LETTER: Slander is not anti-American

Editor,

I would like to thank the author of the recent letter, “Peace rally hardly peaceful,” for pointing out the hypocrisy and hostility of the peace rally. I attended in support of the rally, but was also appalled at the name-calling I heard.

Name-calling has no place in a society which seeks to be refined and respected, and certainly has no place at a rally proclaiming peace and equality. As someone branded as a leftist by rightists, I was utterly disgusted at this juvenile behavior of my fellow “radicals”.

Of course, after this letter, I’ll be branded a rightist, uncompassionate traitor. In fact, I’m so dead center I think it freaks everyone out. I’m what you call a true American, which brings me to my next point. Supporting the president unconditionally has never been an American creed.

This country stands (or was intended to) as an embodiment of the fundamental objection to centralized government. If you question this, then you never bothered to study history after high school and you are a product of the New Deal (i.e. trust the government and everything will be OK).

There is no such thing as anti-American slander, so long as it comes from the mouth of an American. This is what America is all about – it is for, by and of the people. If the people say the president stinks, that is America. That is America shining at its best, representing all it was founded for, representing all that my ancestors – both European settlers and Native Americans – fought and died for: freedom. When freedom dies in this nation, they have died in vain. And, yes, freedom includes the privilege to oppose your leadership.

If America did not believe in that principle, we would all be singing “God Save the King.” The sentiment expressed in the editorial I mentioned is hauntingly similar to that phrase. So, are you a loyalist, or are you American? Long live freedom; long prevail peace; equality everlasting!

Donovan Gross