I am writing in response to Joe Rebholz’s attack on anti-war protesters that appeared in the The Northern Sta.

First, I would like to commend you on your concern for human life (when you stated 900 deaths occurred related to protests) and for your obvious patriotism to the United States.

However, your patriotism does not exclude mine. When I choose to protest the war, I am exercising an inherent right and responsibility to inform my elected representatives how I feel.

May I remind you demonstrations are the most effective means the minority can voice its opinion with? You may also know without these demonstrations, we’d be living in an archaic society in which women couldn’t even vote.

Peace is no less patriotic than civil liberties. And no Mr. Rebholz, I have not burned a flag that I remember.

I would also like to make one point clear that your narrow-mindedness may have failed to see. We are in full support of all the U.S. troops in the Middle East, it is that they are there that is being protested.

As for the issue itself, does it make you proud, Mr. Rebholz, to support the administrations that have been, for the past 10 years, supplying Iraq with weapons?

Does it make you proud to know your president has claimed to exhaust all diplomatic solutions, when in fact the most concentrated efforts for peace came during the final two weeks before the deadline, while almost no attempts were made during the first four-and-a-half months?

Does it also make you proud that your president will let himself get caught up in semantics and not even allow for the discussion of linkage to the PLO?

If that is one way to get Hussein out of Kuwait (which Bush adamantly states as our purpose) why not pursue it? At the least, it would promote communication.

Mr. Rebholz, you are entitled to your view of the world, and I personally encourage you to express it. But by the same principle, don’t try to suppress or belittle mine.

With everything considered, I am proud to live in the United States, but I am not going to blindly cheer every move the government makes. Be assured, if I disagree with a policy, I’m not going to remain silent.

So the next time you walk by protesters, try to remember, for the most part, they are speaking out against a policy in the United States, not against the United States itself.

If more people would become informed of U.S. politics, we may have better representation in Washington.

Personally, I’d rather see what you describe as a “yellow streak” than several nations covered in red blood.

Erika Pedersen

Junior

Political science/public law