I am absolutely appalled. I just read the Jerry Thompson guest column in the Feb. 4 issue of the Star. This is the paper’s adviser?

This man shouldn’t be “advising” anyone except nazis and fascists on how to muzzle protest and freedom of speech and turn his country into a militaristic, mercenary, world policeman.

We protesters are united in support of our troops. We support them to the ultimate degree—we want them out of the war now before any more of them are killed or forced to become killers for us (or, more correctly, for President Bush).

“Nobody but a madman is for war,” you say? That puts everyone in our country who is in favor of continuing the war in that box and leaves the protesters as sane people. There may be some truth in that.

There are other options. There are always other options. It is never too late to decide you’ve made a horrible mistake and get out.

It is certainly not too late to get out before a land war starts and our troops are forced to deal with mine fields miles wide (not 20 feet as is usually the case) filled with mines sold to Saddam Hussein by our government up to Aug. 2.

Who are we protesters? We protesters are mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, other relatives, friends, people of all ages and religions who want our nation to be an example for the world—a “city set on a hill”—and not the world’s policeman.

I could go on and on, answering Mr. Thompson’s tirade point by point, but I can see that would be futile—trying to reach an utterly closed mind.

I do want to point out the Gulf of Tonkin resolution was passed with only two dissenting votes in the U.S. Senate. The Persian Gulf resolution passed by only seven votes in the Senate.

We are greatly encouraged that more and more people in this country are not just swallowing the President’s position hook, line and sinker.

More and more people are thinking for themselves and opposing wrong wherever it lies—especially when the wrong lies with our government.

Florence Butler

NIU Graduate

Math