I'm sure you agree that the freedom of speech (Amendment I) to which I believe you refer is not absolute.

As an example, you are not free to shout "Fire" in a crowded auditorium. Nor should you be, as such behavior endangers the general welfare.

Given that such constraints exit in a civilized society, what is your point here?

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Eudaimonia

No state income tax but state licquor store! Woo Hoo!

Actually, I loved living there and found a few things to do other than drinking.

Between what?

Two opposing thoughts. In context, if we can listen to Charlie Daniels as well as Natalie Maines, we might then be able to think for ourselves.






The point is that political dissent is allowed, protected, and should be cherished and defended (even fought for!).

Cheney and Rumsfeld have lied lied lied to us time and time again over the last few weeks, which to me constitutes an egregious distortion of their right to free speech, considering that they are appointed officials of our government, and that deaths, both of combatants and civilians, have resulted from their words.

A politician,that lies?I'm shocked!!
Seriousfun---I don't belong to any political party,but I have a memory,like an elephant,when something affects me or/& mine.
Did you live here during the last presidential election?There was a
water shortage in NH.Al Gore was campaigning in NH.At the time,
J.Shaheen(sp?)was Gov.of NH.She was the same party as Gore.
I couldn't put water in my above-ground pool for my Grandkids or
water my lawn,wash our cars,etc.When Gore posed for a political
campaign picture,he didn't think it was photogenic enough.He had
the Gov. open a dam so the water would be higher&the picture
more photogenic.As I say,I'm not in a party,but when someone puts their wants ahead of my family,my vote is decided.I'm sure
that there's pros&cons on both sides,but that affected me&mine.
Irish

__________________
Irish---Better to be dead & cool,then alive & uncool!
(Harley Davidson & the Marlboro Man)

I was in a band that played at Jerry Brown's defeat party (scheduled as a victory party) in Manchester.

Linda Ronstadt had been in Dover with him earlier that day but decided at the last minute to fly back to LA.

That night, Jerry had one of his campaign workers ask our lead singer if she wanted to spend the night with him (on topic for Pixies ). She was married, and said no, but par for the course for a politician of any stripe.

But why bring up Gore at this point

Reality, now, is that we are being played for fools by rich powerful men, and things are gonna get real bad for us until we wake up.

I, Natalie Maines, and Charlie Daniels have the right to say what we want about this.

Seriousfun---The reason that I brought up Gore,was to show,
that my decisions are based on the things that affect me & mine
Also I was wondering if you lived here then,thinking that you might remember the incident.
By the was,the State Liquor tax doesn't bother me.I quit alcohol,
Mar.15 was 10yrs.9 mo.,since I touched alcohol.I quit cigarettes
over 30yrs.ago.The "geographical"cure saved me money!I could
drink more for the same price.That's called Irish economics! Irish

__________________
Irish---Better to be dead & cool,then alive & uncool!
(Harley Davidson & the Marlboro Man)

… what an interesting notion. One wonders what this conjecture hints about the thought processes of the overwhelming majority of people on the earth who are unfamiliar with the political views expressed by Mr. Daniels or Ms. Maines. Are the thoughts of these people invalid? Do these people have no thoughts on the subject, or should they wait for someone else to provide them with their thoughts?



I must admit, I did not anticipate such wholehearted support for the goals of the coalition – to liberate the people of Iraq, from the despot who has tyrannized them for the last 24 years, and to replace the regime that has used weapons of mass destruction (chemical, poison gas)
http://www.commondreams.org/views02/0830-07.htm
on its Kurdish civilian political dissidents with a political order that permits of the political diversity which you claim should be cherished and defended. It would seem that we share the belief that the political discourse we enjoy here is worth fighting for.



Messrs. Cheney and Rumsfeld probably view their opnions in a different light than do you, though possibly with less passion. If, as you correctly (IMO) assert, free speech should be curtailed only when absolutely necessary, then why withdraw this constitutionally protected behavior just because one of the men is the Vice President of the United States and the US Senate confirmed the other in his position as Secretary of Defense?

As to the responsibility for deaths, permit me to refer to an article by the American Federation of Scientists, "Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988)"
http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/ops/war/iran-iraq.htm
"Casualty figures are highly uncertain, though estimates suggest more than one and a half million war and war-related casualties -- perhaps as many as a million people died, many more were wounded, and millions were made refugees. Iraq's victory was not without cost. The Iraqis suffered an estimated 375,000 casualties, the equivalent of 5.6 million for a population the size of the United States. Another 60,000 were taken prisoner by the Iranians. Iran's losses may have included more than 1 million people killed or maimed. The war claimed at least 300,000 Iranian lives and injured more than 500,000, out of a total population which by the war's end was nearly 60 million."

That war was initiated by Iraq under the leadership of the regime which is on its way out.

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Eudaimonia

an Irish that doesn't drink!

The world is coming to an end :yellghst:

The only reason Natalie has recanted her comments about the war is because their hit single solider has slid from #1 to off the charts.

"To announce that there must be no criticism of the president, or that we are to stand by the president right or wrong, is not only
unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American
public."

--Teddy Roosevelt

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seriousfun

It was more like her band's lawyers reminding her of the standard clause in their contract with Sony requiring her not to commit any acts which are to the detriment of record sales (normally smashing hotel rooms, shooting heroin in public, etc.).

As of today, Dixie Chicks' "Home" is still #1, Toby Keith "Unleashed" is #3 http://www.billboard.com/bb/charts/country.jsp

Now that’s a peace movement with which it is easy to agree!

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Eudaimonia

When one takes the king's shilling, one must dance to the king's tune!

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Eudaimonia

Another stereotype!That's why they always portray a biker on
TV,with a t-shirt that comes 1/2 way down his enormous beer
gut,long stringy hair&looks like they take one bath a year,if
needed or not.An alcoholic(me!)always wears a long coat,
preferably,a dirty trenchcoat,and carries his bottle in a brown
paper bag!Believe it or not,some of us do make it!Yes,I am
very touchy about alcoholism.I didn't plan on growing up a
"drunk." Irish

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Irish---Better to be dead & cool,then alive & uncool!
(Harley Davidson & the Marlboro Man)