Dear George,

To dissent from this war, which we've been instructed is a new kind of war, at a time when (in the words of a Canadian observer) America is "redefining itself," seems to me just as patriotic as unquestioned support of it. This is a war of the President's choice. He instructed us that he would not listen even to civil dissenters, which he dismissed as "focus groups."

My heart sinks lower by the hour, as we hear of the growing number of deaths among the American and British forces, the civilian casualties on all sides (including an Australian journalist), and even the dead Iraqi soldiers. I wish they were not there. I wish they were not fighting. I hope beyond reason that no more people will die. Whatever the rationale for this war, now that we are in it, I hope we will win honorably.

I wish our military people would return home as soon as a just peace can be established; but I fear this won't happen for a very long time.

Our astounding military force is unlike any ever assembled in the history of the world, we are told. It is a finely-trained, technologically advanced, professional military. The President has not send draftees, but an army which has become this nation's principle instrument of foreign policy.

If this is a new kind of war; if we are "redefining" ourselves from a democratic republic to an empire, as I fear we may be doing, no one can monopolize the word "patriot." It seems to me that especially now, we cannot give up the political process. I struggle with a range of emotion and ideas, as I feel shame, dismay, alarm at this war, while at the same time admiring and being grateful for the coalition forces. Chief among them are the Americans, who defend the same Constitution as I do.

Yours,

Katherine McNamara (electronic mail, March 24, 2003)

Editor's Note: Katherine McNamara is Editor and Publisher of archipelago.