Rampant Equivocation

Submitted by David Solimini (United States), Nov 14, 2002 at 20:56

I am a student at the College of William and Mary, which is over 300 years old and not exactly known as a liberal institution. This is a place where, until a few years ago, fundamentalist christians would preach on the walkways to class. I am currently pursuing a double major in political science and religion. My credentials as a non-crazy/liberal/pinko/communist/whatever established....

First and foremost I find it odd that there is no mention here of the many academics who are, in fact, specialists in foreign policy and the middle east who also oppose a war with Iraq. Let me remind you of Professor James Bill, who teaches here, one of the very few to predict the fall of the Shah of Iran in 1979. Or perhaps we should consider General Anthony Zinni, a professor of foreign policy who was President Bush's Special Envoy to the Middle East. Both of them oppose a war with Iraq.

I do not understand the logic of the argument that to disagree with the stated policies of the President is to hate America. While it is tempting to point out the First Amendment of the Constitution, I will refrain. Rather, let us consider the logical ends of this belief. If I disagree with the President on health care policy do I hate America? What about abortion? Taxes?

You see, dissent is not just disagreeing with the countervailing perceptions. Dissent stands upon the underlying assumption that one dissents because he believes there is a greater moral imperative. Indeed, he who opposes a war with Iraq may do so because he believes America is a better nation than such an action would evidence.

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