07 am
I am glad to see that there was some response to Meryl’s outcry that no one wrote of having a problem with the repercussions faced by the Chicks.
I have a problem with that sort of backlash.
When I read the article, it lead to some introspection. I saw that I had not seen the importance of speaking strong. I had not seen the importance of letting it be known that I am not ok with people ganging up on their human counterparts - for any excuse.
I saw an internal attitude of complacency within myself. A lack of faith that my voice could make a difference.
Meryl, I thank you for speaking up and providing me with the opportunity to speak up and say what I mean.
Comment by Anon — November 11, 2006 @ 4:26 pm
Noote to Meryl……when I first started reading ‘A Power Phrase A Week” a few yars ago, I think it was a lot less “political”…I preferred it that way.
I think if you had (maybe you did) referenced what the Dixie Chicks said when they said it (which I feel favors what they said more than thier right to speak) the backlash, to you, would have been great. I BELEIVE that Bush, with all of his advisors. knows what is more “right” for our country than a few singers. Am I saddeded by all of the deaths, YES…do I have to believe in our leaders, YES. Would I vote for Bush today, maybe not but I BELIEVE in respecting his poisition.
Comment by Kim Stertz — November 11, 2006 @ 8:36 pm
SO….should we just agree with you?
Comment by Kim Stertz — November 11, 2006 @ 8:39 pm
The Dixie Chicks chose to make a statement that they knew would be unpopular at the time. They made it publicly and really shouldn’t have been surprised at the backlash.
Were death threats right? No, of course not. The Dixie Chicks have the right to their opinions.
But to say that the attacks on them were “orchestrated” assumes that there’s a single person or organization directing a lot of individual choices. The statement that their popularity before their political statement was “orchestrated” is just as valid.
Instead, a lot of individuals made choices that added up to a very rapid fall from popularity.
If you don’t agree with that statement, try thinking about these questions from a different perspective:
Were people entitled to call radio stations and say they wouldn’t listen any more if particular music was played? Sure. People call and complain about rappers who glorify domestic violence.
Do people have the right to boycott businesses that make decisions they don’t agree with? Yes. People shop or don’t shop at businesses that provide benefits to domestic partners.
Did the radio stations have the right to make business decisions to not play that music? Yes, they did. There’s a lot of music that never gets air play.
Did the media have the right to not accept the ads? Yes. There are ads that are rejected for a variety of reasons such as denying the Holocaust occurred.
Do people have the right to smash the CDs that they own? Sure. People certainly have the right to destroy their own property. People dig up trees from their yards which has a far greater long-term impact on our world than a smashed CD. That’s property destruction, too.
Do people have the right to get together to complain about the behavior of the artists? Sure. People get together to gripe about other people’s behavior all the time. Some gripe about the war, some about taxes, some about their bosses. Some people even organize protests that march on government offices.
Is there a central force orchestrating all of this? Who? Who in the US could drive this much individual behavior? If there’s someone who honestly believes that there was an “orchestrated” attempt to destroy the Dixie Chicks, I hope that person will explain how this could be a single force trying to quiet them. And the answer isn’t “Christians”, “Sheeple”, or some other nebulous label. There’s no central puppet master in any of those phrases. Orchestration requires a maestro. Who is it?
Comment by Kathy — November 11, 2006 @ 11:12 pm
For me, the important reminder of the many negative comments you received on your Dixie Chicks article has to do with “feedback dynamics:” when someone agrees with your position they are usually unmoved (no pounding heart) to take the time to say so, but someone who disagrees experiences an adreneline rush that makes them more likely to protest. There can be 100 agreers and 10 disagreers; but when all you hear are 10 boos, it can feel like no one supports your position.
On the other hand, when an agreer IS moved (heart pounds) and takes the time to offer positive feedback, it is likely that she/he feels vindicated for holding an unpopular opinion like the writer’s. Isn’t that the appeal of extreme radio talk-show hosts who specialize in being victims of insidious powerful forces “out there.” Don’t ditto-heads rejoice in finding someone who speaks out against the demons who frighten them, too?
Comment by Paula Nowick — November 12, 2006 @ 10:52 am
Dear Meryl - I see this as a perfect example of how we feel at a gut level about loyalty. Are we loyal to our kin; to our “kind” of people? The Chicks were disloyal to their kin and that kind of disloyalty cannot, in some people’s minds and hearts, EVER be rationalized, taken lightly (i.e. the reason they needed to be severely punished), or be forgiven.
This kind of severe punishment of disloyalty has been observed in chimp tribes. If a young female leaves the tribe, joins another neighboring tribe, mates, and happens to wander back into their old territory while foraging, she and her offspring can be killed by members of her own family of origin. Science has shown that certain beliefs and emotions, especially those that likely increased our chances for survival, often elude the light of reason and operate at an unconscious or sub-conscious level.
I am not condoning the negativity and vindictiveness of the Chicks haters, only that it can be understood in a certain framework. I personally LOVE the Chicks and I applaud your commitment to speaking strong. You (and the Chicks) are a role model for us. Thank you.
Comment by Regina — November 12, 2006 @ 11:22 am
I enjoyed reading everyone’s opinion here. I am with the opinion that yes, the Dixie Chicks, should be able to have freedom of speech without fear of being stalked or having death threats. At the same time, I believe as figures out in the public world, what they say reflects on themselves and is heard by a LARGE MULTITUDE of people. I think there has to be some responsibility placed on the public person talking - and they should think of the possible effects of what they say will bring. (I don’t exactly know the words they used against Bush or the Iraq war after all the media that spun it LOL,) but what i do know, is, disparaging America in another country is on a minor level like being a traitor. Your trying to bring shame to ur own country and almost make a mockery of it. Had they been in America, joining a protest or something, I find that more admirable, as they are expressing themselves to try to effect change, not just shame. I found that disgusting, truthfully. America has enough enemies in other countries and what they said, honestly, was inflammatory, and as public figures if ppl don’t buy their cds anymore or don’t attend their concerts, i feel that they deserve that. There are repercussions to everything one says, as we learn in this forum! and thats what happened to them.
Comment by arlene — November 12, 2006 @ 12:58 pm
Patrick Henry, one of our founding Patriots, is often credited with saying, to paraphrase, “I may disagree with what you say but I will defend unto death your right to say it”. That, to me, is one of the principal rights our Constitution and the Bill of Rights were created to protect. If someone disagrees with the Dixie Chicks, they are certainly within their rights to quit buying or listening to their music. But to question their patriotism and threaten violence or sling hate-filled rhetoric is what is truly unAmerican and flies in the face of what our troops are purportedly defending.
I am one of those who agree that President Bush should be impeached and, along with his entourage (Cheney, Rumsfeld & Rove) very possibly tried for war crimes. They perpetuated a “pre-emptive” war based on manipulation of intelligence information as well as outright lies; seem to have never even considered the cultural and social dimensions of the country they were invading (perversely trying to convince us it was a war of liberation); dismissed anyone with contradictory information or opinions by either firing them (if they were within the Administration) or labeling them “unpatriotic” or worse, supporters of terrorism; and, further, have seriously harmed our international relationships.
I support our troops wholeheartedly and want them to come home! I know they are doing absolutely the best possible job they can given the resources that were made available to them and that it is not in anyone’s best interests to percipitously pull out of Iraq. However, the current Administration has never even been able to suggest what its plan is for this debacle, other than the removal of Saddam Hussein, which was accomplished quite a while ago. The so-called “democratizing” of Iraq seems to be a more distant dream than ever inspite of their successful elections. One can only hope that the changes in the House and Senate, alone with our new Secretary of Defense, will result is a meaningful plan to get us out of this mess Bush created.
I am proud of the Dixie Chicks for asserting their rights as Americans and speaking their mind, and for doing it in an international forum that hopefully sent a message to the rest of the world that we didn’t all support the policies of our Administration.
Comment by Keyspearl — November 12, 2006 @ 6:11 pm
Dear Meryl,
First, I apologize for my apathy. I did not respond to your article on the Dixie Chicks and used the fact that I was “snowed under” as the excuse to not take the time. Having read previous articles on the ramifications of the Chicks statement, I was not surprised by your repoet of what happened, but I was reminded of my dismay when I first learned of the violence of people’s reaction. Unfortunately, my lack of surprise comes from watching the actions of our political leaders over the last several years. The climate they have fostered is not one of tolerance of the belief of others, but of beligerance, belittlement, denounciation, and labeling. How many times have we heard someone denounced as un-American, un-Patriotic, not supportive of our troops, and worse, for voicing an opinion different from that of the current administration and its followers. It has been used as a savage, but effective, political tool.
Nothing has ever been solved by shutting down open discourse. The founders of our country, and it’s freedoms, didn’t always agree and they argued their points long and heatedly, as history records. But they knew they were fighting for the right to disagree, to argue their own vision, without fear of reprisal or punishment by others.
Now open discourse, if considered to be disagreement, is shut down and in the name of patriotism. When we lose our right to have a voice, we lose one of the most basic and cherished freedoms we have and the foundation of many other freedoms we enjoy.
If we cannot have open dialog in our own country, if we cannot disagree yet still show respect for the opinion of others, if we cannot speak without fear, then the enemy we need to fear most is not the terrorists.
Comment by Connie — November 13, 2006 @ 7:54 am
When opposing views become so strongly held that physical violence and threats to life are the outcome, we are not “speaking strong”. We are becoming the very thing we, as a nation and society, were formed to oppose. Totalitarianisim and injustice must be challenged if we truly believe in freedom…even if the injustice is in our own ranks. Narrow mindedness people and fanatics, of any strip, threaten our way of life. May we all learn to speak strong and truly strengthen our nation. May God bless our troops defending this right and may our leaders remember them.
Comment by Gary — November 13, 2006 @ 8:28 am
Meryl:
I never, ever respond to anything I read on the internet nor do I call in to respond to things I hear on TV or Radio talk shows, but . . . this discussion has really struck a chord with me. I am a mature adult and I do not need anyone, including celebrities like Michael Moore or the Dixie Chicks, to tell me how to cast my vote and I don’t let them. I believe I have a right to make that decision for myself. I do not like Michael Moore’s movies so I do not watch them. I do like the Dixie Chicks’ music so I listen to it. I do not need my fellow Americans to tell me whether I should or shouldn’t listen to it. I believe I also have a right to make that decision for myself just as they do. I do not try to tell anyone else how to vote or what entertainment is appropriate for them. If I do not like an artist on the radio or on TV, I change the channel. Everyone has that right. I do not believe anyone has a right to threaten others lives or safety for speaking out for what they believe in. I believe I have a right to listen to whoever I want to on the radio but that choice has been taken away from me by those who have demanded that none of us should be allowed to hear those voices.
In the early 70’s, I protested the Viet Nam War. Several members of my family including my adored older brother served in Viet Nam. I loved my brother and respected him for doing what he was called by our government to do, but I did not respect our government’s decision to be involved in that particular police action. Fortunately, I had the right to protest without being arrested or persecutednor was my life threatened. I will forever stand up for other’s rights to do the same. That is what our country was founded on. That is what our ancestors fought for and that is what our troops are fighting for today. They are fighting so that the people of Iraq will have the right to protest their government and criticize their leaders when they feel it necessary. Why will we insist on the people of Iraq having that freedom and yet deny it to the citizens of our own country?
Comment by RE — November 13, 2006 @ 8:40 am
Not only do I think the reaction against them was way over the top, I think they had every right to say it. In fact, they were only putting words to what MANY already felt but didn’t want to say. Also, I have purchased their latest CD, and, in my opinion, it is the best thing they have ever done.
Comment by Tamera — November 13, 2006 @ 8:45 am
I am not sure I know their songs but I understand that this backlash is not new. There was a concerted effort against John Lennon from that administration. I believe that the Dixie Chicks were honest and knew they were taking a chance, but they felt that it was, and is worth it. I find it troubling that political servants would focus on lashing back and punishing rather than representing their constituents. Although I wasn’t familiar with their songs before, I plan to hear them out on their new cd.
Comment by Janet — November 13, 2006 @ 9:02 am
Meryl,
I’m sorry that I didn’t immediately respond to your Dixie Chicks article. It was so “spot on” that I assumed (how silly of me) that everyone would understand and agree. I was horrified at our nation’s initial response to the Dixie Chicks statement. I understood that there would be those would agreed and those who disagreed with what was said BUT I never expected the response to be so personal and hateful. I don’t believe the reaction was because they were in a foreign country (a country that was supporting our President’s position I might add) but because they didn’t agree with what was said. We have lost our ability to debate. I blame this administration for this cultural shift. Time and time again, I would turn on to watch the news and I was taken back by the Administration’s insistence that “this wasn’t the time to question” or “How unpatriotic someone was for questioning the war” and my all time favorite “it showed a disrespect for our troops.” Can you believe that? Unlike our forefathers who brought forth this great nation through rigorous yet contentious debate, this administration shuns debate and labels us “unpatriotic” is we dare question them about anything. I long for the day when open debate is seen as a way to express ideas and generate constructive dialogue. I hope when the new Congress begins next year we will see why our forefathers believed the government needed a “checks and balance system” instead of a rubber stamp. I’m thankful that the Dixie Chicks didn’t allow the vocal minority to suppress their voice. Freedom of Speech is a right that we should all cherish and encourage!
Comment by Linda S. Williams — November 13, 2006 @ 9:34 am
lots of great comments on both sides viewing the debate of right or wrong for a country and life as a American,What would Jesus do! John 8:12 -
John 8:34
Comment by rich — November 13, 2006 @ 10:17 am
I wholeheartedly agree with you that the Dixie Chicks had a right to express thier opinions. Even had I not agreed with them, I would have still defended that right. The censorship and backlash that occurred should have set off alarm bells with all of us. Just because someone’s opinion happens to be in the majority now doesen’t mean that it will be that way forever. Do the people who felt that it was OK to censor the Chicks think it will be OK for them to be censored when they’re not in the majority?
Comment by Debra Cortner — November 13, 2006 @ 11:27 am
I am not sure if I read the same interview that is referenced, but I did read the Playboy interview with the band. Actually, I have to tell you that I read some of it twice because I couldn’t believe what I was seeing! I will admit that I do not agree with the band’s position on the war, but I am appalled at the reaction these women received. The Dixie Chicks were the biggest-selling female music group in history. It saddens me to know that because they are standing up for what they believe in, millions of Americans have chosen to reciprocate by disassociating with them. This past Saturday was veteran’s day. I would like to personally thank our troops who are fighting and our veterans who have fought for freedom around the world. Because of their dedication, the freedom of speech is here for EVERY United States citizen, including the Dixie Chicks. Thank you Dixie Chicks for exercising your freedom.
Comment by Cheryl — November 13, 2006 @ 11:56 am
I see that because my earlier post did not meet your “politically correct” standards (meaning agreeing with you completely) that it was deleted. Shame on you and all like you.
Comment by skibum — November 13, 2006 @ 12:09 pm
I didn’t take the time to reply last week, but I do have a problem with what happened to the Dixie Chicks. They do not deserve hate mail and death threats. Their personal opionion counts as much as the next person. Just because we don’t think we should be in Iraq doesn’t mean we don’t support the troops. What happened to the Dixie Chicks was wrong.
Comment by Doris — November 13, 2006 @ 1:33 pm
Meryl, I was and remain outraged by the treatment meted out to the Dixie Chicks. No matter which side of the Iraq War you agree with, you have a right to your opinion. You also have the right to disagree with another’s opinion. You DO NOT have the right to threaten, intimidate, belittle or otherwise denigrate another for their opinion simply because you disagree with it.
Sadly, in our country these days, you either tow the “party line” or suffer the consequences. Fortunately, I’ve never been very good at towing lines!
Comment by DLPoff — November 13, 2006 @ 2:18 pm
“I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.”
-Tallentyre
Comment by John — November 15, 2006 @ 7:31 am