Let’s show a little respect for our country and government

I am proud to be an American. I’m sorry to repeat lyrics of that terribly cheezy Lee Greenwood song, but it’s true. I am proud to live in a democracy where I am free and protected. A democracy that allows me to march up and down the streets of Boston if I so desire, yelling my protestations without having my government’s militiamen jump out from behind trees and shoot me. Isn’t it ironic that these protestors’ act of protesting is a right protected by the exact government which some of them zealously oppose? A democracy that allows me to worship God or Buddha or Allah or whomever I choose, in the middle of the street if I so desire. Our democracy does its best to protect my life, and the lives of everyone else living here. A friend of mine went to Paris a few years ago, and has told us the story of how she witnessed someone getting raped in the middle of the street. Upon attempting to call the police in her hotel lobby, the concierge told my friend it was useless because the police would blame the victim for walking alone in the streets so late at night, and would say the victim deserved getting raped. While making some of these same assertions defending our country in my Political Science class the other day, one of my classmates pointed out that many other countries share these same freedoms that we do. Yes, this is true. But my point is that few of those country’s governments truly give a damn about the safety of their citizens. And while the act of war quite obviously puts the safety of many of our citizens into question, we have to remember that many of our servicemen choose (and are not forced) to protect us and our freedoms, and we need to commend them for doing so. So please, if you feel the need to walk up and down the street protesting what our government is doing, by all means practice your First Amendment right. But writing “Screw Bush” all over the sidewalk? Come on. Let’s please try and demonstrate a little respect for our government that is trying its best to protect us. -Johanna Womer Benjamin CAS ’05 617-352-6388