[kristinn]

Over the summer when the Dixie Chicks were preparing the media blitz for their new album, I was contacted by both Time magazine and 60 Minutes for comment on FR's role in putting the hurt on group's career. For some mysterious reason, both of these liberal media outlets failed to include FR in their stories.

[auboy]

Which came first… the Dixie Chicks or the rotten egg?

[Numbers Guy]

"It turned us into women," says Natalie Maines

So they're transsexuals?

[Cincinatus]

as they attempt to understand what happened

Difficult when you have the IQ of a house plant.

[Former Proud Canadian]

According to the research done by Kopple and the Chicks themselves, the Free Republic sent out form letters to their 30,000-thick subscription list with market-specific information, saying if the station did not stop playing their music, people would cease listening to the station.

???? Still waiting for mine.

[mainepatsfan]

So this is what they've become. They're no longer a band they're a cause.

[Shooter 2.5]

According to the research done by Kopple and the Chicks themselves, the Free Republic sent out form letters to their 30,000-thick subscription list with market-specific information, saying if the station did not stop playing their music, people would cease listening to the station.

We did? When did we do that?

[Jeff Head]

What a bunch of incessant whiners and cry babies. I've got news for these loud mouths (and they are free to be that way if they so choose)...its not censorship when the people (the market...your fans) decide themselves you're over the top and then decide to do something about it.

When those fans make enough noise to the market place, the market place itself then has a decision of their own to make...which they are making because they are in business to make money, not to cater to a bunch of whining, quasi-liberal girls who blab their mouth.

These girls are free to state their opinion, they are also subject to the consequences that those stated opinions generate in the market place.

It is really a simple as that.

All of this whining, boo-hooing, and cries of censorship are just all the more indication that these cry-baby girls have not matured in the least...but still wanting to blame some one else for the results of their own actions.

[GulfWar1Vet]

"It turned us into women," says Natalie Maines

Ummm...no comment.

The more they rant, the more people will slip through their fingers.

[rj45mis]

Maines and Co. are too arrogant to acknowledge the foolishness of their statements. They are the modern-day liberal and bigger than life in their own eyes. They sincerely believe that we conservative folks are just unenlightened. I have nothing but disdain for these narcissists.

[MaryFromMichigan]

...how vulnerable to censorship

What censorship?
Not buying their music is no more censorship than a liberal not buying a conservatives work.
How many liberals bought a copy of "Godless"?
Is that censorship?

[mewzilla]

"What was wrong was that (the decision to not play Dixie Chicks records) was coming from the top ... and that (DJs) were not allowed to play the records, even if they wanted to. ... I think that kind of censorship is dangerous," says Maguire.

That's the free market, sweetie. Freedom of speech doesn't mean freedom from consequences. I don't like what you're spewing, I'm not about to buy what you're selling.

[isthisnickcool]

According to the research done by Kopple and the Chicks themselves, the Free Republic sent out form letters to their 30,000-thick subscription list with market-specific information, saying if the station did not stop playing their music, people would cease listening to the station.

What? FR sent out 30k letters? What do they mean by this?

Oh, dear Dixie Chicks, if you come here to "research" again please be advised that only government can censor you.

[airborne]

After facing a barrage of insults, death threats and all kinds of broken records in the face of an offhand remark about the U.S. president, the Dixie Chicks are no longer chicks.

Offhand remark?

Oh, Please! These skanks have constipation of the brain and diarrhea of the mouth!

[kittymyrib]

"It turned us into women," says Natalie Maines"

I think it turned you into a foul-mouthed slut, Natalie. Believe me, decent Texans are embarrassed that you were born and reared in our state.

[Rb ver. 2.0]

"The campaign worked, and the Chicks' current tour for their new album is being booked at venues half the size of their previous tour"

I think it was in Minneapolis they suffered a 75% hit in their concert attendance from their prior vist a year or two before.

[sausageseller]

"People don't understand why this is so important," Maines says. "But if you live in Lubbock, Texas, where I'm from - you just have one paper and one radio station and unless you're savvy on the Internet, that's it for you. If Bush said get a gun and kill an Arab, they would do that."

What an idiot!

Wonder why anyone from Lubbock would claim her.

I would love to see "one paper and one radio station" put that out!

[EmilyGeiger]

I didn't get a letter. :( Of course, I am such a mind-numbed robot I need FR and Rush Limbaugh to tell me how and what to think!!

[Labyrinthos]

According to the research done by Kopple and the Chicks themselves, the Free Republic sent out form letters to their 30,000-thick subscription list with market-specific information, saying if the station did not stop playing their music, people would cease listening to the station.

How come I didn't receive the letter?

[DainBramage]

This is BS. I live in the DFW area, the largest country music market in the world.

The day it happened I called every stations phone and emailed the GMs.

Surprisingly almost immediately I got replies to the effect "We can't believe she said that either and are getting barraged with phones and emails"

Within days they were off the air in the this area. It wasnt just FR it was the American heartland.

[Labyrinthos]

"What was wrong was that (the decision to not play Dixie Chicks records) was coming from the top ... and that (DJs) were not allowed to play the records, even if they wanted to. ... I think that kind of censorship is dangerous," says Maguire.

Dangerous as compared to what? Its not like the radio stations were threatened by the Democratic leadership in the United States Senate and a former Democratic president and his butt-boys