IJacob Thompson am a simple person with simple values. I value peace. I value freedom. I value love. I am against this war. I am against this war because it hurts my heart to think of the countless Iraqi people being killed as a result of our aggression. But it also hurts my heart to think of those Iraqi people suffering under a brutal tyrant. I am against this war because it hurts my soul to think of our brothers and sisters in combat, sacrificing their lives. But it also warms my soul to know that their love for me and my country is so great they are willing to make such a sacrifice.

This war has me divided.

I went to the antiwar rally at Northrop Plaza this afternoon. I went looking for people who shared the same concerns I have: concern for the lives of our troops, concern for the lives of the Iraqi people, concern for the future of America. What I found, however, was not what I expected. I found people spewing propaganda about the motives of this war. I found people name-calling and spitting venomous words. I found intolerance and closed-mindedness. I went looking for love, but instead I found hate.

Is George W. Bush going to war simply to gain control of Iraq’s oil? Perhaps. Perhaps not. Does it do any good to call our president a “lunatic” or a “terrorist”? I don’t see how. But does it do any good to blindly follow our president into battle, when at best his action is dubiously justified and at worst his action is criminal? I certainly do not believe so.

What I see happening in our country scares me. I see our country fractioning into two extremes, creating an internal struggle – a war within our boarders. We are precipitously losing focus of what we are all searching for, what we all want to see accomplished. We all want to create peace. We all want to ensure freedom. We all want to practice love.

I challenge all of you who read this to not abandon what you feel is right, but to hold on to it more tightly than ever. However, never lose focus of what it is you want, what it is you strive to achieve. Strive to create the peace you dream of, but do not engender violence in the process. Promote the freedom you cherish, but do not sacrifice it along the way. Practice the love that fills your hearts, but do not let your love turn to poison.

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