I am one of the people criticized by David Horowitz as misguided and irresponsible for protesting the current war. Some 30 years ago, I was active in protests against the Vietnam war, and I remember a lot about the events of that time. Rarely have I seen a more inflammatory and divisive piece of misinformation than what was published under his name in The Daily Tar Heel full-page ad Tuesday. But I want to talk about now, not then.
Monday evening, at the Franklin Street post office, a dozen stalwart souls who believe that killing civilians is terrorism -- just the same as when bombs are U.S. missiles or when they are hijacked airplanes -- were spat upon and their educational materials were shredded. We have encountered some hostility over the last weeks, but things were definitely worse Monday night. It's as if people who had been opposed to this war or at least had reserved judgement have decided, sheeplike, to jump on the bandwagon now that the carnage has begun. How can anyone justify bombing the starving, already war-ravaged civilians of Afghanistan? Just as the sanctions on Iraq do no harm to Saddam Hussein, these bombs are highly unlikely to harm Osama bin Laden. On the contrary, escalation of violence fits his plans perfectly. Let no one be deluded into thinking that civilians have not been and will not continue to be killed by U.S. bombs. The New York Times on Tuesday referred to United Nations mine-removal workers, all Afghan civilians, who were killed, by a missile entering a city. There is a lot more happening in Afghanistan that we aren't hearing about. If we don't stand up and speak out, those people's blood is on our hands.
Whether you agree with us or not, what sort of "free" society will we have if the right to dissent is not respected? Horowitz's ad is an incitement to more anger and more abuse of those of us who can't live with ourselves if we are silent. I question the wisdom of printing such a message.
Joan F. Walsh, Ph.D.
Research Fellow
Sheps Center for Health Services
