The Right to Speak !

Freedom of speech is a big thing in our country. Everyone doesn’t agree on the definition of what it means to speak freely. Certain things aren’t allowed to be said without discrimination against that person. In our country music is a way of free expression. We listen to music that complements our beliefs and likes. If we don’t like something an artist represents then we won’t listen to them. It’s a sad thing when our country makes someone feel bad for expressing their beliefs. The way the Dixie Chicks were treated was unnecessary because

            Music alone plays a big role in the way people think and act. During 9/11 a lot of people were hurt. They were looking for someone to emphasize with them. Many country singers were pro-war. Most “patriotic” Americans listened to country music. That particular industry was responsible for making the American feel just in their current actions. A lot of songs were written in anger or sadness. Here comes Natalie Maines with her very own opinion, and the country just about called her every name but a child of God. She says that she is against the war, which in the eyes of the everyday American that was a slap in the face. They were hurt that she would go as far to say anything about politics. A lot of people agreed that she and her band members shouldn’t have ever opened their mouths. They were then walking targets of the United States. I feel that it was wrong for everyone to overreact. For one, if someone doesn’t know what they’re talking about, you shouldn’t take them seriously. Then secondly, it made people with opinions pull back and hide in fear. No one should ever feel intimidated enough to keep their thoughts and feelings to themselves. No opinion is wrong; at least that’s what we're taught.  

            In this world we agree to disagree, however this rule isn’t always followed by the American people. September 11, 2001 was so traumatic. We felt helpless as a country. Our president at the time tried his best to make the right decision. The role of music in this instance was very strong. Like I stated before, most songs were filled with anger and sadness. Country music is “patriotic”.  This music was the core source of the push for war. People listen to music more than they watch the news. So with the only thing you’ve heard all day is “'Cause we'll put a BOOT in your ass, It's the American way” (Toby Keith), you are going to be angry and ready to go to war. Many people used music as their means of feeling better about themselves and the horrible things going on around them.

            From this we can learn that music helps make a lot of decisions in this country. When Natalie made the comment about President Bush the country went crazy. They all decided to trash the country with her music and trash her name. She was a country icon and it disappointed the American people that she could be so bold. We can also learn that our country doesn’t quite understand what we call “free speech”. It is prohibited to criticize a president that is willing to put other people’s lives on the line. Another lesson learned here can be that music is the heart and soul of our problems. We turn to music when we’re happy, sad, or angry. We can also infer that only one type of music had an effect on the way people thought about the war. Only one type really has an effect on any political situations. There aren’t many stories about hip-hop artists being criticized for their opinion on political issues.

            After 9/11 people were on edge. In 2005 Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, once again our celebrities got together to raise money for the victims. Many black people at the time felt that President Bush was racist. One rapper in particular that felt this way was Kanye West. He announced on national television that President Bush does not care for black people. Whether that is true or not is beside the point. Kanye West basically got away with the comment and Natalie was threatened for hers. Another example would be the song “My President is Black” by Young Jeezy. This song was made after the fact that Barack Obama was in office. Every kid in my neighborhood literally knew this song because they were so excited to have a black president. The song excited me and many other teenagers about politics as well. Lots of people started paying a lot more attention when the president gave speeches. “All Black Everything” by Lupe Fiasco is an inspirational song that makes a lot of people think about different political topics. The theme of the song is about slavery never happening. But it mentions some of the political wrongs in America. The only way a person can understand some of the references is if they had been paying attention to politics and what had been going on in years before now.

            All in all music is a wonderful thing. It can make people do crazy things but it can also bring people together. Anger and sadness can be expressed through music. During 9/11 people were afraid to speak up about the war because the country kind of made an example of the Dixie Chicks. All they did was make a silly remark about the president; however their listeners took it to heart. Being a fan of a certain type of music, it can be hard to not take the wrong doings of our favorite artist to heart. The love of music and our country is an all in one deal when it comes to country music. America is seen as one type of people, which isn’t fair because everyone here is just as American as the person next door. Seeing the Dixie Chicks being treated like refugees in their own country was saddening. Freedom of speech needs to be redefined, or we will keep having these issues.