Student criticizing protest must remember free speech

I am writing regarding the horrifying statement made by a student in response to the "die-in" at the Student Union Memorial Center on Wednesday. This person said, "This is ridiculous. How would they feel if their family was killed in an attack by a terrorist? You've got to support the president of your country no matter what."

Aside from the questionable statement suggesting that Iraq has or will commit terrorist acts, there is the frightening proposition that we support our president "no matter what." What happened to freedom of speech, one of the very freedoms that our troops are fighting for? What of the Iraqis? Surely he does not expect them to support their president no matter what! We should support our troops, but dissenting opinions are a vital part of our country and the freedoms we purport to protect. [Read article]

If surprise was their goal, the protesters could hardly have picked a better venue than the Student Union Memorial Center food court. After all, few people associate McDonald's or Domino's with anti-war agitprop. This time, however, that's exactly what they got. As peace activists doused themselves with fake blood and dropped to the floor in simulation of Iraqi dead, the hungry lunchtime crowd found themselves confronted with a stark display of the strong emotions stirred up by the war in the gulf. [Read article]