Boycott of Dixie Chicks Was Not McCarthyism

I am writing concerning Stefanie Alaimo's column in Monday's Spectrum, "Vintage McCarthyism Is Back in Style." While reading this column, I found it quite ironic that while supposedly protecting free speech, she waged a far more blatant attack on our constitutional rights. The basic suggestion of the article is that a celebrity or other individual has the right to exercise their First Amendment rights, however, they should in no way be held accountable for their statements. Apparently, if a musician says something I strongly disagree with, as an American I am required to continue to buy their CD or listen to them on the radio. This is such an ignorant and hypocritical argument, yet somehow seems to be popular among the "more enlightened" among us. Alaimo must realize that nobody is keeping celebrities from saying how they feel, but we are holding them accountable for what they say. Just as they have the right to share their opinion, we as Americans have the right to say what we think of them. If our actions cause them to apologize or stay quiet, it is because they are cowards, not because we have violated their right to free speech.

As for the Dixie Chicks, Natalie Maines made a comment that the majority of Americans found offensive. Radio stations stopped playing her music because she was bad for business. Welcome to the real world. I suppose we should also lock up all of those individuals who chose to crush their Dixie Chicks CDs; clearly they violated Maines' rights. Perhaps the most ridiculous point of the article is using the word "oppression" to compare the Dixie Chicks' situation to that of the Iraqi people. It takes quite an imagination to suggest that pompous, millionaire musicians are in any way similar to the poverty stricken people of Iraq who are living under a murderous dictator. When the minority dissents with the majority, it is called civil rights; when the majority dissents with the minority, you call it McCarthyism. The constitution grants us the right to dissent, therefore it also grants us the right to dissent with dissent. I will never try to keep anyone from saying what they think, please do not try to keep me from doing the same.