Three years ago today, March 10, 2003, during the run-up to the war in Iraq, Natalie Maines of the Dixie Chicks caused a political firestorm when she stated from the stage in London that, as native Texans, she and her bandmates were “ashamed the President of the United States is from Texas.” The repercussions of her statement back in the States led to a boycott of Dixie Chicks on country radio and radio station stunts like running over a pile of Dixie Chicks CDs with a bulldozer.
In fact, it was the Dixie Chicks incident that emboldened the rightwing to set up its new paradigm of pure political thought:
Criticizing Bush = Hating America
Now a pair of huge stars in the country music firmament, Faith Hill and Tim McGraw, have gone on record criticizing President Bush — not on the war, but on his disastrous response to Hurricane Katrina:
Faith Hill and Tim McGraw — two stars who usually stay out of politics — blasted the Hurricane Katrina cleanup effort, with Hill calling the slow progress in Louisiana and Mississippi “embarrassing” and “humiliating.”
The country music artists — who are natives of the storm-ravaged states — were at times close to tears, and clearly angry when the subject of Katrina came up during a news conference today. They had met with reporters in Nashville to promote their upcoming Soul2Soul II Tour, but when asked about the hurricane cleanup, the stars pulled no punches.
“To me, there’s a lot of politics being played and a lot of people trying to put people in bad positions in order to further their agendas,” McGraw, a 38-year-old native of Delhi, La., said after ABC News Radio’s Dan Gordon asked about Katrina.
“When you have people dying because they’re poor and black or poor and white, or because of whatever they are — if that’s a number on a political scale — then that is the most wrong thing. That erases everything that’s great about our country.”
McGraw specifically criticized President Bush. “There’s no reason why someone can’t go down there who’s supposed to be the leader of the free world … and say, ‘I’m giving you a job to do and I’m not leaving here until it’s done. And you’re held accountable, and you’re held accountable, and you’re held accountable.
“‘This is what I’ve given you to do, and if it’s not done by the time I get back on my plane, then you’re fired and someone else will be in your place…'”
Hill, who grew up in Jackson, Miss., echoed those sentiments. So overwhelmed, she uncharacteristically unleashed an epithet, calling the situation, “Bull[shit].”
“It is a huge, huge problem and it’s embarrassing,” she said.
“I fear for our country if we can’t handle our people [during] a natural disaster. And I can’t stand to see it. It doesn’t take a brain surgeon to figure out point A to point B. . . . And they can’t even skip from point A to point B. “It’s just screwed up.”
It will be interesting to see if the Bush worshippers in the Nashville music establishment treat the unofficial king and queen of country the same way they treated the Dixie Chicks.
People pay money for artists records and concerts to hear them perform. When I go to a concert, I go to be entertained with music. Not hear politics!! If Tim and Faith want to stick their neck out with their political beliefs, prepare to loose fans that love their music that don’t agree with their views on politics. If Tim and Faith feel they need to do it, so be it.
I’m from California and went to their concert at the Saavic Arena in St. Louis, MO while visiting my sister. I love loud music, but not loud distorted music. The sound mixer should be shot! I thought I was at a heavy metal concert. Although, the sound of their voices was nice and clear. Just the sound from both of their bands was just awful.
They have a concert coming up at the Staple Center here in Los Angeles, but I’ll sit home and crank up the volume of my stereo and enjoy better quality without the annoying distortion.
Joel Embick
Burbank, CA
Joel,
I agree with you 100%. On eof the greatest things about this country is our right to free speech. I am continually amazed at how conservatives are expected to just sit back and listen to every differing viewpoint and never offer a rebuttal. Yes, Tim and Faith have every right to their own opinions. They also have every right to voice their opinions in the forum of their choosing. However, just as they have a right, so do others. They have the right not purchase their music, attend their shows, watch them on TV, or listen to them on the radio.
I wouldn’t be one of those people because my musical preference is determined by wether I like the music, lyrics, and singing voice of a particular artist or group. I like Tim. I like Faith. I especially love to hear them sing together. If someone takes offense at their politics, though, that individual has as much right to voice an opposition as Tim and Faith had to speak their minds
Regarding Katrina, Tim & Faith are part of the problem in this country….. we are supposed to teach our children PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY, not reliance on others. People of New Orleans had 3-5 full days to evac. If that were me & I had no way to get to those busses that were available, I would have started WALKING……… NOT sitting on my butt waiting for OTHERS to take responsibility for my decision making. I find it hard to use the word VICTIM for those who CHOSE to stay behind and LOOT, RAPE & KILL. As for the sick & elderly, the workers & families of those people were responsible…… again, not Bush.
Thank you Jamie! I was hoping there was someone on this thing with some common sense! If Tim & Faith want to blame someone for the Katrina fiasco-fine, but blame the correct people. LA’s local govt. are to blame, not the President. The local govt. was warned REPEATEDLY. The White House called and begged for NO’s mayor to institute a mandatory evacuation, but he refused and the fact that they re-elected the idiot speaks volumes about the mentality in NO and surrounding areas. Blame the local govt who voted to use the money slated to upgrade their levees to bring in casinos instead. You can lead a horse to water… Don’t blame the President for the shortcomings of the local govt. You don’t have to love or even like GWB, but lay blame where it belongs and before you start accusing others of not doing enough ask yourself “What have I done and what can I do to help?” I recently visited NO and it is bouncing back slowly. Sad thing is many of these people had no insurance. What do you think would happen if my house was hit by a tornado? Do you think FEMA would swoop in and build me a new house? I think not, and I would not expect them to. Fact is the trailers and apartments some of these people are living in now are better than the homes they were living in in to begin with. Do I feel bad for them-yes. Do I want to help-yes. But why is it GWB’s fault that they don’t all have nice new homes, and parks, jobs, and a big screen TV ?
It’s not–plain and simple.
This is what I dont get. When people critisized Clinton, they were just being Americans excersizing their rights. However, when we critisize GWB, we are being un-American.
Where is the logic in that?
i think that what they said was right but y should the dixie chicks have to go through it and not them natalie maines was right clearly but they were such a big band too and i feel that its unfair to them to have that happen and when someone else says something nothin happens and i feel that tim and faith arnt brave for sayin it at all cause they knew now that they were in the safe zone and they couldnt get hurt but the dixie chicks are brave and they speak their minds no matter what so yeah speak up now how brave
I don’t see them staying down there until it’s all cleaned up and it’s supposedly their hometowns. I have really enjoyed their music over the years, but this is ridiculous. Everyone wants someone else to take responsibility for them. Well, if there was a flood where I live do you think I’d be yelling for someone to bail me out if I CHOSE not to have the proper insurances needed? I am so tired of our tax dollars having to go to take care of people who should have taken care of themselves. If it’s people that truly can’t take care of themself that’s one thing. For instance, all the people that chose to stay home when an evacuation order was given. Then whine because it took so long to get them out. HELLO!!! I LOVE AMERICA but too many people want to blame everyone else for their situations.
Wonder if they will have any comment on the situation in the east? Doesn’t seem to be going any better than Katrian.