Erin Grace Veenker has decided that those who are protesting the possible attack on Iraq are “ignorant and disrespectful” (Letters to the Editor, Feb. 6). She also suggests that if one does not see things her way then they must be un-patriotic and lack character. To truly be an American is to speak out against injustice and to stand up for the very principles our country was founded on. Anyone in the government or any American citizen who says it is “anti-American” to voice concern and the truth about this war is trying to run a dictatorship. It is despotism, and it is wrong.
Yes Erin, I have thought about the men and women who have given up their lives so that I may live in freedom. Besides the innocent civilians, it is our military personnel whom I am trying to protect. If our boys go into Iraq, our troops will be blasted with everything Iraq has and you can bet that Saddam Hussein will be safely underground hidden in one of his 50 palaces.
The White House says we may use nuclear weapons on Iraq. The use of weapons of mass destruction in order to get rid of weapons of mass destruction is insanity. We obviously do not know where these hidden weapons are so what are we going to do, destroy the entire country of Iraq and then drop a nuclear bomb where we think Saddam may be hiding?
Right now we have Saddam in a vulnerable position, the inspections are working, and we have the upper hand. If we begin to drop our bombs on a poor and war-torn country then hell may be unleashed upon America because we will create more terrorism by our actions. We must look for peaceful solutions to this crisis. Many Gulf War combat veterans and veterans of World War II and the Vietnam War are opposed to this war.
Our forefathers gave me the freedom of speech and many brave soldiers have fought and died for my right to keep that freedom of speech. However, God Almighty gave me the intelligent discrimination to form my own opinions and the knowledge that it is not okay for us to think only of ourselves and our loved ones but to also think of every human being, even if they do not happen to share the same flag. What may happen in Iraq will not just be a light show on CNN, and what we do to others will come back to us, as the law of cause and effect plays no favorites.
It is not okay for us to terrorize and massacre thousands of poor and defenseless people all under the guise of ‘defending’ ourselves. Pre-emptive self-defense will lead us down the road to moral destruction. Political change cannot be induced with violence against others. This is the time when we must adhere to the true teachings of Jesus Christ and not fall into the dangerous thinking of ‘kill them before they kill us.’ This is not at all connected to His teachings. We cannot murder innocents so we can feel ‘safe’ sitting in a movie theatre eating our popcorn.
The President and our government are the servants of the people. Questioning the government is an act of patriotism; I love my country, not men in power. Just because I do not happen to share the same view as those who support a war, it does not make me ignorant or anti-American. Colin Powell’s evidence was circumstantial and had no legal, scientific or moral basis for war. Powell also tried to tell the world that Saddam Hussein has ties to Al Qaeda but intelligence operatives within the CIA and FBI say that these ties do not exist. Bush and company are trying to use fear tactics to gain support for an immoral and illegal war.
When people say “God Bless America” I hope they realize that God has already blessed America and has been blessing this great country for decades. Instead of asking God to give us more blessings, we should all be on our knees thanking God and should be defending our Constitution, which says that one man shall not declare war. When Congress voted to give Bush the right to declare war they violated the United States Constitution. I do support our troops Erin, I am trying to save their lives with the voice that God and the United States Constitution gave me.
Alethea Guthrie