ranting about the language and symbols of war & peace

Looking on the bright side: Soon victory will be declared in this war in Iraq. Then people will no longer be able to stifle any and all criticism of the President by chanting the mantra of "support our troops when we're at war." Of course, they will try - by invoking the likely messy occupation of Iraq, the growing unease in Afghanistan, the endless War on Terrorism or the proximity of the Next War (Syria? Iran? North Korea?). I can take comfort in one small thing. I no longer have to hear the media repeat that deceptive and pandering phrase - "possible war against Iraq."

I wanted to follow-up on my previous post about an Episcopal church's Pray for Peace sign being defaced. They put up another sign, identical except for one crucial respect: instead of the white peace dove, it had an image of the church's actual building. That one hasn't been defaced yet. Maybe it's because the war-related hysteria is dying down, but I think that it helps that it doesn't have that inflammatory dove! I had thought that evils like burning crosses and swastikas were against the values upheld by the USA, but no, the counter demonstrations against those symbols lack the vehemence of the counter peace demonstrations. So how did the peace dove become the most pernicious anti-American symbol?

© Copyright 2003 Morgan Wilson. Last update: 5/14/03; 12:54:55 AM.