Freedom is a two-way street: Quoting an article from MSNBC:

Of the singing Texas trio, who have been outspoken critics of the U.S.-led war, Bush said, “The Dixie Chicks are free to speak their mind.”

At the same time, Bush added: “They shouldn’t have their feelings hurt just because some people don’t want to buy their records when they speak out. You know, freedom is a two-way street.”

Shades of Meaning: Let's take a look at the potential bias in the choice of two words. For example: As of the date of this writing, the murder of the moment is of Laci Peterson and her unborn child by her husband, Scott Peterson. There was bias in that last sentence. Did you catch it?

Listen and read carefully to the descriptions made in news reports of this case. I've hear or read the "unborn child" referred to by that term as well as a "male fetus" and "baby Connor". Each term carries its own connotations, particularly in the Pro-Life/Pro-Choice abortion debate. I don't intend to make a statement on that issue in these remarks. But my goal is to highlight the shades of meaning in a choice of words and the bias they can carry.

Half-Empty Journalism: The final punchline of my April 6, 2003 cartoon ("The Press Corps") makes a point I'd like to continue. News broadcasting isn't as broad as it was about 20 years ago when we had only three major national television networks. Between cable television, national radio programs, daily newspapers, alternative newsweeklies and the web, the total audience today is more fractionalized. The underlying ideologies and philosophies now vary as well.

What are we to think when one news source reports an event as "half empty" and yet another "half full"? I can only smile when one pundit or news story starts to "objectively" accuse the competition of bias. These things were once unheard of except from a "radical fringe" or "alternative" source. I embrace this chaos. Farewell to the Thought Monopolies.

Protest is American: In regard to the parallel drawn in my April 9, 2003 cartoon ("San Francisco Then, Baghdad Now"), the U.S. citizens who protested the war in Iraq in San Francisco are as American as the soldiers in Baghdad who executed it. It is not un-American to express an "anti-American" opinion. However, it is distinctly un-American to claim those you disagree with cannot or should not speak. It is also un-American to deem yourself free from criticism under the cloak of "Free Speech". Guess what? That's free speech, too.

Here's a great thing about America: You can say what you will about our leaders, our country. You don't have to whisper your opinions, you can shout. You're not putting your life in danger. That's not the case everywhere else.

Hollywood and Free Speech: MSNBC published an opinion article, The war on Hollywood, ‘Anti-American’ celebrities and return of the blacklist. The author gets points for thoughtful writing. When framing the issue as someone suffering "economic retaliation" for exercising their free speech rights, it's hard to consider that is for the greater good of America.

However, let's get a sense of scale here. The negative feedback and calls for boycotts are coming from the public not the government. Invoking shadows of McCarthyism is completely out of proportion.

We the consumers pay attention to the famous, patronize their performances and purchase their products. When the platform of their fame is used to do something other than entertain, it's going to have an impact on their careers for good or ill. The famous can suffer "economic retaliation" for putting out a bad movie as easily as a bad political statement.

I can quit buying a performer's products because I no longer like their work. But if I'm tempted to quit buying because I don't like their politics, that's wrong? I don't think so.

Free Speech in Danger? Following up on my March 30, 2003 cartoon ("Free Speech"), I heard the popularly elected President Al Gore came to the defense of the Dixie Chicks. Quoting the Tennessean:

Earlier this month, Dixie Chicks lead singer Natalie Maines criticized President Bush for the war on Iraq while she was performing in Britain. As a result, many radio stations across the country stopped playing the group's songs.

''They were made to feel un-American and risked economic retaliation because of what was said,'' Gore said. ''Our democracy has taken a hit. Our best protection is free and open debate."

Nonsense. What we're seeing is free and open debate. Fame gives the Dixie Chicks a high platform from which to speak freely and more loudly than the average U.S. citizen. The article glosses over the popular negative response back to radio stations about the Chicks' comments. The Dixie Chicks spoke and their audience spoke back in one of the few effective ways they could. Freedom of speech cuts both ways. And that's exactly how it should be.

For an unbridled opinion, read this from Rachel Lucas.