Date published: 2/27/2003

One of our basic freedoms is that of petition. Yet when 6 million people around the world protest a war in Iraq, President Bush merely says, "The president doesn't make his policies based on the actions of a focus group."

A focus group?

And as for freedom of speech, there is an increasing tendency to dismiss anti-war persons as unpatriotic. It is absolutely repulsive that people expressing a genuine, sincere opinion against the administration have to fear being branded by those who disagree.

Bill O'Reilly even went so far as to say that people against the war were willing to take a chance and support Saddam Hussein. How sick is that? What is this nation if it cannot have a free and open debate?

It's not just that President Bush doesn't give heed to the American "focus group." He has forgotten the concept of other nations, other people and other voices. I find it shocking that many Americans could care less about the French and Germans.

Has the president forgotten our humble beginnings? This great nation would never have come into existence without the support of the French. And the Germans know all too well the consequences of war, having experienced (admittedly started) two of the world's worst conflicts: World War I and World War II.

We cannot ignore the fact that 32 percent of Britain's people perceive us to be the worst threat to global security, ranking above North Korea and Iraq. We cannot ignore the fact that we are loathed and despised around the world. We have to admit that, sometimes, we are wrong and we are flawed.

Other nations will tolerate it only so much when the U.S. says, "Yeah, you think differently from us? We could care less what your stupid officials have to say. We're bigger than you, and there isn't a thing you can do to stop us."

To those reading this, I want this great nation to prosper. But if we don't change our attitude, I fear that the arrogant king of the jungle will be dethroned very soon.

ALI WYNE is a senior at Stafford High School.

Date published: 2/27/2003