Is it just me, or are The Dixie Chicks as clueless as they appear? Of course they have the right of Free Speech, which does not mean they have the right to be free of repercussions. The biggest thing so many people today refuse to realize is that with rights come responsibility. The two are interlocked and inseparable; you can't have one without the other.

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

I'm sorry, but nowhere in there do I see anything saying that people are not allowed to hold us accountable for what we say or do. We have the right to say what we want, but we must be held accountable for it. Disparaging others, trying to placing one's self above them, is so reprehensible in the first place that an educated person would at least presume there would be repercussions.

Just as The Dixie Chicks have the right to say what they want, the populace in general also has the right to treat them accordingly. So many artists, musicians and actors feel that just because they have a pulpit on which to shout to the masses, they have the right to impose their views on us. They are not, on average, any smarter or better educated than the general populace, so just because they have a large soap box on which to stand does not mean their views have any more credence than your next door neighbor's.

If they don't like the reaction they receive, don't be spouting politics. Entertainment should be just that, entertaining, I don't listen to the radio to hear the personal, religious or political views of musicians, I want to hear music. I don't watch a movie to be "educated" by the actors, if I want to hear about politics I certainly won't be going to hear about it from high school drop outs like Tom Cruise. Here is a pretty good article on actors in politics, I really don't need to go into depth on the subject.

It is enough to simply state: You can say what you want, but if you do, be prepared to accept the repercussions. Rights come with responsibilities, and none is greater than personal responsibility.