February 9, 2003

Counting Down to the Valentine's Day Massacre

Invading Iraq, February 14, 2003

Regarding the letter titled "Peace marchers support enemies of America" (2/9/2003). The authors imply that those who marched for peace are siding with Iraq.

I have to wonder what their definition of a loyal American is. I have to wonder if they have ever talked with a person who opposes this war. Do they really think that speaking one's conscience is on America's side only if that speaking agrees with the official government line? Talk with me. I will tell you that I have been a loyal American for 63 years. I will also tell you that my loyalty to America demands that I speak out when I feel my country is making a huge mistake. Would you prefer I remain silent? or cave in to the President's bullying?

My question to you is, how can you support a President who determined over a year ago that he was going to invade Iraq and has not flinched from that determination, no matter what the American people think, no matter how our long time allies feel about it, no matter what the United Nations proposes as alternatives? Mr. Bush has no respect for the American people - as evidenced by his bull-headed determination to ignore any train of thought other than his own. The man refuses to listen, refuses to admit he can make a mistake. How American is that?

My next question is, how do you feel about the people's representatives handing over their constitutional power to wage war to the executive branch? The way I read the Constitution, the American people (through the Congress) decide to make war and the executive branch carries out the war plans. Do you accept a President who will call all the shots and wage war without the people's consent?

Do you not notice the grave inconsistencies in his arguments? He talks of "weapons of mass destruction" as though he invented the term and now expects everyone to think in those terms. Saddam has them. But he never mentions that America has them, America has used them, and America is again willing to use them for its own ends. The inconsistency in policy between Iraq and North Korea is astounding. Do you fear the power of weapons in Iraq's hands but not in North Korea's hands? How can you trust a President who is determined to "protect" America from one threat but just glosses over another?

Do you have no concern for the limiting of the people's constitutional rights by an administration that thinks these are secondary to "security"? These are the very rights that are a fundamental pillar of our society. Erode them, and what kind of America do we have?

These are questions I have, that never get answered by the Bush administration. Neither do they get answered by the people's representatives, who are all too willing to put America and American ideals in jeopardy by compromising the Constitution. I see real threats to America - more than just those from Saddam. I speak out on those threats. How do you construe that to mean I am siding with the enemy?

Now we have mobilized an immense army and more weaponry than the rest of the world combined, poised to invade Iraq - an image that reminds me of the Mongolian armies that swept over the Middle East and much of Europe with overwhelming power in the Middle Ages. Is this your dream for America? that by sheer massive power we can force our view of civilization on the rest of the world? Am I un-American for being concerned about the direction our great nation is heading? for demanding that my government give me good reason to invade another country? Talk to me, talk to the peace marchers. Then decide if we're siding with Iraq.

- Lone Coyote Calls