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Who are the U.S. patriots?

By Robert Oliver

(Mr. Oliver was discharged from the Air National Guard as a conscientious objector)

The polls claim most Americans support the president's action of taking offensive action against Iraq. Some are showing support by gathering at public rallies and waving the American flag. There is nothing wrong with that. They love their country and their troops. Many are flying the flag daily at their homes. These are patriots.

However, it is disturbing to me that some of these patriots are criticizing those who are protesting the Persian Gulf war. They are labeled as un-American and as unpatriotic because they are not standing behind President Bush.

What is a patriot? He or she loves the people of his or her country. Is it un-American or unpatriotic to want to see lives spared, not only American but Iraqi? Is it un-American or unpatriotic not to want wives made widows, children made fatherless and/or motherless?

Is it un-American or unpatriotic for a person not to want his or her country to resort to violence and mass destruction to settle differences (Britain says that restraint is "a sigh of strength and not of weakness")? Is it un-American or unpatriotic not to want innocent Iraqi, Israeli, Saudi, maybe Jordanian and Syrian children killed, maimed or severely affected by war?

I have seen some patriots in the Federal Building Plaza in Chicago. Many were there with American flags and placards. One said "Bush is my leader." It is quite strange that I saw no African Americans in that crowd. About 30 percent of the U.S. forces are Black and Hispanic. African Americans have participated in every major war since the Revolutionary War. However, while fighting for someone else's freedom, they still had no real freedom in their own country. Many have given so much to the point of shedding blood for the United States but have gotten little in return. Still they were patriots.

Recently, the President vetoed the Civil Rights Bill. Could it be that African Americans like me have not seen much done to fight discrimination, homelessness, inadequate health care, poverty, hunger, unemployment, drugs, crime, gang violence, etc.? These are our enemies which kill us and make us suffer.

We are seeing the sense of urgency of millions of dollars of the taxpayers' money going to support the war in the Persian Gulf. We are seeing no sense of urgency to use millions of dollars to solve the problems of our own citizens.

Also we are hearing no nightly air-raid sirens in Chicago. We are seeing no Scud missiles in our backyards. The Iraqi war machine is not threatening us. We deplore the Iraqi atrocities in Kuwait. I have the Amnesty International report on Iraq. But we have to fight the previously mentioned enemies of our society on a daily basis with little help. We and many others also see this war adding to the destabilization and suffering of the Persian Gulf area. Therefore many of us have no sense of urgency to support the president. Please do not call us un-American if you say you love this country and the people in it. But we are still patriots.

So who are the patriots? Are they the ones who are braving the bitter cold in the Federal Building Plaza for a 24 hour witness for peace and because they love their own countrymen and women enough to want them home alive? Are they the ones who are supporting our homeless veterans who have served in combat? Are they the ones who love the country enough to use millions of dollars to try to eliminate poverty, homelessness, etc.? Are they the ones who will support all the way the 30 percent of the U.S. forces who are minorities if they return home? Are they the ones who say "Give war a chance?" Or are they the ones who say "Give peace a chance?" Who are the patriots?