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May 3 , 2004 - Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Valley&State Backpage O&E Sports Archives Classifieds Faith&Beliefs Obituaries Revels Letters to the Editor: The obvious about burning the American flag Once upon a time, not so long ago, a young man burned the American flag at a war protest in Ashland, and in all the ensuing hullabaloo, not one person has expressed what seems to me is the bloomin' obvious. When you burn a flag or a cross or any other powerful symbol, you act offensively because people perceive it as offensive. But more to the point, you draw attention to yourself, and away from the cause you claim to support. If this peace movement is to be fruitful it has to invite dialog. It has to promote respect. It has to engage hearts and minds to serious and difficult thought. That's called problem-solving. Flag burning does none of this. It merely says, "Look at me. I'm able to offend you." And I don't care what war anybody's daddy fought in, or how they served their country in other ways. When I see a flag burner, I see a tantrum. Excuse me while I stroke my long gray beard as a Vietnam War protest veteran. Tantrums are for toddlers. Whatever side you're on, I think all would agree we're in serious trouble as a nation here. We need to act like adults. Cathy Smith, Ashland Let me count the fears: from cabs to Keith, borders to school closings I'm afraid: That all those F350 Triple cabs will run out of gas; That my brother-in-law will have to kill to keep them full; That my child will be taught that Bush was elected legitimately; That flag burning desecrates the achievements of Lincoln, JKF, and MLK; That the border between Mexico and the U.S. is more secure than the Canadian-U.S. border; That a 21,000 lb. Air Force bomb dropped on alligators in Florida won't frighten anyone other than alligators; That "One Nation Under God" should be changed to "Give me convenience or give me Death"; That Americans listen to Toby Keith, talk to their cats and then go to vote; That the Democratic Party doesn't have a candidate with a pair (upstairs or downstairs); That the schools are closing. Mark Bostrom, Jacksonville To the point U.S. war against Iraq. Madness of King George. Chuck and Sarah Walker, Ashland Guest Forum: A deadly trance By Pepper Trail Ashland On Sunday night, I stood in the cold rain on the Ashland Plaza with several hundred of my fellow citizens, trying to keep a candle of peace from going out. The symbolism was painfully evident. Earlier that day, President Bush had all but announced the war for which he has been preparing without pause for many months. Within days - probably by the time you read this - the United States will have unleashed a firestorm of bombs and missiles surpassing any in history, against a country that is effectively defenseless, all in the name of deposing a tyrant who is already more closely constrained than any other head of state on earth. Over the years, I have often exercised my right of free speech to protest against government foreign and environmental policies. Sometimes things changed; more often they didn't. But never have I felt so completely powerless, so utterly ignored by my government as today. George W. Bush is a man in a trance, a man who is blind to anything but his own conviction. Bush's tragic limitations can be traced to many causes: a childhood of insulating privilege; a lifelong immunity from consequences; self-righteous religious zeal; unquestioning deference to authoritative older men; meager intellectual curiosity. This combination of characteristics, plus the contrivance of five Supreme Court justices, has put America in the hands of a man who has no ability to question his own narrow perspective, to consider alternative points of view, to appreciate how isolated his advisors have made him, to even imagine deviating from the script he is given. Previously, the president's men staged a "press conference" in which Bush responded to pre-approved questions, in a set order, reading from a list taped to his podium. Even in such a completely controlled environment, it was breathtaking how wooden, inarticulate, and unconvincing were Bush's rote repetitions of the "need" for a war on Iraq. As the bombs fall, and as thousands of innocent Iraqi mothers, fathers, and children die at the hands of the U.S. military, as we alienate the entire Islamic world, as we blindly march into an open-ended commitment to occupy and control the most hostile and uncontrollable region of the world, what are peace-loving Americans to do? I do not know. We find ourselves at the mercy of a man in a trance, a man who is literally not open to reason. In the 2004 election, he must be defeated. Until then, we must do what we can: Bear witness, protest again and again against his destruction of America's values and of our place in the community of nations. George Bush is not my president. I do not recognize his America as my country. May the world forgive us for what he is doing. Dissent, but also show respect By Woody McGinnis Ashland We can take valuable lessons from our interaction over the Iraq war, and maybe become an even better community in the process. I happen to be an ardent critic of the war, and I feel a strong need to express my opposition. I find that as I dissent, so must I respect - and preserve - the right of others to dissent from my point of view. Otherwise, my very claim to the right to dissent seems baseless. I may not agree with the recent counter-protest in favor of the war, but I have learned to feel respectful for it. I can even look at it positively, because it affirms my rights, too. We are learning that opposition to the war does not ensure agreement about tactics or priorities. For me, the primary goal is to convince greater numbers of persons from this community to oppose the war. So, I advocate a positive, civil approach. Good manners aside, I just think this makes more friends and far fewer enemies than casting insults. At the same time, some of my anti-war friends place a very high priority on expressing frustration over the war by acts such as burning the flag. I strongly repudiate the flag-burning as counterproductive. They don't. Our broader community can distinguish itself by not letting the flag-burning obscure the argument against the war. That should stand strictly on the merits. Tensions are high, and families should understand that participation in marches and rallies is not trivial. In fact, a pick-up driver swerved dangerously and intentionally into two groups of protesters during the second march to Medford. With my input, the authorities investigated this after-the-fact and most appropriately cited the driver for violation of the law. The lesson in this for me is that political points-of-view are irrelevant to proper law enforcement, that everyone involved - protesters and non-protesters alike - should know the law and be prepared to face the consequences if they violate it. I have learned recently that it is against the law to march in a way which impedes vehicular traffic, unless a permit has been issued. I also realize that a small core of anti-war protesters are inclined to "push the limits" on this traffic impedance issue as a matter of civil disobedience, and it would be unfortunate if law-abiding citizens are drawn into unlawful activity unwittingly. Events like the March 5th youth protest (including middle-schoolers), where traffic impedance definitely resulted, emphasize the need for organizers to get permits and for all of us to help one another understand the law. Most anti-war demonstrators want to protest peacefully and lawfully, which I think is quite consistent with our desire to have the law protect us in our dissent. Seems fair, doesn't it? DailyTidings.com Home Page Valley&State | Backpage | O&E | Sports | Archives | Weather | Classifieds Columnists | Faith&Beliefs | Obituaries | Revels | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2004 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Site Search: .:Advertisements:. RESOURCES - Mail Tribune News - ODOT Road Cams