Column: Blind patriotism

The war that the United States has waged extends well beyond the Iraqi borders and involves weapons of mass homeland destruction that often do not get mentioned (besides depleted uranium). Voices are being taken away from the people. The media is glorifying war,and downplaying protest. Zealous patriots stand behind the administration for the sole reason that they are figureheads. While the government is slowly obliterating far more freedom than it is bestowing upon the Iraqi people, and peace activists are calling for their fellow citizens to join them in working for global justice are being sneered at and criticized for not supporting American values.

The Iraqi people must be in control of their own freedom, and as a world superpower, we should be working with the rest of the world to empower them to change their government according to their own standards. We cannot kill them; we cannot dehumanize them. We should build domestic opposition to Saddam Hussein, not wage war on this nation that has awoken to explosions produced by our defense department for over a decade, has been living under a dictator and starving due to U.S.-led U.N. sanctions. Freedom must be achieved by those who seek it. How can President George W. Bush call for liberation, while calling for oil reserves protection and the bombing of human beings?

This said, how do people think that the United States can bring freedom and democracy to another nation when it is trying to dissolve domestic freedom by oppressing immigrants, stifling voices of dissent and arresting people who might possibly have a sixth degree to someone whom the U.S. government thinks might possibly be a terrorist. What brought us to this point in history where such a powerful nation turns to war as a strategy, ignores masses of protesters that include the vast majority of the international community, censors international media and uses Clear Channel, a corporate media conglomerate, to sponsor pro-war rallies framed as patriotic calls for "supporting our troops?"

The government is clearly exploiting the troops that are fighting its war, by rallying people behind this empty rhetoric. How can you support people and send them off to fight a war and die? Are these statements demoralizing troops as the government claims, or are the protests showing the troops that they can dissent, that they can resist fighting for the government that is willing to dispose of them so quickly? If the government can convince citizens to support a war that is blatantly being fought to secure the finances and power of the administration, what else does it have the power to do?

Numerous individuals feel they must support the war because the government made a decision and the best thing that we can do is support them. Are our opinions being formed for us? Does patriotism mean unconditionally supporting the government that represents us, or creating a government that supports us? When did American citizens suddenly throw their support behind any action that is painted in red, white and blue? Too many people are backing this war merely because the president has called for their support. Concerned individuals will not sit back and let this happen.

Instead of truly looking at the issue and considering what this war means for the future of the world, supporters of the war are supporting the American government, relinquishing their voices to the power structures that have created the war in the first place. Students are claiming that loud rallies, disruptive protest and civil disobedience are just annoyances, and serve no purpose in changing foreign policy. If that were true, then why would the United States be going to such extents to stifle the voices of the antiwar movement? The history of social progress is the history of grassroots protest, and the people do have power. We will not stop the protests, we will not be silenced, we will not give in to the government's propaganda. We will work for a change and not let Americans close their eyes to the terror that the administration is imposing on the world.

If patriotism means blindly supporting any mission that the U.S. government undertakes, then no, I'm not a patriot. And I will not sacrifice my voice and my right to protest so that I can be called a patriot. Does it just take a catchphrase to convince Americans to close their eyes to a war and dismiss the killing of thousands of people?