PAGE  26 ____COMMENTARY ________________CHICAGO SUN-TIMES - - TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2003

FEATURED LETTER

They have a right, you know

It confounds me how harshly

some folk judge anti-war pro-

testers. Callow and ineffective

though these protesters may be, they

are performed by people of con-

science and ideals. As citizens, it's

their duty to make their views

heard. It seems we've grown so ac-

customed to the idea of war that

we think those who oppose it are

crazy, traitorous, or both.

__Let us be reminded that war

should always be our last resort. It

must never be embraced with rel-

_______

It seems we are so

accustomed to the idea

of war that we think its

opponents are crazy.

ish, regardless of its necessity.

__To those who think the word

"liberal" is a swear word and an in-

sult, they need remindind that this

country was founded upon the

most liberal social ideals the world

had ever seen: that each individual

has the rights over his government and

the _responsibility _to_ act_ upon

thoes rights.

__It's often the highest act of pa-

triotism for a citizen to oppose a

government in time of war. Until

those who heap disdain on the pro-

testers recognize this, they cannot

be the patriots they pretend to be.

In fact, they are closer to traitors

than the protesters.

- Frank J. Hutton