Apparently the Dixie Chicks made some comments the other day in London about being ashamed to share a home state with the President.

"I feel the president is ignoring the opinions of many in the U.S. and alienating the rest of the world," Maines said in the statement. "My comments were made in frustration and one of the privileges of being an American is you are free to voice your own point of view." And while Maines maintains her beef with Bush, she's much more supportive of the United States troops.

"While we support our troops, there is nothing more frightening than the notion of going to war with Iraq and the prospect of all the innocent lives that will be lost," Maines said.

It wasn't reported whether or not she had any fright, or even mild concern, about all the innocent lives that are currently being lost under Saddam's brutal regime.

I can't imagine that this will be helpful to their record sales. It seems to me that few people will go out and buy an album because they hear an artist say something with which they feel political sympathy, but I'm sure that there are many, particularly among their audience, who will boycott them over stupid statements.

For about six months I was in a communal living situation with someone who literally enjoyed playing with matches. He used to light them, "accidentally" drop them on the floor, and he'd then wait and see if the building would catch on fire. Fortunately nothing bad came of this, although there were a few close calls.

After a number of attempts at "peaceful" soltuions, the community consensus was that shoving lit matches up this guy's nose was the only thing that had any real chance of success. We ended up doing something almost as bad, he thereupon was granted a boon from the universe (about 1/100th of a clue), and departed our humble abode.

I can't help but think of Saddam the same way. He's "not really doing anything wrong", he's just... playing with matches and waiting to see if the building burns down.

It's not hard to see that there's ultimately only one way to deal with people like that. We've been trying the peaceful approach for 11 years with negative results. Why is it so hard for some people to understand that "making nice" just won't work sometimes, especially with the insane?

Someone called Gary McNamara's afternoon talk show on WBAP Dallas/Fort Worth and suggested that the "let's kill the abusive husband" message in the hit song "Goodbye, Earl" closely parallels the argument for war in Iraq.

Let's have some consistency here, Chicks!

Oh, but Earl was a southern white male, and Saddam is not. Surely that makes all the difference.

Everybody should check out The Economist from last week on the divisive Bush. They're our friends. They support the probable upcoming war on Saddam. And they're saying the Bush team is screwing up by alienating people and not preparing the American public for what it might take to reform Iraq and the rest of the Middle East.

I know I'm more than a little concerned with the increasing assault on liberty that Ashcroft has been pushing. The longer Bush tolerates this guy, the cooler I am to the Bush team.

> I know I'm more than a little concerned with the increasing assault on liberty that Ashcroft has been pushing.

I'll repeat my questions.

(1) Which measures attributed to Ashcroft/Bush are NOT recycled Clinton proposals?

(2) WRT the vast majority of the proposals, the recycled ones, you were incensed when Clinton proposed them, right?

I'm not thrilled by much of the stuff coming out of DC these days, but it isn't new, and to act as if it is new is either dishonest or ignorant.

As a Texan, I am appalled by the rudeness of Natalie Maines statement regarding Pres. Bush and where he is from. I thought ALL Americans were behind AMERICA, but guess when George Jones sang "Who's Gonna Fill Their Shoes" he must have known unAmerican groups would come out like the Dixie Chicks. I'm glad the true HEROS of Country Music are not here to have heard these remarks. I have bought my last CD of the Jane Fonda Dixie Chicks. Hanoi Jane must feel at home with Iraqi Natalie. Boycott them ALL THE WAY. (my free opinion)

I had bought all the cd's even though I disagreed with "Earl" being killed in such an offhand way . Let me just assure all readers that as a co-ordinator of a successful country music festival , the Dixie Chix will never ever be asked to play or promoted for this event again . I am ashamed that they are Southern Americans !!!