Tip of the Iceberg

Category rants
I just Vongo'ed Shut Up and Sing, a fascinating documentary about the whole Dixie Chicks debacle back in 2003, and what the band experienced personally and professionally over the next three years. The film was released just a few months before the first single from their new album, "Not Ready to Make Nice", won three Grammies: Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal. The album, "Taking the Long Way", won Best Country Album and Album of the Year. It made me wonder how many of the people who were initially so vocal about their outrage are ashamed of their behavior in retrospect.

As I watched the movie I remembered a conversation I'd had around the time of Maines' notorious comments with the girl I was then dating. She asked me how I felt about the prospect of war, and I gave her an honest answer. Though we'd had almost daily contact for months, I didn't hear from her for weeks afterwards. She finally called to say that she just didn't feel enough chemistry between us, and felt it was time to move on. Less than a year later I was engaged to Laura and have now been happily (scratch that, blissfully) married for two years, so whatever the reasons for that relationship disintegrating, I wouldn't change a thing. But at the time I couldn't help wondering if the connection that I thought we had was undermined because I'd come across as too much of a hippie in that one moment. And I came to the conclusion that if that were the case, then it was better to be honest about who I am and what I stand for and risk distancing someone than to cling to phony respect from someone who doesn't truly know me. It influenced how I later approached a new relationship with Laura and, in some way, became the basis for how I now define personal integrity.

Sentiments about the war and, in general, the politics of the last six years seem to have brought out the best and worst in many people. Natalie received death threats from individuals who felt her words amounted to treason, but apparently couldn't see the hypocrisy in claiming to love freedom and then attacking someone for exercising one of the most fundamental freedoms on which this country's system of government is based. If you disagreed with what she said enough to want to burn their CD's in the street, that's fine. But don't threaten to kill someone for exercising a right that is at the very core of the country you claim to love so much.

We constantly hear politicians talking about what they feel is necessary to defeat terrorism, then watch them campaign on a platform of fear. According to Merriam Webster, terrorism is "the systematic use of terror", which they in turn define primarily as a "state of intense fear" (violent acts aren't even mentioned until the fourth definition of the word... almost an afterthought), "especially as a means of coercion". So, according to the dictionary, if a poltician systematically uses fear to coerce voters into electing them (or as a basis for unconstitutional behavior once in office), that politician is a terrorist. Keep in mind, though, they too are exercising their freedom of speech (unless, of course, they're specifically threatening someone). So I support their right and decision to express their views, but I personally wouldn't vote for someone who thinks fear is an acceptable tactic, because that's the underlying attitude of the very people they purpose to protect us from. And I disagree wholeheartedly with the notion that the undermining of civil liberties actually protects our nation... it's possible it may spare a couple lives from time to time, but it erodes the core identity of the nation as a whole.

Benjamin Franklin once said, "they that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." Back in the day, patriotism didn't mean blindly supporting the established authority; it meant loving your country enough to be willing to risk your personal reputation, livelihood, and even physical safety in the defense of that country's principles: liberty, justice, equality... the very ideals that are being undermined now in the interest of "a little temporary safety".

Blind patriotism may not be the seed of fascism, but it certainly makes great fertilizer. People often wonder how fascist governments rise to power, especially in previously democratic nations. How could those citizens allow that to happen? How could they turn a blind eye to what was happening? The answer is simple: in the early stages, all the rhetoric sounds good: for example, "strength through unity", the fascist motto, is almost indistinguishable from "United We Stand". The propaganda sounds right... but unchecked, unquestioned, the fabric of democracy gradually breaks down. We need to question. From time to time, we need to rebel. I'm not suggesting that we overthrow the government... but we do need to hold them accountable. We live in a great country. Each of us can do our part to keep it that way.