Mr. Hiatt, it’s not that you weren’t being clear. I completely understood why you wanted to tell a story like that. What I don’t understand is how imagining a baby being burned to death is going to make me realize that my government is what you say it is.

One thing I don’t think you get is atrocities during war are not exclusively an American trait. Why do you think we got involved in Kosovo in the first place? Was is because we wanted to promote raping and pillaging, ethnic cleansing and the displacement of whole communities? Or was it because we wanted to prevent this and protect the victims of these terrible horrors instigated by their own government?

“We the people don’t have effective free speech?” Buddy, saying you hate your own government is about as free as it gets.

You are angry about the actions your government took in No Gun Ri. That’s fine, be angry. I am angry myself about many things: Education, health care, inequality, ect. But when you start generalizing it all into one big mass of hostility and ignorance, no one will ever take you seriously.

You are mad about our government lying to American soldiers about Vietnam. Great, pick up a picket and let Washington know! But don’t you EVER start spewing hatred at anything that moves, hoping somehow you’ll hit your target. When you drop a big rock into the pond that is America, don’t be surprised when you make big waves. You not only managed to deeply offend me and just about everyone I know, but according to the e-mails I received from total strangers, many other people at this university.

If you have a specific complaint about how our government has handled itself in the past and have an intelligent and productive solution, I’m all ears. I stop listening when I hear such remarkably inane arguments as “imagine this … “

I “honestly realize that millions have died and suffered.”

I am not a monster, I will do all in my power to assure it doesn’t happen again. However, I will never resort to, “Screw America.” That is the cry of a child who thinks he can make things better by whining.

Katie McLallen

Senior

Psychology