THE EDITOR, Sir:
I'm writing in response to a letter in the Gleaner (3/29/2003) from someone warning the paper to be cautious about what the letter writer perceives as anti-Bush sentiments in its pages lately.
The day the war began I wrote to The Gleaner, and my letter appeared a couple of days later. I had written in despair about the US administration's frightening choice to attack Iraq but also in response to an article in the paper that said the US would punish Jamaica fiscally for not taking its side. I wanted Jamaican readers to know that there were Americans who deeply value our special long-time friendship, despite the negative remarks of our government.
My letter was titled "Forgiveness and peace" and represented the sentiments of every American I know.
The day after my letter appeared I received a piece of hate mail in my e-mail inbox from an American who had claimed to read my letter, though apparently he had not read it fully. He accused me of not supporting the men and women of the US armed forces currently serving in Iraq, though my letter stated quite clearly that I support these men and women, plenty of whom did not choose to be there. Many peace-loving people in the United States have been harassed and threatened for writing letters to the editor in support of their views.
The ironic thing is that war supporters here explain that democracy is an ideal that must be spread around the world and that our allies owe it to us to help spread democracy. And, given the catastrophe of the 2000 presidential election as well as Bush's regard for global peace protests as mere "focus groups," we are not the best voice for democratic values at this time. Certainly we aren't willing to let go of a commitment to our basic rights, such as to freedom of speech, are we?
Lately, those who feel differently have gone to extreme lengths to shut us up. Those who are threatening us for expressing our views are undermining democracy and the nation's most precious ideals. I hope the deep divisions caused by the US administration's hubristic, bullying, deadly attitude can somehow be healed. Bush was the candidate who promised to be a "uniter, not a divider." Of course, he too has a right to free speech - it would be grand if his words connected in some way to truth and reality.
May peace and international friendship prevail.
I am etc.,
ELIZABETH GRATCH
olivestgirl@aol.com
Ypsilanti, MI, USA
Via Go-Jamaica
