Opinion

Saddam offensive like column

Richard Whitrock
Opinion Columnist

When I start looking for the subject of my opinion columns, the search usually begins with an intense search through our nationis leading news sources to find a subject I feel strongly enough about to voice my opinion on. This week, to my surprise and convenience, I found the source of my column in the pages of our very own Daily Cougar.

Last week, a highly controversial column appeared in the paper, wherein the columnist asserted offensive views about how the war against terrorism should be fought in America. The suggested measures included the right to accuse any Muslim of being a terrorist, bashing dissenters of the war and requiring all Muslims to adopt a dress code of skin-tight translucent clothing to prove they are not terrorists.

All of these suggestions were highly offensive, and the column itself has caused quite a stir in the letters to the editor in following papers. I agree wholeheartedly with most of what those letters say -- that the column was offensive and generally morally reprehensible. I also believe, however, that they have missed the point.

As horrible as the suggestions were, they are no worse than the measures Saddam Hussein's regime (specifically the Fedayeen Saddam) uses against Americans and in some cases his own people. The intolerance, ethnocentrism, religious discrimination and oppressiveness of that regime and the column are nearly equal.

All the people who denounce the column on the basis that it is intolerant, racist and so on, are in effect denouncing Iraq's regime -- even if they are against the war.

But Saddam's regime isn't just suggesting that type of measures -- it is enacting them. The threats are not empty, and the practices are real.

Realizing how abhorrent such measures are, America decided not to sit back and watch but to actively work against them. America has denounced those practices in words for years with no effect, so the time has come to stop action with action. 

For making that moral stand America has suffered horrible criticism from the same people who oppose those types of measures. Apparently, they are wrong only if America adopts them; if Iraq uses them, it's OK.

Now, I'm not naive enough to believe this is the only reason we have gone to war with Iraq. I realize many other factors have led us down this path -- not all of them on such high moral ground -- but that shouldn't change the fact that this war is stopping the morally corrupt actions of a brutal dictator. A major reason for this war is that moral stand, whether America-bashers realize it or not.

Perhaps if enough people had spoken out against these tactics early enough, Saddam would never have come to power. Perhaps if people had the same reactions to Saddam's policies as to last weeksi column, we wouldn't be at war now.

Then again, people did speak up like that. The people really did rise up against Saddam and his policies from the very beginning, and from the very beginning they were all either killed or tortured into silence. Sometimes, words just aren't enough, and I can only hope one day people will realize that.

Whitrock, a sophomore architecture major, can be reached at richard_whitrock@hotmail.com.