Gay Today: Viewpoint

The High Cost of War

By Jesse Monteagudo

Three weeks after the Sept. 11 attack, our country is different

It's been three weeks since the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon and it's clear that the world that we lived in before September 11 will never return.

Same-sex marriage, the Boy Scouts, health care, education, the environment, even shark attacks - issues that we spend so much time arguing about - have been placed on the back burner by a country determined to fight what George W. Bush called a "war against evil".

Politicians suspended their campaigns during "the situation" - to the benefit of Republican incumbents - and entertainers replaced award shows with fundraisers. The Star-Spangled Banner waves over a million vehicles, and patriotic songs fill the air - even atrocities like Lee Greenwood's "God Bless the USA".

Before September 11, the United States of America was a medley of competing interests, races, classes, religious beliefs and sexual orientations. The September 11 attacks - and the loss of 6,000+ parents, siblings, children, friends and lovers - made us one. Even lesbians, gay men, bisexual and transgendered people became part of the American mainstream, sharing in our common loss and our common outrage.

Valiant victims like Mark Bingham and Father Mychal Judge - both openly gay men - were honored by the likes of Senator John McCain while the rants of Reverends Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson were soundly condemned even by President Bush. The openly gay diplomat Michael Guest became our ambassador to Romania without any complaints from Jesse Helms or Trent Lott; and Secretary of State Colin Powell acknowledged Guest's partner at his swearing-in.

Ambassador Michael Guest: Confirmed without a fight

Even the House of Representatives agreed to allow the District of Columbia to implement its domestic partners law, voting down an amendment by Rep. Dave Weldon (R-FL). On the other hand, the U.S. Government continues to enforce "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"; and gay and bisexual men are still not allowed to donate blood.

In the aftermath of the most criminal act in our history, I worried that this country's understandably war-like mood might lead to a wave of bigotry against Arab-Americans and American Muslims; as well as to en erosion of our civil liberties. To our credit, hate crimes against Muslims or Arabs have been minimal, and the few that occurred have been loudly decried by most Americans.

Civil liberties, on the other hand, remain an endangered species. Indeed, according to a recent poll, 74% Americans are willing to trade some of our freedoms for security, a view that is understandable under the circumstances but which in the long run will prove to be a cure that is worse than the disease.

Under the Reagan, Bush Sr. and Clinton administrations, Americans gave up some of our freedoms in order to fight crime and drugs. The administration of Bush Jr. proposes to do away with even more liberties in its war against worldwide terrorism. In addition to appointing Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge - no friend of civil rights - head of the newly-created Office of Homeland Security, the Administration asked Congress to pass an omnibus bill that would give federal agents more power to tap telephones, conduct searches, seize assets and detain suspected terrorists. Though Representatives from both the Left and the Right objected to the Bushies' extraordinary proposal, it is clear that some sort of measure will become law within the next few weeks.

Politically Incorrect's Bill Maher faces criticism after comments made about American foreign policy leading up to the recent terrorist attacks

Meanwhile, though the First Amendment is still in effect, critics as diverse as Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Cal.), comic Bill Maher - host of TV's Politically Incorrect - composer Karl Heinz Stockhausen and columnists Tom Gutting (of the Texas City Sun) and Dan Guthrie (of the Grants Pass, Oregon Daily Courier) have gotten into trouble for criticizing President Bush's handling of the situation or his Administration's rush to war. (Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson might be included in this list of dissenters.) Artists, journalists, scholars and entertainers alike have to watch their political P's and Q's to make sure that what they say or write does not offend the overwhelming majority of the American people.

While we agree that some civil liberties and privacy rights must be sacrificed in order to win a war, we must be careful not to destroy our freedoms in order to preserve them. The American Civil Liberties Union, People for the American Way and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force - three of Falwell's favorite groups - agree, which is why they have joined 126 other organizations to form a coalition "In Defense of Freedom". At a September 20 press conference in Washington, coalition organizers issued a ten-point declaration, outlining their beliefs and, I hope, those of all freedom-loving people:

1. On September 11, 2001 thousands of people lost their lives in a brutal assault on the American people and the American form of government. We mourn the loss of these innocent lives and insist that those who perpetrated these acts be held accountable.

2. This tragedy requires all Americans to examine carefully the steps our country may now take to reduce the risk of future terrorist attacks.

3. We need to consider proposals calmly and deliberately with a determination not to erode the liberties and freedoms that are at the core of the American way of life.

Related Articles from the GayToday Archive:
War: For and Against

Struggling to Feel Like a 'Real' American

New U.S. Ambassador to America, Michael Guest, Openly Gay

Related Sites:
In Defense of Freedom

GayToday does not endorse related sites.

4. We need to ensure that actions by our government uphold the principles of a democratic society, accountable government and international law, and that all decisions are taken in a manner consistent with the Constitution. 5. We can, as we have in the past, in times of war and of peace, reconcile the requirements of security with the demands of liberty.

6. We should resist the temptation to enact proposals in the mistaken belief that anything that may be called anti-terrorist will necessarily provide greater security.

7. We should resist efforts to target people because of their race, religion, ethnic background or appearance, including immigrants in general, Arab Americans and Muslims.

8. We affirm the right of peaceful dissent, protected by the First Amendment, now, when it is most at risk.

9. We should applaud our political leaders in the days ahead who have the courage to say that our freedoms should not be limited.

10. We must have faith in our democratic system and our Constitution, and in our ability to protect at the same time both the freedom and the security of all Americans.

For more information about "In Defense of Freedom" check the Web site www.indefenseoffreedom.org.