Were there such claims? Again, a sincere question, I don't know.

I think comments from political leaders can undermine the war effort, but to say the DCs can do so gives the DCs way too much credit.

What bothered me the most about all the bruhaha was a remark was made about the president. To me it sounded like an off the cuff remark. It got picked up by the media and blown totally out of proportion. Then the argument was made that we were going to war and you "can't criticize the President". That was what annoyed me the most, of course you can criticize him, war or not.

I can't find my picture of it but I saw with my own eyes at a San Francisco anti-war rally a five year old walking around wearing a sandwich board that said "**** Bush! He wants to kill Iraqi children just like me."

Quite a few people seemed to be very amused by it. I make no claim that anybody here would have. No real relevance, just that I've seen parents on all sides of the war issue grotesquely use their children as political mouthpieces.

It does happen, I'm sure. But, I can't imagine anyone here pimping their child like that.

I refuse to take the "blame" of the stupid choices other make make just because their political leanings are similar to mine. General You doesn't post here. ;)

Not Afraid already touched on this but, the fact is that they are artists, and a part of art is social commentary on the world they live in. It has always been this way and I hope it always will. It's not that it holds any more weight than anyone else, it's that it is, by definition, part of what artists do. I think the "self-important" part is merely a label put on them by people who disagree with their opinion.

Nobody is forcing you to agree with them, just like I don't have to agree with a country song about the glory of shoving a boot up Saddam's ass. But I don't sit around saying that Tobey Keith is "self important". Rather, I just disagree with his opinion. I appreciate that he is allowed to exercise his creative freedom. And not once have I ever heard people say that he should be boycotted or that he is unamerican. I hear that about the Dixie Chicks all the time.

And what I love most about the Dixie Chicks is that I heard over and over from the likes of Sean Hannity that their career was ruined over this and that they were traitors. Clearly, the majority of people feel differently, as is reflected by their album sales. It shows that maybe it isn't the liberals who are out of touch with reality.

Apparently country music stars are only supposed to sing about trucks, the flag and tequila making your clothes fall off.

And if that means I don't like an artists commentary, I can shout it as loudly as I want. I don't find criticism of that art to be anymore a problem than the artist expressing themselves.

And self important? Of course they are, whether I agree with their opinion or not. I find a difference in using their art to express it rather than their art leading to other platforms for expressing their political opinion. But the self importance doesn't come so much from expressing it in their art as it does from expecting what they say to be held in high esteem because they think their art makes them more an authority.

No one has said anyone shouldn't have creative freedom to do it. But why expect to be shielded from complaints and perhaps financial conquences from boycotts should what they say or do be deemed offensive by their fan base?

Maybe the style of responses that makes it different, Scaeagles. I don't go around calling Toby Keith a murderer and traitor, and I don't wish to harm his career. It just seems like (generally speaking) the conservative response is rather harsher than warranted.

Well put.

There is definitely a difference between saying "I disagree with your view so I won't give you any money" and "you shouldn't talk about politics at a concert."

The former is something I wouldn't do but I suppose has some defense. The latter will just quickly reveal the speaker as a hypocrite as they've simply ignored it all the times politics was brought up at a concert but they agreed with it.