Bush sucks and where are the women?
Where are the women?
Dear Stacey:
I am a big fan of The Rogue Voice and the talented writers featured on its pages, even though it is woefully lacking in women writers and perspective. I didn’t think you meant it to be a “guys” journal…or did you?
Your piece, “This recurring nightmare” [Commentary, May 2007], gave me pause when I read that you think liberals fail to realize that terrorists are a real threat to Americans. Although I think liberals are less spooked by this thought, I also believe that we would rather react than overreact, which is what the Bush Administration would like us to do. You know, of course, this is how they have ruined our Constitution and dragged us into this immoral and illegal war. Liberals must take the other tactic, and this is, to fear less and try and stop the barbarism.
My husband was in the military for 25 years and was exposed to all the horrors of warfare and it’s time we settled global issues with negotiation and not bombs.
Victoria Grostick
San Luis Obispo
Stacey Warde responds:
Yes, fully agreed on the lack of women writers and perspective. We need, and I'd love, to have more. We’ve published a few women poets and one or two essayists and storytellers. A shortage, for sure.
We did not mean to be a “guys” journal. But that’s what it appears to be—for the moment. We hope to change that. A good, strong woman’s voice will definitely make us better.
Regarding liberals, I’ve been opposed to the war from the start and think this administration has been the most corrupt and destructive of any we’ve ever had. I’d like to see justice served regarding its crimes, and the perpetrators prosecuted to the full extent of the law.
Nonetheless, in my circle of liberal friends, I tend to see more ill will toward our military servicemen and women in Iraq than I see among Republicans and other conservatives. I believe this is wrongheaded and will lead to failure in the next election if we do not begin to see the importance of a strong defense.
I hope that you’re right about liberals, that they are less spooked by the destructive and divisive rhetoric that got us into Iraq than the Chicken Hawks who squawk about war and terrorists and have never served in the military. (See Dell Franklin’s “The culture war” on page ?? for more about this.)
I believe we have many years of hard work ahead repairing the damage done by the current administration. It will take strong leadership, and a sensible platform that puts people’s needs ahead of corporate welfare. That means returning, as you say, to settling global issues through diplomacy and statesmanship rather than through violence and preemptive wars.
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Finally, anyone with a good story to tell, especially women, can contact me or Dell, our publisher, at the numbers and addresses provided in our masthead on page 2. Ladies, we’d love to hear from you.
Stop the rhetoric
With American military casualties exceeding 25,000, sectarian violence in Iraq claiming 30 or more lives each day (a Virginia Tech massacre daily), and spending of $10 billion a month, the Fourth Anniversary of “Mission Accomplished” demonstrates how so many Americans refuse to comprehend consequences from ruinous Bush Administration policies.
Of the people who sing absolute praise of the Bush Administration—whether elected representatives, local officials, talking heads on cable and radio talk shows, the print media—it’s ordinary citizens who parrot talking points that trouble me the most. They condone actions of the Bush Administration that undermine their Constitutional rights: disrespect for the law, twisting the judicial system to suit their political purposes, governmental arrogance and abuse of power, preferring abject loyalty over competence and the common good. They eschew accountability of their elected officials. What motivates such behavior? Is it fear, stupidity, a need to be part of groupthink, or a wanton disregard for the consequences of their leaders’ actions and choices?
The consequences of Bush Administration abuses of power and arrogance visit every state and community in our nation. The Iraq War is a tremendous drain on our resources and psyche. Today, facts illuminate a cabal in the White House railroaded America into a war based upon fabrications and outright misinformation, playing upon fears of Americans post 9/11.
Rhetoric such as “Support our Troops”, “Complete the Mission in Iraq”, and “If we don’t fight terrorism over there, it will come here” are mere slogans and decals on cars. Bush and Cheney have no concern for our soldiers (or their families) who are permanently disabled or killed.
Ask Bush loyalists, “What is THE Iraq Policy?” You learn they’re intellectually bankrupt and disrespect your right to demand a change of policy that honestly supports our troops, their families, and the national interest. Ask whether they would trade places and serve, or send their children, they go silent and walk away.
We’re less safe and less respected. We’ve engendered more hate towards our nation. We’ve wasted tremendous resources and with no net positive return on our investment. No “Mission Accomplished” now and not in the future–just more talking points and circuitous logic. It’s time to move on and bring our troops home, NOW.
Peter Vander Arend
Los Osos
P.S. Contribution from Nathaniel Fick [“Salvaging Iraq, May 2007] was outstanding!
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