Protesting is not Un-American

March 4, 2003

Many feel protesting is un-American, even treasonous. You can identify them when they preface their remarks with something like, "It is every citizen's right, but..."

As a step in the wrong direction, Congress now wants to set up a panel or committee to investigate the anti-war movement saying it is necessary because communists might be involved. Smacks of McCarthyism of the early 1960's to me.

If this keeps up, what next?  An “Office of Protester Defense”, government permits to talk, to write or to think?

My father served in WWII like many others. His service was in the Pacific and he had a terrible time just like his buddies. He believed his/their actions helped America preserve its freedom. Freedoms like dissention, protests against things you are not right, and saying what you mean without government reprisals.

As a teen, I was complaining about the Vietnam War and Nixon. He finally got annoyed and said if I really believed in all that, then I needed to stop complaining, get off the *#$@# couch and do something. He said, "I didn’t kill Japs in WWII to see you just sit there."

Well, I took him up on it. I met up with some anti-war types, went to rallies, etc. My father approved.

It wasn't that he agreed with me. He was glad I was exercising the freedom he and others preserved for ME and any other citizen. He saw the bodies and blood, the price of my freedom.

Freedom.... what a gift! Thanks!