To the editor:

I am writing in response to Sam Wilkinson’s column 11/14/01, “Supporting our war: measures against Taliban are appropriate”. Mr. Wilkinson, in these politically high-strung days of unrest at home and abroad, it is always important and appropriate to “mind your pronouns”. This is not “our” war, I am not fighting this war, I don’t have a gun, or an army-issue back pack, and I’m not enlisted. This is not my war. This is not “our” war. We are not the Army of UMass, only a small percentage of the student body is in the army and, well, as far as I know, they aren’t shooting down aircraft on their way to Mahar Auditorium. However, it seems that many students share this belief that it is “our” war. With the same fervor that ignited riots over a stupid baseball game, students have adopted this idea that they are soldiers of justice fighting the evil un-American world (in Western Mass).

Sorry, folks, but if you think that donning your house, dorm, car, and clothing (and anything that can stand still) with American flags, that shouting racist comments in the name of America at people who don’t appear to be from our country, that getting drunk at some stupid party with your American flag tee-shirt on screaming “U-S-A” over and over means that you are fighting “our” war, then maybe pronoun choice isn’t the only problem that some UMass students have.

I, personally, do not agree with “Operation: Enduring Freedom”. This is not because I am a filthy, crunchy, “stench-infested hippie” (as The Minuteman might tell you, simply because I don’t have my American Flag tattoo), my opposition is largely the result of three main factors (aside from general dismay over any civilian deaths):

George W. Bush is capitalizing off of this war. His approval rating has been higher than ever before, largely because the American people seem to be shocked into stupidity. I feel like I should go on Good Morning America and say “Surprise! George W. Bush is still a doofus!” Two months ago we were all ready to bring back old Bill and all of those marvelous interns rather than deal with a man who can’t even speak correctly. Now the nation is “united” under a man who appointed a fundamentalist Christian as attorney general (Islamic fundamentalists aren’t the only type of fundamentalist maniacs).

The term “Operation: Enduring Freedom” is the stupidest name for a war I have ever heard of. (The “runners up” to the name for this war probably included “Operation: Enduring A Stupid President” and “Operation: Large Scale Murder Is Only Important When Its America We’re Talking About”) Seriously, folks, when I hear “Operation: Enduring Freedom” I picture some person being whipped or harassed by some person or thing that symbolizes “freedom” and watching the harassed person grimace in pain and coddling its wounds while saying “Ouch! Freedom! Ooh! Oooh!”

We, as Americans, have still not come to terms with our role in the global economy. We are not the only nation who needs to realize their role in the global economy, but it just so happens that our realization, due to our wealth and power, is a little more important than that of a smaller country. For example, while I was walking through Northampton on a Saturday I came into contact with some flag-waving, George Bush-worshiping yahoos who held a sign that said “America: Love it or Leave it.” This perfectly exemplifies the global identity realization problem in America, for even after the deaths of thousands of people, Americans still do not see that there is still work to be done. We are not seeing the issue.

This is about America, but it’s about the world too and those demonstrators exhibited the response that 90% of Americans have also exhibited. I don’t support this war, but I still love America. Am I supposed to leave simply because I don’t, without question, support each and every American endeavor? I won’t leave. That would be not seeing the issue (like the global identity paradigm) that I can make waves and try to improve my country. It’s sad that people in this country believe Bush’s idea that “its all them (the Taliban) and not us (or any of our actions)”.

Wilkinson discussed the oppression within the Taliban-governed countries concerning women. I am a devoted feminist, but revolution must come from within a country. I don’t recall an incident where another nation stood on the back of America in a “no bra-snapping” campaign. You can laugh at that statement, but it’s the same dynamic. It’s the issue of the “white man’s burden”, the nation sticking its noses and guns into cultural customs that are none of its business, simply because those customs are not our customs. If I could help to stop the oppression of women in the Middle East, I would embrace the opportunity to do so without hesitation, but that is their culture, and the women of the Middle East must begin revolution if they desire it. We can only offer assistance when that time comes, when the revolutionaries express need to us.

Mr. Wilkinson’s point that “anyone claiming that the United States is, in any conceivable way, as oppressive as the Taliban has been for the last few years is completely devoid of the ability to rationally look at the world”, demonstrates sadly, that he, in fact, is “devoid of the ability to rationally look at the world”. Mr. Wilkinson, you are a white male in Massachusetts, which is why you don’t find America to be oppressive. You can’t really talk about oppression, not until you know what its like to be a woman in America, or a minority in America, or a gay in America. Until you know what its like to be a girl in a class room and be scared to participate in class discussions because of the possibility of being harassed by males in the class, you can’t talk about oppression. Until you know what its like to be a gay male at a university that has residents like those in Southwest, until you are a gay male and you are so scared to walk alone at night because of the climate of homophobia on college campuses, you cannot discuss oppression. Until you have experienced racism, real racism, until someone has carved a swastika on your dorm room door because of your non-white skin color or religion, you cannot talk about oppression.

Americans speak at length about “accountability”, that someone (be it individual or nation) must be held accountable, yet like the yahoos with the “America” sign, we want no part of our own responsibility. There is still work to be done. This war should be called “Operation: End and Understand Oppression.” Perhaps under those terms could we assess the dynamic within the USA and in the outside world and learn from these experiences what we need to do to ensure the safety of Americans and citizens of other nations.

Thomas Naughton

UMass