WEB PAGE TOOLS ~ Print this article ~ E-mail your opinion on this article OTHER OPINIONS STORIES ~ Draft for democracy ~ Birth of an activist; class inspires student to tackle leadership role ~ Make voting mandatory Letters to the editor WHAT IS AN AMERICAN Andrew T Johnson I am writing in response to the opinion article you wrote on Page 6 of the Ebbtide. ("Protesters bring youth a bad name," March 31 edition.) I find the writing and opinions to represent much of what I know is wrong with America today. Not only is this piece anti-intellectual and contradictory, but, in my opinion, it is also anti-American. Those words I just wrote are extremely strong ones, so I feel it is imperative to my point to prove those statements right away. First of all, blindly following George W. Bush (or any leader) simply because he certainly must have the most information speaks volumes about someone's attitude toward intellectualism. The person who spouts this excuse is too lazy to find the information on their own and make their own decision. Also, some leaders have lied in the past. Second, your opinions are contradictory; you wrote: "Tell me logically and intellectually why we shouldn't have started a war, why we should stop it, or why war is terrorism." Yet, you fail to offer any explanation other than, I like Georgie, and he is oh so smart. If you are interested in some explanations for an anti-war sentiment, maybe you should try reading your own newspaper. On Feb. 28, you ran Linda Warren's article, "Why we should not go to war with Iraq." If you are going to say that the arguments made by Dr. Warren are "logically and intellectually" baseless, then I will have to write another letter. DO YOU HAVE AN OPINION? WHAT A COINCIDENCE, WE HAVE A NEWSPAPER! The Ebbtide loves to get letters. E-mail your letter or submission to webbtide@yahoo.com. Include a phone number where we can reach you with questions. Letters and opinion pieces become property of the Ebbtide and may be edited for taste, grammar, spelling, length, potential libel, or space restrictions. With that said, I am now going to delve into how I believe your article anti-American. First of all, let's lend a short definition of American, shall we? I am absolutely certain that high on any layman's definition you will find terms such as democracy, will of the people, free speech, freedom of religion and so on. Some would argue that the most anti-American presidency was that of Thomas Jefferson. During his presidency, the populace was so concerned with building a nation and getting back to profitability that they looked the other way when Jefferson committed years of atrocities against Native Americans. Where I find anti-American sentiment is in your fourth paragraph. You say that George W. Bush must know the most about the situation in Iraq, so you support him. I say, George W. Bush is looking at the world from a neo-classical perspective that skews his view of the world. So, yes, Georgie-boy may have many more facts than I; however, I am looking at the world from the correct point of view. Also, one can argue that at the time of the Revolutionary War, America was at its most "American" point. At this time, the soldiers fighting the war were farmers and merchants who were ripped away from their lives. Their term of fighting was not only psychologically harsh, but also they encountered extreme physical disparity. Soldiers today fly in ergonomically designed cockpits and drop a chunk of metal on a building. The false honor given to soldiery today is creating a society where "American" is skewed. All of the soldiers I know (and I know quite a few) joined the military for college. Recruiters were in the cafeteria during much of my four-year stint at Meadowdale High School. They handed out cool pens and told me I could have college paid for. I could even decide what job I will have once I am in the military. Oh yeah, I will also have to kill people. I realize that many reading this will now leave with a bad taste in their mouth from that last paragraph. I also realize that this is due to no fault of my own. We have been hand-fed propaganda since the time of conception my friends. The society we now live in is one so filled with militarism that I am scared. I am scared for the lives of the citizens of countries who lie in our path. © 2003 Shoreline Community College™