Demonstrators must not forget peace

Our nation is at war.

The beauty of our country is that, even well into battle, divergent… Our nation is at war.

The beauty of our country is that, even well into battle, divergent views are allowed and encouraged. But we must never stop being thoughtful, considerate and rational.

Thursday, as had been planned for weeks, protesters descended on campus in light of Wednesday’s bombing of Baghdad. It was an admirable effort, but for the actions of a few contrary protesters who dragged all the rest into a morass of perceived thuggery.

No one approached by Pitt News reporters wished to speak to the media. If a group wants to get a message out, not speaking to the press is a shot in its own foot, a waste of a golden opportunity.

Several protesters hid their faces with handkerchiefs and cloth. This tactic added to their intimidation factor. If a protester is passionate enough about a cause, perhaps he or she should be willing to face the public.

Anti-war sentiment is not so radical that a protester should fear dire consequences. Perhaps their hidden faces were a nod to the historic, romantic notion of the balaclava-clad activist made famous during radical acts of eco-terrorism and animal liberation. Those protesters had serious penalties to fear; they were committing felonies and destroying property. Thursday’s demonstrators needn’t have hidden. They should believe in their cause strongly enough to show their faces.

Police tried hard to be accommodating: Leafleting in Posvar Hall was allowed, as was drumbeating and noisemaking on the Cathedral patio. The Cathedral patio, elevated and highly visible, was an ideal place to attract attention.

Police insisted that the protesters remain outside the Cathedral so as not to interrupt classes. This resulted in the only arrest of the day.

One protester, resisting police denying entrance to the Cathedral, held an officer in a chokehold. The officer was hospitalized with a broken hand; the protester is in jail.

How does this promote peace? Violence in the name of peace is idiocy.

Not only was it hypocritical, it was a selfish act on the part of one protester. Of the rest of the group, most weren’t violent. Most weren’t intimidating. Many were probably thoughtful, intelligent, genuinely peaceful individuals. Thanks to one misguided protester’s grab at glory, they’ve all been lowered in public estimation.

War is tragic, but it’s no excuse to stop thinking.