We call those who protest the war unpatriotic, un-American, stupid, naive. Why am I anti-American because I don't want to see thousands of innocent people, my own and those in Iraq, die? Why am I anti-American because I am afraid of what a war will mean for this country and the country we will be attacking? It seems to me that those who are in favor of the war, those who criticize others for not running out and jumping on Bush's "war against terrorism" bandwagon, yet do not uphold my freedom to carry a sign in protest or to have a mind of my own are the anti-American ones.

My speaking out either in favor of or against the war does not mean that I am one bit anti-American, or that I don't support and love everything about my America. How dare any of you claim to know me or my reasons for the decisions I make! How dare anyone claim that what I believe is wrong!

People only criticize what they are threatened by. If war is such a wonderful thing for all those involved, why are the war supporters trying so hard to shut the protestors up? I don't want my government to speak on my behalf. The government is not me. No one will speak in my name about how I feel or what I should or should not support.

Believe what you want to believe, say what you want to say about the war, but don't try to force me into thinking that your way should be my way. No one is going to tell me that I have to love or hate this war. It is MY right as an American to make my own decisions. No one is swaying anyone by battling each other. All we are doing by bickering back and forth is destroying the very ideals we are fighting for other countries to have.