A recent string of in-your-face protests on campus has left a sour taste in many mouths. A minority group of radical protesters has co-opted the anti-war movement, and now daily interferences with student life in the form of disruptive civil disobedience.

Those who do not support the war · should find visible, productive ways of making their beliefs known ·

They jeer at passersby from street corners, waving obnoxious signs such as "War: Peace :: Fucking: Virginity" and "Who would Jesus bomb?" They prevent students, pro-war and anti-war alike, from peacefully enjoying even the most routine activities ÷ such as eating lunch ÷ without having to step around fake-blood-soaked bodies on the floor of the food court of the Student Union Memorial Center.

It goes without saying that these students have the right to protest in whatever form they choose, so long as it doesn't pose a threat to anyone else. However, these protesters would be well advised to stop asking, "Can we?" and start asking "Should we?"

Those who staunchly support the war, even those who are on the fence, are hardly likely to be swayed by arguments that resort to name-calling and baseless accusations. Those who are against the war find themselves apologizing for the childish, disrespectful behavior of their self-appointed campus representatives and explaining that they don't really believe everyone who supports the war effort is "a fascist."

These protesters are not only interfering with campus activities; they are severely misrepresenting the silent majority of anti-war students who do not demonstrate their dissent with arguments based in hatred, rather than logic.

Those who do not support the war but do not agree with the tactics of these "peace" demonstrators should find visible, productive ways of making their beliefs known before the anti-war movement loses all of its legitimacy. Circulate petitions. Encourage people to contact their congressional representatives. Hand out information on arguments against the war. Set up a booth on the Mall where people may come to respectfully debate the merits of the conflict. Whatever you do, don't allow legitimate concerns for the course and validity of the war to be reduced to sloganized, trivialized attacks. Everyone on campus, regardless of personal views of the war, should demand better.

Opinions are determined by the Wildcat opinions board and written by one of its members. They are Daniel Scarpinato, Jessica Lee, Jose Ceja, Jennifer Duffy, Brett Fera, Caitlin Hall, Jessica Suarez and Kendrick Wilson.