In 2003, lead singer of the Dixie Chicks Natalie Maines, criticized then-president George Bush and the war in Iraq while performing a concert in London.

For the next three years, the band, comprised of three women based out of Texas, endured intense scrutiny, pressure and physical threats.

Across the US, radio stations refused to play their songs. Conservative groups rallied against them. The FBI even advised the Dixie Chicks to cancel a concert in Dallas, Texas, based on hate mail that outlined the date, time and location that Maines would be shot unless she agreed to “shut up and sing.”

The band was surprised at the outrage, which forced them to make the difficult decision between apologizing and standing their ground.

Fortunately, for champions of free speech everywhere, the Dixie Chicks took the high road and stood by what they said.

Last week, the Fitzhugh printed two letters from a Jasper resident that criticized spending decisions made by the municipal council, as well as an editorial that endorsed the resident’s proposal that the town host a public forum where citizens would be free to voice their concerns.

That resident has now been labeled as irrational. We’ve been told that printing his opinion hurts our credibility, and that if the editor of this paper wants to stick around, she should do her research before supporting that resident’s opinions. 

All because one man wondered whether his tax dollars were being spent effectively and why a rafting company would need a pick-up zone on a busy downtown street in the winter.

What kind of a newspaper would this be, if behind the scenes we filtered the opinions we printed? Newspapers are meant to provide not only information, but also a forum where residents are free to discuss relevant issues.

Rather than embrace criticism as an opportunity to prove mud-slingers wrong and demonstrate transparency, public figures and their supporters seem to prefer to divert negative attention. Defensiveness, however, suggests insecurity.

Sunday night, a small group of Jasperites quietly walked through the town to try and raise awareness of the attacks in Gaza. In some parts of the world, people fear for their life, as a rocket could fall from the sky at any moment.

Elsewhere, priorities stem from pride, as some people will stop at nothing simply to save face. 

The staff of this newspaper could apologize for ruffling a few feathers, or we could stand our ground and pledge to ask difficult questions, publish controversial opinions, and demand accountability.

Since we’re not ready to “shut up and sing,” expect more of the latter from the Fitzhugh.

Section 2(b) of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms states, “Everyone has the following fundamental freedoms: ... freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression, including freedom of the press and other media of communication.”