Letters

Ugly Patriotism

Thank you, Todd Paul, for writing your article, and thank you, Chronogram, for printing it. It apparently was very brave of you, considering how many people seemed to misunderstand what the article said. First, Paul in no way condoned the September 11 attack. Second, the attack did not come out of the blue. All over the world, the American government has consistently supported the fascist elite—foreign military dictators who have overthrown democratically elected officials. Finally, the US government trained the Taliban. Our government had many opportunities to step in and protect women from oppressive conditions, but refused. However, Bush & Co. are now very concerned. Could it be because of all that oil?

Just because the US government does not currently force womEn to remain in homes with the windows painted black doesn’t mean it has honorable intentions. Already, Bush & Co. are using this threat as an excuse to get us to give up our constitutional rights. The public is clamoring for government “protection.” But we are being “protected” out of everything that has made this country great: privacy, the right to bear arms, freedom of speech and the right to travel freely and easily.

Why can’t people see this? Because they’re too busy buying flags. One of the first things the public did after the attack was to go out and buy something: American flags (which were probably made in China). Buying. Consumerism. We do that really well, don’t we?
Now that everyone’s got their flags and are righteously indignant and patriotic, let’s get down to work. How about studying the Constitution and seeing how it’s being slowly, craftily calculatingly whittled away by a President who unlawfully stole the election. A fantasy? Sadly not. Unless the people of this country wake up, we’re going to be enslaved all over all again: This time, right within our borders.

If you print this, you must withhold my name. In the name of patriotism, both the government and the public have gotten mighty ugly lately. I would like to protect my family.

Name Withheld

Bell Tinkling

I’ve just read Mr. Jacob Levich’s rant entitled “Bush’s Orwellian Address or Happy New Year: It’s 1984” in your Room for a View section of the November issue, and I am answering his plea to speak and act. But I will not take to the streets, as he promotes, for I prefer civility—and there is voting here; and I will not address his so-called warmongers, but the statements he made.
The damaged-goods, convoluted thinking (or should I call it double-think?) comes early in his piece where he calls George Orwell’s 1984 a dreary classic. Is it possible for a classic to be boring or dull when classic’s synonyms include outstanding, masterly, excellent, superior and ageless? Dreary is an opinion here, that serves well to warn of things to come.

Mr. Levich stated that he was forced to read 1984, yet uses it with a vigor that makes me think that he really likes it—as a matter of fact he says it makes bells tinkle. Yes Mr. Levich, it must be a dreary classic—after all it’s been read by millions of masochists, all over the world.
Note: For the sake of clarity, I will reduce the complexity of the issues Levich presents by creating a simple analogy: speaking basically in terms of father, family and neighborhood instead of president, nation or world.
Mr. Levich says that George Bush declared a permanent war, a war without temporal or geographic limits, a war without clear goals, a war against vaguely defined enemies and rebukes him for restricting the press.

So I ask you Mr. Levich: If a group of clandestine maniacs attacked, and killed a child of yours and promised to kill all in your family, would you place ads in the papers, telling where you hid the keys and where you sleep and where you’ll be, and when; would you set a time when you’d stop watching out for the killers; stop looking for them; stop trying to capture or kill them; would there be a place you would not search; would you think your problem had permanence—would it need a definition; would there be any freedom in your terror; would you trade a little freedom for some peace—for life. And to achieve your goal Mr. Levich—I mean survival sir: Do you think that you might become somewhat of an authoritarian, or even a little bit of a dictator, and drum up some fear and hatred in your kids to make them more alert—more patriotic—safer; would you tell them everything you knew; would you tell a little lie or two; would you seek a bunch of private eyes and wish you knew some gangster guys; would you trust those strangers lurking in your yard?
I think you would Mr. Levich. I think that if you saw a bunch of masked nutcases, with poison gas, some bombs and smallpox, creeping up your lawn tonight, you’d probably open your door and invite them in—for a democratic debate, of course—calling a few lawyers and a judge, to make sure that their issues were fairly represented. Doing nothing else, for surely sir, you wouldn’t want to cause trouble.

And so, while you wait for the lawyers and the judge to show up, with the madmen in your kitchen, eating your food, you retreat to your den with your pipe and dog, and sit in your favorite chair, gaze at the ceiling and think about who might be looking at your e-mail, going through your credit card records, and if there are taps on the phone—bell tinkling—oblivious to the fact that at any time now, you and your loved ones might just be murdered.

Joe Dolce, LaGrange

The Ongoing Experiment of America

Dear Editor,
With pleasure I express my view herein—a significant information resource. Freedom of speech and press are cherished concepts to be exercised. Even so, propagating expansive political debate makes me wonder. Is it by ambiguity of spirit? Activism within art? A cultural prerogative? Neither good nor bad, just noteworthy.
Reverberating cataclysmic events are shaking sense into society. With concerns raised, inquisitions posed, fears and bravado alike run rampant. In the embroiled moment, could the next world cycle begin? At perhaps our most intense turning point, the fiasco may be shocking, but it has long been brewing and bubbling—countless junctures, for which the news reports always churn. This is civilization’s continuum, since the superpowers developed, since industrialization, since colonialism’s heyday. Factions, whether religious, technological, or carnal, maintain a perpetual tension, comprising one massive puzzle. Individuals facing this monster can take any side or choose the most central perspective. E.g., Government: a necessary evil or, the greatest, beneficial, social hierarchy or, “it’s me, us, the proverbial ‘people’”.

Each has potential to change the world, step by step, even in small ways—as in the profound axiom of a butterfly’s flight eventually creating a faraway storm. Here, we are able to make infinite, freewill choices (within proscribed boundaries). Aside from periodic glitches, I’m ever-conscious of increasing freedoms. Yet our nation isn’t really the utopia we fantasize…because the experiment is ongoing. Remind yourselves that we stand as the quintessential representative of global evolution. Something divine would emerge if we clear the way. It’s a constructive choice to acknowledge and grow with hopeful accomplishments.

Adversely, pessimistic, subversive expression is relatively futile. Confronting problems, exposing evil, and implementing justice is crucial, yet it’s more imperative to do this productively. Efficacy is elusive, but I believe in radical transformation—with impervious optimism. Humbly realize that each is culpable in the larger scheme. Who enjoyed and continued to entertain violent, immoral culture—from movies, music, popularized behaviors? Didn’t terror creep out of our nightmares? Exploding karma onto life’s canvas?

With exceeding pertinence, Jason Stern quoted from Jellaludin Rumi, interpreting Muhammed about the love of one’s country. “It’s right to love your Home Place, but first ask, Where is that, really?”

Patriotism goes beyond flag-wa ving; it resonates from inner visions, generating an intimate, personal matter. The soul is the actual place where you live, creating your experiences, controlling your destiny, influencing society. Provocative exploration of news and opinions would be a pursuit, intruding our every expression with a raging sound like keypads clicking away.

Ahgamen, Olive Bridge