It infuriates me when advocators of blind patriotism and mindless nationalism wave their U.S. flags (probably mass produced cheaply in Taiwan or some other evil un-American sector) in defense of intervention and bigotry.

A good sturdy American, Michael Waterman, insists that, “…the millions of Americans who fought and died in the defense of…freedom…fought for the right of every American to freely speak their opinions…” (Waterman stresses that Americans “fought and died” twice to really get that point across).

I don’t see how U.S. military invasions of Mexico, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Panama, Navassa Island, Haiti, Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador, Vietnam, Korea, etc., etc., etc., have anything to do with the defense of freedom.

The only thing these invasions have to do with is “assuring a favorable business climate” in the words of our broccoli-hating Pres. George Bush. And by breathing down the back of the third world’s neck, the United States is assured a powerful place in most of the world’s decisions.

As for Waterman’s belief that, “…If gays…serve in our armed forces…a soldier’s fundamental respect for his or her peers…would be lost in the knowledge that homosexuality is physically and socially unnatural…,” people don’t decide to be homosexuals, it just happens. And it happens naturally.

The belief that a person’s homosexuality demands for the loss of all due respect is complete nonsense. Homosexuals deserve more respect than misinformed bigots that are fighting for “freedom and democracy” in this country’s name.

Jace Krause

Sophomore

LA&S