Protest, With Respect

None yet | 3/20/2003 | Gregg Parker

[meisterbrewer]

Don’t agree with the US war to remove Hussein? Then find an anti-war protest and let your voice be heard. The first amendment guarantees your right to do so. As a member of America’s armed forces, I have fought for that right. But while you are protesting, please remember the freedom to disagree without the fear of death or torture is one of the primary principles that separate the United States from lesser nations like Saddam Hussein’s Iraq.

While I support everyone’s right to disagree with the war, I must say something about the ugly tenor of some of the demonstrations and some of the demonstrators. The incendiary rhetoric espoused by many in the so-called “peace” movement illustrates the lack of serious thought they have dedicated to this issue. They repeat idiotic insults like “war is terrorism” and “its all about oil” like cheers at a high school football game. “War is Terrorism?” I doubt the survivors of Hitler’s death camps who were liberated by the Allied forces would agree. These types of “bumper sticker” political statements reinforce my belief that many see this situation only as an abstract theoretical issue manufactured for the purpose of providing them with a platform to insult those they already hate.

The reality, of course, is that it is not abstract. Real men, women and children are dying right now under the rule of Saddam Hussein. Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have documented his regime’s atrocities, so these claims cannot be dismissed as US propaganda. Visit either’s website and read for yourself the gut-wrenching stories of the incredible loss of life during Hussein’s reign of terror.

Unfortunately, the war to remove Hussein will undeniably cause death and destruction as well. Still, could the war actually result in less loss of life than a continued dictatorial regime? Could innocent lives be saved? Yes and yes. Just as war brought about the end of Hitler’s Third Reich, war will put an end to Hussein’s reign, halting the ethnic cleansing of the Shia Muslims and slaughter of innocents like those lost in the Renfal Operations or in the attempted “annexation” of Kuwait in 1990.

However, the battle to remove Hussein may well precipitate an increase in terrorist activities targeting the US and its citizens abroad. But don’t be fooled. The terrorists were going to strike us anyway, perhaps not now or in the next year, but soon. The war against Hussein will only provide a convenient excuse for accelerating their already-conceived plans. And the terrorists know they can count on anti-war activists to point to any future terrorist acts as retaliation for our war against Hussein. Useful idiots, these appeasers. A built-in, no-cost PR machine for the mass murders of 9-11.

Those who seek to hijack this issue for their own political purposes are ignoring reality at the peril of others. Many Hollywood activists and political hacks have been taking advantage of this situation to voice their grievances concerning a host of unrelated issues. Gore supporters, still angry that he lost the last election, are using the Iraq war to once again hurl insults at Bush supporters. Communist and socialist groups are supporting the peace marches as a means to launch ad hominem attacks on democracy and capitalism. And for some reason, Hollywood personalities feel the need to use the Iraq issue to air their misinformed and uneducated views on US foreign policy. (Couldn’t they just shut up and continue to provide entertainment for us during this difficult time? That’s their job, after all.) And could somebody please tell the high school protesters they aren’t old enough to have an opinion yet?! Sorry, kids, you don’t know enough. Study hard in college, live a few years in the “real” world, and visit a few third-world countries. Then, perhaps, you can give an informed opinion. Now eat your peas and do your homework.

The divisiveness created by these activists not only serves no useful purpose, it sends a dangerous message to our enemies. Where a united front may have caused Hussein to buckle before a war even began, these activists have given him an opportunity that he won’t walk away from. Hussein’s arrogance simply won’t allow him to pass up the chance to divide the United Nations as well as to internally divide the United States and our allies. Make no mistake – Hussein is encouraged when he sees protests every night on CNN. He positively relishes seeing Sean Penn and Martin Sheen attack the President on prime time TV. He will milk this moment for all its worth, and in the process, cause the war to drag on unnecessarily. That’s right, “peace protesters,” you will be responsible for needless death and destruction. That must be a bitter pill to swallow. Hey, but at least you can continue to protest without fear of death or torture. The Iraqi people, however, will suffer for your ignorance.

[meisterbrewer]

Letter to the editor submitted to New York Times and Chicago Tribune