>>Apology from Natalie Maines of The Dixie Chicks
>>
>>As a concerned American citizen, I apologize to President Bush
>>because my remark was disrespectful. I now realize that whoever
>>holds that office should be treated with the utmost respect.
>>
>>I hope everyone understands, I'm just a young girl who grew up in
>>Texas. As far back as I can remember, I heard people say they were
>>ashamed of President Clinton. I saw bumper stickers calling him
>>everything from a pothead to a murderer. I heard people on the
>>radio and tv like Rush Limbaugh, Pat Robertson, Newt Gingrich and
>>Trent Lott bad mouthing the President and ridiculing his wife and
>>daughter at every opportunity. I heard LOTS of people disrespecting
>>the President. So I guess I just assumed it was acceptable behavior.
>>
>>But now, thanks to the thousands of angry people who want radio
>>stations to boycott our music because criticizing the President is
>>unpatriotic, I realize it's wrong to have a liberal opinion if
>>you're a country music artist. I guess I should have thought about
>>that before deciding to play music that attracts hypocritical red
>>necks. I also realize now that I'm supposed to just sing and look
>>cute so our fans won't have anything to upset them while they're
>>cheating on their wives or getting in drunken bar fights or driving
>>around in their pickup trucks shooting highway signs and small
>>animals.
>>
>>And most important of all, I realize that it's wrong for a
>>celebrity to voice a political opinion, unless they're Charlie
>>Daniels, Clint Black, Merle Haggard, Barbara Mandrell, Loretta
>>Lynn, Ricky Skaggs, Travis Tritt, Hank Williams Jr, Amy Grant,
>>Larry Gatlin, Crystal Gayle, Reba McEntire, Lee Greenwood, Lorrie
>>Morgan, Anita Bryant, Mike Oldfield, Ted Nugent, Wayne Newton, Dick
>>Clark, Jay Leno, Drew Carey, Dixie Carter, Victoria Jackson,
>>Charlton Heston, Fred Thompson, Ben Stein, Bruce Willis, Kevin
>>Costner, Arnold Schwartzenegger, Bo Derek, Rick Schroeder, George
>>Will, Pat Buchanan, Bill O'Reilly, Joe Rogan, Delta Burke, Robert
>>Conrad or Jesse Ventura.
>>
>>God Bless America, Natalie
>>-
I think this is a hoax or satire, because the statement on their website <http://dixiechicks.launch.yahoo.com/news.asp?id=26> reads:
>"As a concerned American citizen, I apologize to President Bush
>because my remark was disrespectful. I feel that whoever holds that
>office should be treated with the utmost respect. We are currently
>in Europe and witnessing a huge anti-American sentiment as a result
>of the perceived rush to war. While war may remain a viable option,
>as a mother, I just want to see every possible alternative exhausted
>before children and American soldiers' lives are lost. I love my
>country. I am a proud American."
By the way, this whole celebrity thing is weird. Janeane Garofalo knows at least as much about politics, and probably more, than Biil O'Reilly. Why is he entitled to a non-celebrity opinion, and she's not?
Doug