Anti-war view isn't by itself unpatriotic (want a bet?)

Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel ^ | 10/23/01 | Philip Chard

[UB355]

Kathleen is a person of peace.(Oh Please, but now you know what follows)

And, recently, that has earned her a lot of conflict.

She is a member of a small minority of Americans who believe our nation should not conduct a military war on terrorism - just a financial and diplomatic one. According to recent polls, she and her kindred spirits account for less than 15% of our citizenry.

Lately, she has begun to feel that the war on terrorism is, to some degree, being waged against people like her, as well as al-Qaida.

"I've been screamed at, called a 'traitor' and, in one instance, threatened with physical violence," she explained, her voice burdened with sadness.

What has Kathleen done to deserve these verbal assaults? Burned the American flag? Marched in anti-war demonstrations? Defended bin Laden?

Courage of convictions

None of the above. During conversations with family, neighbors and co-workers, she has quietly and respectfully expressed her opinion that war is not the answer.

"In America right now, being a voice for peace requires more courage than it did a few weeks ago," she reflected.

Throughout her 50-some years, Kathleen's heroes have not been generals, warriors or CIA agents. Instead, she has looked to the likes of Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., John Lennon and Jesus Christ, to name a few.

These proponents of non-violent action, while still publicly admired (and, in the case of Christ, religiously worshipped), have not been invoked a great deal since Sept. 11. Their messages of peace and reconciliation have largely disappeared in a fog of rage.

"I understand better now why so many peacemakers have been persecuted or assassinated," Kathleen explained. "The need for vengeance is very strong in some human hearts, and someone who tries to pacify that need often becomes its next target."

"Do you consider yourself a patriot?" I asked her.

"Very much so," she replied. "I love this country deeply. It has its problems, but it is a nation of high ideals and hope."

What does it take?

"What do you think being a patriot requires?" I wondered.

"There's more to it than sticking an American flag on your car," she answered. "If you truly believe in what this country stands for - liberty and equality - then you respect and protect the right of your fellow citizens to disagree with your point of view."

I recalled the anthems on the home front during the Vietnam War: "My country, right or wrong, but my country," along with "Love it or leave it." Once again a debate rages in media circles and on street corners about political dissent during times of armed conflict.

Some argue that speaking out against military action while the nation's troops are in peril aids and abets our enemies and undermines morale. Others maintain that suppressing freedom of speech plays into the hands of the terrorists, helping them achieve the objective of subverting the world's greatest democracy.

"It doesn't surprise me that people don't agree with me and that they want to debate me," Kathleen explained. "I welcome that. What surprises and disappoints me is that they attempt to intimidate me into silence."

By definition, patriotism is love of one's country and what it stands for. A big part of what America stands for is freedom of speech, the right to disagree with the majority without being harassed or silenced.

Patriotism is not about intolerance and repression.

Terrorism is.

Contact Philip Chard at (262) 547-3986, e-mail him at pschard@earthlink.net, or visit his Web site at www.healingnature.com. Appeared in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on Oct. 23, 2001.

[irish_lad]

We are the world, we are the children, we are the ones who make a brighter day, so let's start giving...." Peace, love, dope. The peaceniks do not understand that we are dealing with an enemy who will use every dirty and vile method to annihilate us. There is no diplomacy option with heathens. They only understand death...theirs or ours.

[d14truth]

From "A Mighty Fortress is Our God" by Martin Luther--

Did we in our own strength confide,
Our striving would be losing;
Were not the right Man on our side,
The Man of God’s own choosing:
Dost ask who that may be?
Christ Jesus, it is He,
Lord Sabaoth, His name,
From age to age the same,
And He must win the battle.
And though this world, with devils filled,
Should threaten to undo us,
We will not fear, for God hath willed
His truth to triumph through us:

[d14truth]

"Traitors all!"

Yes, we are, but to whom? Our nation, our wives, our children, our employer, our employees, ourselves?

We must confront and seek to cast out evil, wherever we find it--the home, the internet, Hollywood, Washington, or the mountains of Afghanistan.

The 'wages of war' may be death. "The wages of sin IS death."

[A Navy Vet]

While I might agree that Viet Nam was a debatable action (I supported stopping communist expansionism), this is a matter of survival. The pseudo-intellectuals don't get it because a specific reasoning skill is beyond their scope - commonsense. There is no bottom line in their perspectives. Their propensity to over-think, over-sympathize, and over-compensate perceived wrongs curtails them from focusing on a specific reality.

[jb54tx]

why don't we just arrest all these anti-war idiots just like ole Abe Lincoln did in his days....

[jb54tx]

yeah right Kirk... ca ca can't we all just get along?! let's all play nice nice!

[geaux]

Sorry, R.A. is right on target.

[ohioman]

"Let me be the first to respond. Katy is a stupid, dumb bitch, socialist, communist, wind bag. There that should cover it."

LMAO I couldn't have said it better myself. Of course everytime I try, some A-hole tells the moderator.

[ohioman]

Boo Fricken HOO!!

[Imperial Warrior]

She and her ilk aren't brave or courageous especially when they are surrounded by a cordon of armed police officers to protect them whenever their stupid scum mouths their nonsense and takes a verbal crap on our troops and wipes their asses with the American flag. These people are are cowards and fools in addition to being unpatriotic. Since their position would be to do nothing, their kind's record is one of misery, failure, and death. They only exist as fringes of a greater society that provides both the legal AND physical means for their very survival and rights. I'd put the loud mouthed bitch on the first troop transport to the middle east to serve our troops in whatever capacity she would be suited for. That might be confined to camp prostitute, but at least she'd be doing her part. :)

[d14truth]

Healing Nature

One can surmise quite a bit regarding 'Kathleen' and her friends from the columnist's website, said and unsaid, IMHO.

[rwfromkansas]

this is BS....especially that crap about JEsus being against this war. Uh, perhaps these idiots could read Romans, where THE STATE IS TO BE THE SWORD OF GOD AND A TERROR TO EVIL-DOERS!!!!!!!!!!! IGNORANT BASTARDS.

[Texas Yellow Rose]

In his recent speech accepting the Democratic nomination for vice president, Sen. Joseph Lieberman criticized Republican nominee George W. Bush for his claim that the administration has created a "hollow military" with budget cuts, saying that such claims made him angry. This week, Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI) continued that attack, denying Bush's claim that two divisions of the military would have to report "not ready for duty" in the event of a conflict. I've been wondering about this myself.  There were more people that George Bush and Dick Cheney that were saying this.  There were posts here indicating that we didn't even have enough ammunition.

So were DID it all come from then?  Suddenly, the military was prepared. Or did they beef it up in 9 months?

[Long Cut]

You know, it's incredible how stupid some kids (and this person is, mentally) are. Their right to speak their naive minds, or to protest and march for "peace" and "nonviolence" exist soley because men of the military and police are ready to do violence to protect them. The sole reason this woman is not lying in a gutter, raped and throat-slit, is because of armed police and the deterrent factor they bring. She lives without having to wear a burqa or work for the glory of the state because of Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, Airmen, and all our guns, bombs, and bullets. However, she lives in an opaque bubble of safety so she thinks it is because of "diplomacy" or "goodwill" or some such nonsense. The bubble both her and you, Jack(off), live in was bought and paid for by people far better than you. The least you could do is shut up, and enjoy it without making nuisances of yourselves. Your opinions are worthless, anyway.

[dighton]

(#35)

Say, she's cute!

[DugwayDuke]

"If you truly believe in what this country stands for - liberty and equality - then you respect and protect the right of your fellow citizens to disagree with your point of view."

If you believe in liberty and equality then you must be willing to defend, with violence when necessary, liberty and equality. Otherwise you will not be free or equal, but either dead or a slave.