Peace and Patriotism Can Coexist

To the editors:

In response to Clay B. Tousey’s criticism of The Crimson for its coverage of the rally for patriotism on Tuesday (Letters, “More Careful Editing Needed on Articles,” Sept. 27), I would like to offer a first-person account of the event. The poor attendance at the rally cannot be attributed to rain, though poor publicity could be a factor. A faint drizzle did blanket the event from the beginning, but it did not truly begin to rain until the end, and I saw no one leave on account of the rain. I can only guess that the rally’s poor attendance is due in large part to the fact that it was, in fact, an event advocating war, which is something most people view at best as a necessary evil.

Though most of the event was devoted to singing patriotic songs, both speeches made thinly veiled allusions to war as a positive option. The first speaker alluded to George Washington’s belief in a peace that must be fought for, as opposed to what she called a “superficial peace.” The second speaker alluded nostalgically to the Gulf War, fondly remembering his pride as America stood together to oppose a great dictator, as he phrased it.

There are many people on this campus who would rather equate patriotism with peace than with war; those are the people who elected not to attend Tuesday’s rally.

Elizabeth F. Janiak ’03

Sept. 27, 2001