Dissent doesn't mean lack of patriotism - well, that depends

Submitted by Jerome D. Bashinski (United States), Dec 28, 2002 at 17:55

Mr. Foner and Ms. Gilmore,

I notice you did not deal with the questions posed in Dr. Pipes' article. Instead, you go straight to the ad hominem. One expects more of academics.

I am not sure why Dr. Pipes is anymore a "self-appointed arbiter of acceptable speech" than are the academicians at Liberal meccas like Columbia and Yale. Does that, for instance mean, that neither Columbia nor Yale has a restrictive speech code? And, that if they have them, you are not supporters?

As to whether you are showing a lack of patriotism, I would ask you some questions.

Where am I to find patriotism in the statement, during a time of war, "We have met the enemy, and it is us"? And how am I to find patriotism when supposedly educated intelligent individuals would deny America the ability to defend itself and to guarantee to the greatest extent possible the security of its citizens, using any and every means at its disposal, following the 9/11 attacks? It is people like you that caused America to lose the Vietnam War, wasting thousands of American lives and resulting in the deaths of millions of people in Vietnam, Cambodia and other countries. Don't you people ever learn?

You have a right to free speech. This is America. However, others also have a right to hold you and people like you accountable, according to their own beliefs, for what you say. The recent Lott situation comes to mind. Were you against holding Mr. Lott accountable?

When others disagree with you or anyone else and recommend using legitimate and legal means, to hold you accountable, why does that conjure up memories of Word War I and the McCarthy era? Did holding Lott responsible conjure up memories of World War I and the McCarthy era for you?

Of course there are also many other examples of people who weren't politicians that were made to pay for remarks unacceptable to the left too. Because you are academicians, do you believe you have some special rights not available to other public figures and politicians in this arena?

Or is what I believe to be the case the reason for your present whining and attempts to make people who think like you into victims? I believe you think only the left has a right to make statements without penalty. As is the case in so many other places of conflict between left and right, the left wants one standard for the left and another standard for the right

Thinking about people like you in previous times brings back memories to me too. I remember people spitting on our military personnel returning from Vietnam after those men had risked their lives and suffered terrible injuries and suffered great economic losses to serve America so the rest of us could live in safety and prosper. Spitting on our returning military men, after being stirred up by the left, is as contemptible an act as I can imagine.

Since you brought up the topic, I'll tell you exactly what I think. I think you are members of the left who are right back where you were during the Vietnam era . I think you hate America and I think you are not patriots. I think you are a burden that patriotic Americans must bear to be true to our Constitution. I will bear the burden but I that doesn't mean I like it.

Jerome D. Bashinski
El Dorado Hills, Ca

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