Dixie Chicks

When I went to Corpus Christi with ET and SheepBoy, we took a cab to the battleship museum a ways up the shore from our hotel (it was a little like the Intrepid, but with less stuff and fewer people). This cab was driven by, naturally, a native Texan, who teased us about being from New York by quoting a Pace salsa ad and was, in general, a nice, funny, and friendly fella with the heaviest Texan twang I'd heard in ages. We expressed tentative dismay at the prospect of President Bush II; he said he was happy to be rid of him. He was glad of the prospect of kicking then-governor Bush out of Texas. He claimed Bush II had done nothing good for the state. This was not some knee-jerk liberal. This was a guy who made his living driving a cab in a fading town on the shore of the Gulf of Mexico. (In case you're under the mistaken impression that Mexicans must be Democrats, the guy was white. Middle-aged and white.) He expressed a dislike of Bush II.

A lot of Texans I have met have expressed a dislike of Bush II. He shat all over their state while he was governor. Why shouldn't they dislike him? Especially considering he's not a true Texan, but a carpetbagger who thought his career would go better in their state.

The Dixie Chicks were partially quoted. This partial quote has led to one of the most retarded boycotts (outside of the boycott of French products; you're only harming yourselves, people, by refusing to drink the best wine in the world) I've ever heard of. The Dixie Chicks are one of the very, very, very few country acts I can actually stand listening to. (Ack! Ending two sentences upon a preposition! What's happening to me?!) If you really want to protest, write retaliatory songs. See whose songs are better. I'll bet for damned sure it'll be the Dixie Chicks. Their music is very good. I enjoy watching them in concert. They are three immensely talented women. And they look way better nekkid the cover of EW this week than any of the boycotters would. (I take it they're boycotting EW, too, now, in retaliation for allowing the Dixie Chicks a forum to speak?)

So they are ashamed of Bush II. Most Texans, I suspect, if you looked deep in their hearts, aren't too fond of that Connecticut blue blood either. The Dixie Chicks said, immediately after they expressed their shame of Bush II, that they support the troops. Was this quoted? Of course not. Instead, many copies of good CDs were crunched under tractors. Yeah, that's giving it to 'em. That'll show 'em for actually saying anything against the jackass in the White House.

Idiots.