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CONTACT THE ENTERPRISE Jocelyn Robinson, Copy editor jrobinson@heraldnet.com

Let's have a true discourse, not a tirade

I trust I'm not alone among your readers in being disappointed by the tone of condescension and mockery which characterized a recent letter submitted by Jim Philbrick of Edmonds, who generally described those supporting impeachment of George Bush and Dick Cheney as "silly whiners," made the outlandish assertion that we're paying $4.20 a gallon because "Democrats have taken control of Congress," and smugly reminded the rest of us that we're "winning" the war in Iraq, "in case you haven't noticed." ("Another letter to Jay Inslee," July 18)

Sadly, his diatribe is typical of the level of discourse promoted by the Limbaughs and O'Reillys of the world, with the full support and encouragement of the Bush White House.

Of course, it isn't really discourse at all, but an inherently false dichotomy presented in drumbeat fashion, with no shades of gray allowed. You're either "with us, or for the terrorists." You simply cannot oppose the war and support the troops at the same time, though I have personally known many war widows who vehemently reject that canard.

In Bushspeak, however, their rage and grief becomes the "whining" of the "naive, weak and disaffected."

Likewise, in this skewed world view, it is impossible to seek impeachment out of respect for the Constitution. You must be consumed with an unreasoning hatred of George Bush. You cannot oppose torture because it is wrong and undermines our national character, but because you are sympathetic to "Islamo-fascists." And of course, the history of warfare has never known something called "strategic redeployment." There is only "cut and run."

A nation in crisis, which we surely are, deserves open, reasoned debate, and should welcome dissent, which motivated the formation of our democracy in the first place.

The Bush-Cheney dynasty has already shown us what mean-spirited and arrogant look like; do we need to continue showing that face to the world, and to each other?

David Arntuffus
Shoreline