NOTHING EASY ABOUT PROTESTING WAR

Syndicated columnist Kathleen Parker's "Protesting War Is Luxury Of The Protected" Hartford Courant 3/6/02, demeans all who have fought for free speech and justice in America. Especially those who have died protecting democracy, as did my dead infantry buddies that I carried in the frozen mountains of Korea.

Every day, I think about those forgotten heroes and what they died for. Years ago, I came to the belief, that if it were possible for them to come back to life, they would be among those protesting war. I do what they can't. I protest war terrorism.

Parker stated "Nobody loves a war." It's one of the oldest lies. Even a child should understand that if would be impossible for wars to ever start if someone did not think they would profit from it. That is common sense. Warmongers throughout history have used such words to disguise true intent.

With each new war, the cast of profiteers is similar. It's always the military-industrial complex, and politicians who can boost their poll rating once an enemy has been demonized through a war-loving media. The profiteers that vary from war to war, are the religious and racial participants. For example, any war against Arabs or Muslim countries is promoted by groups or individuals who hate these people. Former Israeli Prime Minister Natanyahu's many appearances on American TV, where he spouts his war propaganda, is a good example. A war against North Korea, will introduce a new war-loving racist character to spout similar hatred.

Parker claims "Few things are easier than protesting war." That defies logic. When 80 percent of Americans favor war, the easy thing to do is to go along with war. Going against this tide is what takes guts. Sitting at a keyboard, as Parker does, is a lot easier than going out to protest. Having done both, I know.

Changes in America comes from small groups with guts that take positions against the majority. Protest stopped slavery and the burning of witches in America. Parker falsely accuses Democrats of "blasting" Bush's war policy. At this stage, Democrats can read poll numbers and no politician is blasting war. That will only come when and if poll numbers change. Warmongers like U.S. Senators Lieberman and McCain are the ones who take advantage of polls, by bravely advocating new wars, even with no world support.

Americans families do not know what it is like to have over 500,000 children die because of decease and malnutrition cause by bombings and sanctions, as was determined by the 1999 UNICEF and World Health Organization study of 40,000 homes in Iraq. Americans do not know what it is like to survive winters without heat, clean water, food, medical and social services. More bombs are not the solution.

Guy Blais, Windsor CT 06095