American ideals, beliefs should not falter after attacks

It would seem that even posing the question "Should we go to war?" dishonors the victims of Sept. 11, 2001. It doesn't, but it can feel like it.

It doesn't dishonor them because they died in an assault on American ideals. And American ideals include the right to question the actions of our government.

Thursday, a small crowd of about 70 students, faculty and staff protested our rush to war. And I applaud their efforts. Peace has become a very unpopular position. But then, what is right is not always popular, and what is popular is not always right. They exercised their constitutionally protected right to assemble and speak against our rush to war. And God bless them for it.

They shouldn't have to be ashamed of questioning America, because they make America better by raising those questions. They are truly patriots, for instead of choosing to give up and leave the country or go along with the mob, they stay and promote the free exchange of ideas that has put America at the forefront of knowledge and human rights.

Too Proud Being an American

With the sudden urge to prove one's American-ness, there's a McCarthyistic urge to point out those who act "Un-American." Double plus Un-American thoughts include:

1. Questioning whether Osama bin Laden and his terrorists are responsible for the Sept. 11 attacks.

2. Questioning whether we should go to war with Afghanistan.

3. Questioning whether President Bush is taking the most appropriate course of action.

The right to question these things did not disappear on Sept. 11. If it did, there is no need for a war, for we have already lost.

This sort of narrow-mindedness is the worst and most Un-American part of Americans, and ironically, it is enjoying resurgence with the resurgence of patriotism.

Patriotism is not a sheep-like surrender of your opinions to whatever those in power say, in fact, I'm going to show my patriotism by being "Un-American" for a bit.

War — The Other Great Defeat

We are rushing to war because we have been hurt and we aren't sure how to hurt those responsible. They got us, and they got us good, and we're scared they might do it again.

A nation can't declare war on small populations of people inside other nations (and even their own nation), so we're putting this into a context we can understand. Posters of Afghanistan, with Afghanistan crossed out and "New Wal-Mart Parking" written over the entire country are part of our expanding this into a nation vs. nation conflict, in the hopes of knowing how to handle and hopefully, "win" it.

We have to slow down; we have to stop and think. Do we deserve justice? Yes. Do we need war? I have trouble thinking that the best solution we have to this problem is the same solution that Genghis Khan had.

Think about this for a second: one of the things that previous generations fought and died for was to insure our rights of liberty and justice. They also died to protect their offspring and ensure that they grew up in peace. Every time we go to war, we dishonor the lives lost in previous wars.

Because no one wants their loved ones to die. And that's what war is: your loved ones, maybe yourself and the loved ones of other people — dying for tiny patches of ground or intangible ideas.

We don't like to think about that, especially my generation. We've been too far removed from a "real" war. Sure, we watched The Gulf War on television, but it was a sound byte in the wind. We all thought "Star Wars" was cool when we were growing up, but we remained innocent of the truth of war.

But even "Star Wars" can't hide the truth, and in the "Return of the Jedi," after the second Death Star is blown up, the ending depicted Lando Calrissian getting tragically killed in the Millenium Falcon. The ending was changed though, because no test audience liked seeing the truth. People you care about die in war. Any war, even fictional ones.

That's all war is — people dying.

No Alternative

So what are the alternatives? I don't know. No one's coming up with any. Which should be a red flag.

Another should be that, though criminals in America are innocent until proven guilty, we have convicted Osama bin Laden in the court of public opinion with no question.

Terrorists claim responsibility for their acts of terror. It allows them to perpetuate their agenda through fear. But bin Laden has not claimed responsibility for the attacks on Sept. 11.

It may seem a trivial fact, but what happens if we manage to "get" bin Laden, only to find the true culprit was someone else? Someone who laughed at us when we were hurt and will laugh again when we miss. Someone who will still be alive to strike again.

It is difficult for the Department of Justice or FBI to present their case, as it will reveal the classified techniques they used to gather evidence. But why should they present the evidence unearthed in an ongoing criminal investigation? Why not finish the case, then present the American people with just enough evidence to satisfy our curiosity and assuage our fears of the wrong man?

Because in our rush to vengeance, we won't wait. We are at a turning point in history and we are not treading lightly. It is a small comfort that President Bush has not yet "let slip the dogs of war," but continues to bide his time.

I hope our wait is long and our aim is true. I hope we find another solution, and if not, I hope it's all over quick and no innocents anywhere die. But then, no one gets everything they want for Christmas.

Tom McHenry is a junior in the School of Liberal Arts. He can be reached at opinions@purdueexponent.org.

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