Must a patriot like the president? [Letter to Wash. Times pans Ollie North column]

Yet most of the actors whom Mr. North quotes do not say anything against America - it is President Bush they cannot stand. Julia Roberts says she finds Mr. Bush "embarrassing," not America. Ed Asner, an adviser to Fairness & Accuracy in Reporting, accuses Mr. Bush of "desecrating" America, a statement that makes no sense unless one holds America to be sacred. Bill Cosby is called unpatriotic for making a campaign contribution to an anti-war politician. Since when is it unpatriotic to oppose your government's policies? Were the lawmakers in Congress who voted against the Tonkin Gulf resolution in 1964 unpatriotic?

Mr. North writes that Woody Harrelson "called himself 'an American tired of American lies.'" That was the headline of his column in the London Guardian. Surely Mr. North knows that columnists do not generally write their own headlines. What Mr. Harrelson wrote was, "I'm an American tired of lies. And with our government, it's mostly lies." You may disagree with his assessment while believing it is his inalienable right to make it.

Yes, some people, - celebrities and non-celebrities alike - have criticisms of America itself. But do not mix up dislike for a president and his policies with a lack of love for one's country. I'll bet that is a mistake Mr. North never made during the Clinton era.

I think Ollie North nailed the leftwing, for what they are. A bunch of pompous, sanctimonious, liberal elitists.

"American citizens have always tolerated varying political opinions, but the animosity Hollywood "celebrities" are displaying toward America, its president and its men and women in uniform today is more than a national disgrace — it's demoralizing to those we send to defend us. If the Hollywood elites want the cash to keep on rolling in, they ought to confine their criticisms to pool-side cocktail parties instead of inflicting their juvenile tantrums on the wives and mothers of those fighting overseas to keep America safe."

Col. North nailed it center mass - he has *far* more credibility than any of the current crop of ingrateful SOB's inhabiting hollywood. Hating yourself, our country, our traditions and such seems to be a national pastime with these folks.

That's all very well, but the problem is they tend to infect others with their misguided not-so-well-meaning mental mush. Harrelson, Asner, Sarandon et al. should be classified as infectious disease agents and tracked by the CDC.

Their mission is to attempt to discredit and deconstruct our value systems - our religions, mores, opinions, beliefs, sense of fair play, honesty, hard work and accountibility, etc. etc.. - in short, everything and _anything_ that makes us strong as a nation. Col North instinctively knows this of course and isn't shy about pointing this out. Somebody needs to.

While it has never been more essential to present a united front against our enemies, they, on the other hand, seek to divide us and sew seeds of doubt and discontent with the easily swayed, making our job far more difficult than it has to be.

That is the source of disgust that most of America feels for those in the chattering classes. In a war increasingly fought here at home we do not have infinite resources and most probably very little time.

Don't we have enough enemies without homegrown crackpots?

Some of these hollywood SOB's make more in a year than most of us will ever make in our lifetimes - all paid mostly by Americans who have diametrically opposed political beliefs. And yet, they are the modern equivalent of a bolshevik! Any decent human being would be ashamed of themselves for such tactics and methods.

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