By Staff
From what we read and hear the talk over this old world seems to indicate that there are many people who do not regard Saddam Hussein as a threat to world peace. If such a belief can be true, why do those protesters march so defiantly as if the USA is a war-mongering nation and Iraq is solid gold?
The right to protest is part of the American Constitution. It was conceived not out of defeat but out of victory. It has remained through the years as a most vital line in our Constitution.
A few days ago, President Bush took it upon himself to speak out against any belief in America which might tend to make a martyr out of Saddam by saying, "I honestly disagree." When demonstrations take place here in America, it is so very easy to look at the picture and feel that those marchers are demonstrating against the USA and what this nation stands for. We hope that is not the feeling of today's protesters. They have a guaranteed right to protest, while at the same time being loyal Americans. Of course, we look at what is happening and wish it were different, but as of this moment, we have to look at reality and not at wishful thinking. So, not all protesters hate America or in their minds are protesting against this nation. They are not always acting out of an anti-Western or anti-American stance. They are marching for the most part, we hope, against an American position calling for war with Iraq.
Surely, many protesters might not acknowledge that Saddam would not allow such protests under any guise. He also does not urge his people to disarm or to cooperate fully with the U.N. weapons inspections.
If the United States looks at the democratic regimes in the world and sees them shrinking from the matter of confronting Saddam because the use of force is evil, then somehow it ought to apply to both sides. From what Americans know, Saddam is a cruel and unmerciful dictator. If siding with America hinges on such a belief that all use of power is evil, then Uncle Sam will be forced to take different measures to ensure our protection. For a start we might have tighter immigration rules. Then when we look around the world, we see nation after nation holding out their hands for some American dollars. We continue to be extremely generous with those American dollars at a time when we have a right to ask for support in other areas. It looks unusually wrong, almost stupid, to give nations our money while in the U.N. they vote consistently against every American position.
We very honestly believe that the American people do not want war. Those same American people do not want to be pushed around. In truth, we feel, Saddam could prevent a war by giving wholehearted cooperation with the mandates of the U.N. regarding inspections. All he has to do as dictator in Iraq is to give the order and things would change unbelievably.
It is heartbreaking to see him refusing to come clean, thereby sacrificing the lives of thousands of our youth – and Iraq's.