Ron Marshall

To the editor:I've been following the many reactions to Clintonista William Marvel's column in The Sun published in its letters to the editor section. Most of these letters seem to be written by enraged Bush partisans who accuse Mr. Marvel of being at worse "demented" and, therefore, in need of psychiatric help, or at the very least an "idiot" even if he does use "big words" as he spews his "venom" and the wildest of political fantasies from his poison pen each month. As I said, William Marvel is, after all, a Clintonista and so has a tendency to heap contempt on those who do not share his Brave New World Order vision of the future. Be that as it may, I wonder what qualifies such readers to diagnose anyone as "demented" and in need of professional help in the first place. In his recent column GIMME an F (March 31, 2003) published in The Sun, Mr. Marvel informs us that a Washington Post reporter was detained by Washington, D.C. police "for inquiring about an environmental monitoring device near the Mall" while Marvel himself was in our nation's capitol attending a veteran's demonstration against Bush's war. He explains that some "nitwit" had reported the reporter for "suspicious questioning." He observed that both Baltimore and D.C. are virtually encircled with electronic signs urging citizens to report any "suspicious activity" to a "federal snitch hot line ." This is a compelling example of the absurd lengths the Bush government is willing to go ostensibly to save our "freedom" from the wicked despot Saddam Hussein! This is useful information to patriots and well worth taking the time to ponder exactly how such incidents bode for the future of our cherished freedoms. Of course, Mr. Marvel couldn't resist showing his Clintonista colors in the same article by likening mounted National Park police officers to "Cossacks" for preventing the demonstrators from coming within 1,000 feet of the Vietnam Memorial. No political demonstrations are allowed there, not just the ones Mr. Marvel attends. But, he couldn't resist the urge to ignore this fact and aim a verbal salvo at what his crowd once called the "PIGS" in the 60s, although these days he's restrained to calling them "Cossacks." What I'm certain of and deeply troubled by is the growing National Security climate in the US, becoming much like that which has existed in Israel for many decades, and the related bunker mentality exhibited by some of President Bush's more ardent supporters and by flag waving yahoos with their dark suspicions of "you're either with us or with the terrorists" aimed at anyone who dares dissent from Bush's war on Iraq. Now, I have good reasons to believe that this war is not being waged in the interests of the American people, but for the benefit of Israel. But, in saying this I risk being called an "anti-semite" or worse still a "Nazi"! I'll be reminded again of the Holocaust and that alone should shut me up and get me to rethink my conclusions. Of course, I have far less to risk since I'm not planning a career in politics or journalism.I read in today's (March 31, 2003) Letters column in The Sun a letter by Jeff Adams attacking the Kennett High School studnets who recently walked out of classes to protest the war with a barrage of invectives and other nasty put downs, accusing these conscientious young people of being "coddled teenagers" whose actions were a display of "idiocy" of "monumental" proportions. Adams begins his vicious diatribe by lashing out at these students, one and all, calling them "punks" whose "worthless existence in your school costs us a lot of money for we who must work hard." I'm not sure whether or not Adams resents having to help fund public education with his hard earned tax dollars or just these dissident students who walked out of classes to protest the war while attending them on his dime. He never mentions that the walk out was peaceful and reasonably well-organized and that police commented that the students were well behaved and orderly while marching. If they were indeed "punks" how does Mr. Adams explain their respect for lawful and peaceable assembly, even if they did break the rules by staging an unauthorized walk out? Perhaps Mr. Adams would prefer these students to be more typical of their peersslovenly and apathetic teens concerned only with themselves, with being fashionable, spending their time playing video games or watching MTV? At least then they'll keep their mouths shut and learn to follow the leader!