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© St. Petersburg Times, published March 28, 2003
Quite a bit is being said lately as to what is and what is not patriotic. Are the Dixie Chicks patriots or pariahs? Is Michael Moore's Oscar acceptance speech a poignant reminder of our constitutional freedom, or a treasonous blaspheming against Americans everywhere?
When public people say controversial things, they should not be surprised when people react with things like boycotts. When the Dixie Chicks' lead singer went overseas and said that they were "ashamed the president of the United States is from Texas," it was not an un-American act. It was rude. It was probably not well thought out. It might have been suicidal for their business. But it was not un-American. If they are in turn bankrupted by music lovers who suddenly embrace other country acts, that too will be an example of the American way.
Calling Michael Moore a traitor is more of a reaction than a fact. Personally, I thought he was out of line, but that doesn't mean he is selling military secrets. It just means I have an opinion. If I avoid his movies, that is a result of my opinion. If you think my boycott is a ridiculous overreaction and that makes me a fascist, that too would be the byproduct of opinion. Even in the absence of freedom, personal opinions would continue to exist.
Extreme actions tend to invite extreme reactions. The initiating party is often surprised by the return volley, but really shouldn't be. As an observer of conversational conflict, as well as a frequent participant, I have found that the answer is usually found somewhere near the middle. When I see war protesters, it seems reasonable to me to assume that the sign-waving zealots are all idiots. If I was to engage any one of them in a thoughtful debate on the matter, it would not be long before the two of us were convinced that indeed, we were both attempting to enlighten a moron. Being labeled a fool is more than the cost of freedom, it is the very essence of liberty.
I tend to vote conservative, but often have some reservations about how my support may be abused. Surely a thoughtful liberal counterpart would feel the same. Be they politicians, entertainers, athletes, or even friends and relatives -- if you support someone long enough, you can count on them to eventually disappoint you with disagreement.
As long as opposing opinion exists, accusations of being naive or treasonous will co-exist. Opinions, and their reflective reactions, are not a threat to America. They are what brought this country into existence, and what make us what we are today.
-- David Fraser, Clearwater
Re: Don't cancel right to dissent, letter, March 27.
We all uphold the right of the Dixie Chicks to express themselves in a public forum, and they in fact did so freely. Their right to express themselves was in no way hindered or suppressed by our government, as guaranteed by our Constitution.
With freedom come responsibilities as shown in this case. Though we are free to express ourselves in our society, we are held responsible for our views and opinions. People have the right to disagree with the Dixie Chicks and express it in any lawful way, which might include destroying lawfully purchased CDs and tapes or not attending their concerts and any other lawful demonstration of disagreement. This, too, is protected as a freedom of speech.
Our Constitution guarantees us freedom of speech not to be censored or prohibited by our government. We as free people must be willing to accept consequences of our actions as a free people.
-- Donald Howard, Gulfport
After having read many letters castigating those of us who are opposed to the Iraqi war, I need to respond. I consider myself a patriotic citizen. I have lived through all the wars since and including World War II. My father served in that war, my husband during the Korean conflict, and my son is currently a major in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve. I pay taxes and I have voted in every major election since 1956. I have recently been called for jury duty and will consider it a privilege and a duty if I am selected to serve. I have spent my long professional life in human services, giving to others and giving back to my community. I think these facts qualify me to dissent without being accused of being unpatriotic or worse. I love my country and respect its history and its laws. The fact that I am able to disagree with current foreign policy is fundamental to our democracy.
Some apparently see this current conflict in very black-and-white terms: "If you are not with us, you are against us." It is just not that simple. Although I disagree with the action our government has taken in Iraq, I support our troops. These two opinions are not mutually exclusive. I am proud to be a member of the "loyal opposition." If and when my right to dissent is abridged, we will have lost our democratic form of government and the "enemy," whoever that may be, will surely have won the battle, as the heart and soul of the United States will have been destroyed.
-- Dorothy Doyle, Riverview
Re: Back troops and the war effort.
The March 27 letter stated that "You can't be antiwar and still say you are supporting our troops." I suggest the letter writer think a moment more and remember a time when she felt "bittersweet" about some event in her life. This, I believe, is analogous to supporting our troops, yet, at the same time, abhorring the war.
-- Jane A. Duguid, Largo
As we sit here in our living rooms watching the "fierce" and "tenacious" resistance offered up by the Iraqis, let us take a moment to put things into historical perspective. At the time that I am writing this letter, the war in Iraq has been under way for one week and there have been less than 50 Americans killed in action. The coalition is in the process of liberating an entire country. By comparison, the Battle of Iwo Jima lasted for 36 days and was preceded by 10 weeks of aerial bombardment. The Battle of Iwo Jima resulted in 19,217 Marines injured and 6,821 Marines killed; 70,000 Marines landed on Iwo Jima against 27,000 Japanese defenders.
I, for one, am extremely proud of the way our servicemen and women have performed. I am equally grateful to the men and women that have given the ultimate sacrifice before them.
-- Jeffrey Harrington, Spring Hill
I have watched the war from the beginning and it seems that most of the reporters in the field and even on TV are so far out in left field with respect to war. I get tired of hearing questions like "What is taking so long?" In seven days we moved massive troops and supplies into a hostile country.
"Why aren't they fighting fair?" This is war. There are no rules for this enemy in war. We, a free country, follow the rules, not them. War takes time. We fought in World War II for years.
Wake up, sit back and relax and let the military personnel do their job, so that we lose the least amount of troops, and hopefully when we get to Baghdad the resistance will be minimal. Quit trying to second-guess the military. We have the technology and the best-trained military people in the world. They can handle it, in their own time. God speed to our troops in their effort to free the Iraqi people of this madman.
-- Robert Morrison, Safety Harbor
The most intriguing aspect of the current war in Iraq is the appearance of "instant foreign policy experts" throughout our great country. I have heard so many discussions with such a lack of substance that it has become apparent that many, if not most, of us need to put that channel changer down and pick up a book or read a newspaper article dealing with the world around us.
It's especially important for the "right wing" to pick up a "left" publication once in a while. The same holds true for the self-dubbed "open-minded" left! Only then will the United States operate at full capacity and an absolutely necessary broader perspective will result in the electorate. There is much to learn about our historical presence in the volatile Middle East. While our aim as a culture may be true, our "representatives" there have anything but a pure and innocent track record. Get informed, get involved and, at the very least, vote!
-- R.S. Moorhead, St. Petersburg
Thank you for embedding John Pendygraft with the Marines. My husband is an airframes mechanic with a squadron in Iraq and a member of the team that Pendygraft wrote about.
March 19 was our 9th wedding anniversary. It was a hard day for both of us, especially given the fact that it was "D-day" and all communications were down.
I can't begin to describe how tormenting that Thursday morning was as I watched missiles being launched at the place where I knew my husband to be. Later in the afternoon, another squadron wife called to tell me about John Pendygraft and the St. Petersburg Times' Web site. As I was on the phone relaying information to my mother-in-law, another call came in. It was my husband James!
In a thoughtful act of kindness, Pendygraft loaned my husband his cell phone so he could call me and wish me a happy anniversary. It was the best present I'd ever received.
Mr. Pendygraft has no idea how many lives he touched by allowing that phone call. Because of his kindness, I could put the minds our two sons at ease. I was able to pass on to other wives the good news that James was doing well and that morale seemed to be high. They were comforted by the fact that if my husband was doing well, then their husbands who were with him were also in good spirits. The word about the phone call, John Pendygraft and the Web journal passed through not only to my family and my in-laws, but also to countless other families and friends from New York to Florida.
Make no mistake that John Pendygraft's work is crucial. It helps bring us closer to our Marines and boosts the morale of those they had to leave behind. We all appreciate the risk he is taking being there and the kindness he has shown. I sincerely hope that Mr. Pendygraft will still be embedded with the Blue Knights the day they all come home. I look forward to shaking the hand of the man who gave me the best anniversary gift I'll ever have. God bless all our our troops. Semper Fi.
-- Nicole L. Swiggett, Jacksonville, N.C.
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