taln1rigr

So you see criticism of a president prior to/during a war as a betrayal? Bit too broad for my tase. Have you read this thread in its entirety? I think you may have missed my explanation concerning my views.

So, you truly believe that Bush has been honest in his statements and intentions about the Iraqi war? Because of the plagues of politics I could spend 2 minutes stating my opinion & a lifetime defending it (especially online in a thread such as this), therefore, I respectfully decline to answer your question.

Honestly? Yes. I did not want to believe that my CINC had done all the things he was being charged with ... BUT ... when you're caught lying under oath ... well, it makes it hard to continue trusting & defending him.

I understand what your saying & agree. Just because something ugly is said against My Commander In Chief (CINC) doesn't mean it was said against me or ment for me. But the picture I choose to paint for myself is much bigger than that. **Disclaimer to ALL readers** In an attempt to explain why I, as a soldier, would take personal offense to a disrespectful remark made about my Commander In Chief (CINC), I respectfully ask anyone who would to please refrain from nit-picking my analogy. I'm aware of the many loopholes & opportunities this analogy lends for criticism. I'm not attempting to persuade anyone to change their way of thinking based upon what I'm about to say ... I'm trying to describe how I feel based upon my beliefs, how I've been raised & the experiences I've been exposed to in an effort to answer JDBoston's question. To me, as a soldier, the military is family. As such we have relatives (civilians), we have our problems, we have our secrets, we have each other & we have a "mom" (CINC). I may not always agree with what "mom" may subject me to ... let's face it, as a soldier I don't get to pick & choose which wars I'd like to participate in. But my deep sense of loyalty for "mom", regardless of how I'm personally feeling about her at the time, causes me to become defensive if someone else disrespects her. Much the same way many of us would react if someone said something ugly about our own mothers. Throughout my upbringing, I was taught to never publicly "air out the family's dirty laundry." At "home" (home equaling homeland) I may protest to what "mom" subjects me to but never in a million years would I dare disrespect my "mom" in "public" (public being abroad ... amongst people "mom" does not govern). So when Natalie, a relative but family none the less, went outside "the house" & "publicly" disrespected "mom" I became defensive of "mom" because of what I've been taught to be considered as unexcusable or intolerable behavior. Outside that explanation, the only other reason I can think of as to why I took her comment personally probably lies deeper in my psyche ... sometimes I take things personally when I maybe shouldn't. Doesn't make me right but then I've never claimed to be. You're absolutely correct. Through my Oath of Enlistment I swore to obey The Presiden't orders not to ensure everyone agrees with him. But I'm uncertain as to why this was added since no where has it been mentioned the military going to war to defend The President's honor ... much less anyone possibly dieing for it ... especially in the case of The Dixie Chicks. Maybe further clarification is need on your part in order for me to understand this the way you intended it.

Sorry that it took so long. Oh, I guess that it IS from that original bl/wh pic. Here it is, and thank you for the nomination, Dawn. That was really sweet of you.

OK, this may expalin their ongoing popularity. The article does mention that disgruntled fans "ripped up" their tickets ... so that may explain why none were turned in, especially if they were ripped up before the offer was made. But it's obvious by this statement the Dixie Chicks made that the "minority" has been felt in volumes & therefore they realize they're not as welcome as they once used to be with the Country Scene:

If "many fans" didn't like what they heard why were almost no tickets turned back in even after they Chicks offered to buy them back? Why were the protestors at concerts counted in two digit numbers and the fans in thousands? Could it be that the media and country radio stations 1) sensationalized the whole thing and 2) caved in to a vocal minority? That's certainly a good question & a feesable hypothesis. This article also tried to come up with an answer to that question in the very last paragraph

Hee, hee ... I guess great minds think alike since I was typing that last reply at the same time you typed yours. [SIDE NOTE:] I realize that it now looks like I was trying to get in the last word but I was honestly in the middle of my reply before juanesky offered me some reassurance.[/END SIDE NOTE] Thanks for the support. I needed it.

Excellent point! Labeling someone as a traitor & charging someone with treason are not always synonomous. Granted, someone who has been charged & is found guilty of treason are referred to as traitors in the sense they violated their allegiance & betrayed their country. But it doesn't necessarily apply the other way around since traitor can also be defined as someone who behaves disloyal, someone who betrays, someone who deceives or a person who says one thing & does another. I don't know about anyone else reading this but I've heard many times kids on the playground & even adults call someone else a traitor either in jest or when someone's feelings got hurt. "You traitor!" But by no means was anyone ever implying that a person should be stripped of their Constitutional Rights ... nah, they were just calling them disloyal, or a betrayer.

To be quite honest when one labels one as a traitor it could mean a few things ... which is what makes the English language one of the most difficult to learn. In my previous reply I stated that I was using the word traitor as someone who betrays which is an acceptable usage of the word. If you choose not to believe that my intention of using the word traitor as someone who betrays then that's your choice. If you continue to define the word as you do then be mindful that this is YOUR definition, not mine ... please do not put the proverbial "words in my mouth."

A good place to start is Disney, Nickelodeon &/or Cartoon Network online. Certainly they can offer some ideas since they've cater to this age group for many years.

Many fans labeled Natalie as a traitor not as a way to bring forth formal criminal charges for what she said, which is how I'm gathering a few of you are defining the word. Natalie Maines is a traitor to us in that she is a betrayer, which is one definition for traitor per The Encarta Dictionary & the one in which I'm using. Many former Dixie Chicks fans who serve in the military, like myself, felt betrayed by Natalie Maines because of what she said, who she said it to & when she said it. The reason being? Before she made the remark one of her songs, Travelin' Soldier, was climbing the charts. She was making money off a song about the military then she turned around with the same mouth & trashed its leader, the military's Commander In Chief ... all at a time when the military needed the most support. I think we can all agree, at least to some degree, that freedom of speech does not equal acceptance of speech. Natalie Maines certainly can say what she wants, when she wants & to whom she wants ... I can not deny her that Constitutional Right nor have I made any suggestions to do so. But I do not have to like what she's said nor must I accept it. But regardless of whether or not I understand why she said what she said or whether or not I agree with it I would never suggest she go find herself another country where she would no longer be ashamed of her President. In fact, I never implied any of her freedoms should be taken away for what she believes ... instead I simply expressed how her comment made so many feel. So I found it amusing that when I exercised my freedom of speech JDBoston, in not so many words, suggested that if I didn't like the fact she has the freedom of speech that I could find myself a country where freedom of speech isn't practiced. It's plainly hypocritical & shallow to me to suggest I find myself another country when I'm exercising my freedom of speech which happens to be the same thing he's attempting to defend.

Indeed, I will not argue that "this country was founded on the principle of freedom of dissent & political speech. Doesn't matter where, or when, or to which audience." As a matter of fact I've commited my life to protect that freedom. But let me turn the tables for a moment ... if you don't like me voicing my opinion then I can just as easily inform you that "there are plenty of countries where it (voicing an opinion) isn't practiced." So what exactly were you hoping to accomplish with such a shallow & hypocritical statement?

Keep your chin up ... You're bound to get lucky ... there are bunches of girls like that out there.

I'd venture to say there was at least three at the concert ... Natalie Maines & her other 2 band mates. I was using "Going behind our backs" figuratively. Anyone in a high profile situation has a hard time doing anything that escapes the American public ... the media takes care of that. Actually she made this comment before the actual war began & even still she knew what she said was wrong.

Obviously she knew she did something wrong because she apologized And I'm not the only one who thinks she's a traitor ... did you see the cover of Entertainment Weekly? The blonde in the bottom right hand corner bears the mark.

Ok, so you told us where's he's from but you didn't answer the question & now I'm curious too

Thank-You Baby!!

Very Good Point! I like how you think!!

NSFW

Maybe because no one's heard the song or seen the video ... I, for one, had no idea a song like this existed. We would not have attacked the lead singer of The Dixie Chicks the way we did had she protested Bush or the war. But the fact is, she didn't protest, she flat went to another country & made a derogatory remark about The President. She went behind all our backs to air her dirty laundry & "pander to a foreign audience" at which point she became no better than a traitor.

While I am honored that the good Rev. gave my avatar a nod, I'm just a little creeped out wondering if he killed any kitties over it. Chris NO WAY MAN! Surely you've seen the countless pics he posted in the Tit-ee Bar thread ... & he had the real deals, not internet stuff. He's obviously into women: He's just secure in his manhood, a trait women dig.

You Pegged Me!!! I thought it was an absolute riot!! But then again, I've gotta a warped sense of humor.

OK, I didn't say it was funny ... it's entertaining. If you go to the link & choose a scene then scroll your mouse over the images they move ... & some even have sound ...oooo, aahhhhh. Like there's one chick in the pool & all you see is her head but as you scroll your mouse over her she comes up out of the pool to show you a bunch of what Ivan likes. Then the same chick, I think, in another selection has her bra on but as you move across the pics she takes her bra off ... more of what Ivan fancies. And another great one is the blowjob scene ... well, I'll let you look at those two for yourself. I just find it very entertaining to kill kittens I suppose ... but to each his own (get it?) HA, HA, HA!!!

Nah, I perfer puppies over kittens anyday!