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Letters to the Editor: Protesting alone isn't enough All these terrific commentaries, letters and editorials against this ill-conceived and potentially ruinous war are uplifting, but it's beginning to feel like preaching to the choir. We can nod and say "right on" but the problem is who's listening? Unless we can get Congress to heed these messages, we're not going to be effective. We need to clip these pieces and fax them to our elected representatives - not only to our own, but to any Democrat who's currently lacking in backbone (and that's a lot), and to any Republican who shows signs of thinking independently. Or make a phone call. Or send a telegram (Western Union still does this and I just sent one to Laura Bush). Letters still don't find their way in any reasonable time period, and e-mails are largely ignored, but phone calls, faxes, and postcards are counted. I know this is true because I lived in Washington and "worked the Hill" on occasion. Marching and protesting are wonderful, but must be followed up with a phone call, fax, or postcard to have the desired impact. For a list of senators' phones and addresses, go to www.senate.gov. For a list of representatives, go to www.house.gov. Or just call the capitol switchboard at 202-224-3121 (Senate) 202-225-3121 (House). Alice Hardesty, Ashland Newcomer is proud of Ashland A bit more than two years ago, I was charmed by Ashland and decided to move here. The quality of the town and its people are unmatched by any place I've ever lived. But, following the council's vote to not blindly follow the "Patriot Act," I'm more proud than ever to be a resident of Ashland. Kudos to the councilors and the citizens who have affirmed the rights of the citizens of this town. The founding fathers of this nation would be proud that at least one city can see beyond Emperor W's new clothes (apparently made of duct tape). Scott Calamar, Ashland Ashamed of President Bush I believe most people who stand for peace do not associate our soldiers with the decisions made to send them to Iraq. Pro-war activists miss the point in presuming that these men and women who are willing to give up their lives for us are not appreciated. The point is that we are not willing that even one of them dies, or kills another being, in an unjustified war. We who voice opposition to this administration's "pre-emptive" war believe Saddam Hussein is a terrible dictator. What is appalling is that this administration has itself become dictatorial, seemingly unaware that it's lust for war is visible, morally unacceptable, and operating with a personalized agenda that can no longer distinguish between global aggression and national defense. Our leaders try to diminish the right of our (soon former?) allies to express their opposition to an Iraq war, making jokes about European countries that lived for years beneath the bombs. 9/11 and Pearl Harbor notwithstanding, Europe knows more than we what is at stake. It is not for America to decide that the United Nations, in doing its job to obtain peace, is irrelevant. President Bush has become arrogant. I am ashamed for him. Gail Beason, Talent Guest forum: Fly the flag, but understand why By Tonya Graham Ashland I love the idea of America - a stronghold for democracy, freedom, liberty and justice. I am proud of many things my country has accomplished and at the same time ashamed of some of the actions my government has taken around the world. I am proud of our people. Most Americans I know are generous, kind, strong people who love their children and have a strong desire to do what is right. I see lots of flag waving, but hear very little solid discussion about the situation in Iraq, the effort to capture Osama bin Laden, the downhill slide of the economy, or the environmental rollbacks that will endanger our quality of life and the health of our children. I see people who seem to think that waving the flag is all that being a good American is about. The flag stands for American values of democracy, freedom, justice and liberty. Can we in good conscience proudly fly the flag when people have been imprisoned since 9-11 without being charged or given access to an attorney? Can we in good conscience proudly fly the flag when our leaders in Washington have passed the Patriot Act reducing civil liberties of all Americans at a time when those rights are most needed? Can we in good conscience proudly fly the flag when our nation is about to attack another country, killing women and children, for its oil riches? That's not what my America is about. The America that my grandfather fought in World War II to protect is an America where people are free to loudly disagree with their government. It is an America where privacy is valued and people are protected from the abuse of power by their government. It is an America that does not kill women and children for money. My America is a place where people are strong enough to be gentle. It is an America that stands up for what it believes in, not what will simply be the most profitable. It is the same America that vast numbers of veterans believe in as well, and those veterans are starting to speak out loudly against the attack on Iraq. Good Americans are not sheep who simply follow along behind their leaders. Being a good American means defending the rights of the people to express themselves and live freely. It means knowing what your government is doing and where they are doing it, because as we have seen in Germany, history does not redeem the "unknowing" citizens of countries that allow their governments to commit atrocities. A pre-emptive attack on Iraq is genocide plain and simple. So fly the flag with pride as I do, but only if you have read your Constitution and Bill of Rights and understand what you are flying it for. And only if you are doing something right now (like supporting a peaceful solution in Iraq or working to repeal the Patriot Act) to put America back on track. If you are not actively working to protect your democracy, then fold up your flag and put it away. Our democracy is in trouble and unless you are working to save it, you have no business displaying its symbol. We must stand up and fights against tide of fascism By Stuart O'Neill Ashland "Patriotism in its simplest, clearest, and most indubitable meaning is nothing but an instrument for the attainment of the government's ambitious and mercenary aims, and a renunciation of human dignity, common sense, and conscience by the governed, and a slavish submission to those who hold power. That is what is really preached wherever patriotism is championed. Patriotism is slavery." - Leo Tolstoy The American flag is perhaps one of the most misunderstood symbols of our times. To many, it is the symbol of freedom and democracy that we have fought for and defended. To many others, it is the symbol of imperialism and genocide that has led to the slaughter of native peoples, African slaves, and many other oppressed groups around the world. In the post 9-11 world, we are asked to stand unquestioningly behind the flag. We are implored to be "good citizens" and support this country no matter what. What we are losing sight of is the manipulation of our hopes and desires by a government that is seeking world domination to increase their wealth and control of resources. Although popular conceptions of U.S. history suggest that patriotism is about freedom, democracy, and creating a better world, in reality it has largely been used by the state to thwart the realization of these ideals. Patriotism, in essence, asks citizens to put aside their concerns and disagreements with the government, and to get behind the sentiment of "my country, right or wrong." Historically, patriotism was used in the 1920s to back up efforts to deport "undesirables" during the Red scare. Later, during the time of the Second World War, it justified interning Japanese Americans in camps on U.S. soil. In the 1950s, patriotism was used to repress the Left through such vehicles as the House Un-American Activities Committee, and during the Vietnam War period, to silence resistance through slogans such as "love it or leave it." Patriotism has been employed to rationalize military excursions and state-sponsored violence, from the invasion of Grenada and Panama to illegally arming the Nicaraguan Contras. In the name of patriotism, the Bush administration devised the overtly racist policy of registering citizens whose national heritage is Middle Eastern. The aptly named USA PATRIOT Act limits movement across borders, forces registration of foreign-born citizens, vastly expands investigative powers even where no crime is alleged, and labels dissenters as potential "terrorists." To question or oppose these policies is deemed unpatriotic, and disagreement is consequently silenced. What politician, after all, would have willingly chosen to vote against a piece of legislation with this acronym and risk being seen as un-American? And now, a second PATRIOT Act is in the works to further undo the freedoms that the government is purportedly marshaling its troops to protect. What we are experiencing in the U.S. is the rise of fascist totalitarianism. To quote Jim Jeffrey, WWII vet who spoke out against war in Alba Park last Saturday, fascism is, "a philosophy or system of government that advocates or exercises a dictatorship of the extreme right, typically through the merging of state and business leadership, together with an ideology of belligerent nationalism. This means that fascism was only temporarily defeated in WW II, that it has re-emerged in our own nation, and that it is being led by the aspiring dictator George W. Bush." The actions of last Friday in Ashland were an attempt to bring to light the violence and injustices perpetrated by the U.S. The burning of the flag is a symbolic gesture that cannot begin to erase the horrors created in our name. But it can bring forward a dialogue about the state of this country and our complicity as citizens in its actions. Will we stand aside as the "good Germans" did in the late 1930s? Or will we stand up and fight against the rising tide of fascism in our midst? LINKS: DAILY TIDINGS: Main | News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Opinion | Columnists | AP News | Subscribe | Archives | Weather | Classifieds | Contact Us | Privacy REVELS: Main | Calendar | Dining | Movies | T.V. OTHER: Road Cams Copyright 2003 Ashland Daily Tidings 541.482.3456. 1661 Siskiyou Blvd., Ashland, OR 97520. Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. - Advertisers -