Liberals predictably are incorrectly pointing out that the Dixie Chicks were treated unfairly, that their free speech rights were violated, and they got censored, all by the same people who're supporting Phil Robertson.
The two situations are different and neither represent a free-speech issue. What happened to the Dixie Chicks was simply a market function. Patriotic country-music fans didn't like Natalie Mains apologizing for President Bush to a European audience and stopped buying their records and concert tickets. They weren't censored by the government. They were censored by their audience.
Phil Robertson's situation is not quite the same thing. He said something controversial and his employer punished him for it, not his audience. The irony is that the liberals who defended the Dixie Chicks on free-speech grounds are the same people who applauded A&E pulling Robertson off the air, thereby depriving him of the same speech.
Supporters in both situations who're complaining about their first amendment rights to free speech should read the Constitution. It limits the government's regulation of speech, not the consequences of that speech.
Sure, everybody has the right to free speech, but because speech is free doesn't mean that it doesn't come with possible consequences.....there's a huge difference between free speech and consequence-free speech.
The Dixie Chicks wanted consequence-free speech, I think the Robertson clan understand and accept that Phil's public speech might come with negative consequences and they're prepared to live with that. The Dixie Chicks insulted their audience by offering directed personal criticism during their concert, and then got pissed off when that audience dared not continue buying their records.
6 comments:
Are you blind? They weren't just "punished" by their audience, radio stations REFUSED to play their songs. They were blacklisted for speaking their opinion.
What it comes down to, is that some people only care that someone agrees with them,not if it's what is morally right or not.
The same people who are applauding this idiot's "religious views" are the same people who complained when "All American Muslim" was on TLC.
I worked at a major country radio station in 2003. We stopped playing the Dixie Chicks not because of a "blacklist" or censorship, we stopped playing them because every time we played one of their song the phone would ring for the next thirty minutes with angry people from all over out listening area.
Your views are typical liberal bull#$%t. I didn't care about "All American Muslim". Neither do most of us. We are not afraid of someone who has a different view from us, as you clearly are.
Regardless of what you or anyone thinks, it really comes down to ad dollars. Dixie Chicks stopped making money, DD is making more than ever. Phil will be back on by Jan. 1.
Ed, you should teach social studies.
Does anyone listen to the Dixie Chicks anymore? Do they still exist as a group? I don't know and don't care.
Dave, when I was looking for this picture, I came across their website and current tour schedule. I guess they're still making music, though I haven't heard a peep from them since I started paying closer attention to country music a couple of years ago.
If I taught, I'd be crucified in the teacher's lounge for my intolerance of the intolerant left.
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