The Daily really pissed me off today, I couldn’t
not write back.
Ok well it wasn’t the Daily it was a letter to
the daily that pissed me off. I don’t have the text of it right now otherwise I
would post it. Just look for a November 9th copy of the daily, it’s the letter
titled “Let the French take care of Ivory Coast.” This letter angered me for
two reasons. The first reason being, because it reminded me of how ignorant
americans are of the world around them, the writer obviously didn’t have a grasp
of what was happening there. The second reason is that I went to high school
with people displaced by the civil war in Ivory Coast and to disrespect the
French for aiding a once prosperous stable nation is uncalled for. I was so
angry I wrote back. Here’s for braking down the walls of ignorance! My letter
follows.
This letter is in response to the letter “Let the French take care of Ivory Coast,” on November 9th. Equating the French involvement in Ivory Coast to American involvement in Iraq in this letter is not only ignorant, but it is foolhardy.
Ignorant because unlike the reader states the French are not there to “protect it’s national interests.” France is in Ivory Coast because unlike Americans the French understand the word responsibility. Ivory Coast is a former French colony and thus problems now date back to French control. The French are there to help fix a problem they may have caused. Not only that but they are helping to stabilize what had been labeled “the most stable government in Africa.” The destabilization of Ivory Cost would lead to the possible destabilization of the entire region.
The letter is foolhardy on the other hand because it further perpetrates American arrogance and ignorance. “U.N. Forces” are simply troops of some country (the United States armed forces were “U.N. Forces” in the Gulf War”) that have earned the right and respect to cary the peaceful U.N. flag above their troops; to show that they are there to protect peace not war. Unlike the United States who barged into Iraq on falsified evidence and claims of threats to our security, the French entered Ivory Coast at the request of both the government and the rebelling faction. And if anyone wishes to question my knowledge on this, go ahead, I went to school with people displaced by this civil war. The French were sent to protect people, and protected people from everywhere in a conflict they didn’t start.
Trevin Ward
Sophmore
Computer Engineering
This letter is in response to the letter “Let the French take care of Ivory Coast,” on November 9th. Equating the French involvement in Ivory Coast to American involvement in Iraq in this letter is not only ignorant, but it is foolhardy.
Ignorant because unlike the reader states the French are not there to “protect it’s national interests.” France is in Ivory Coast because unlike Americans the French understand the word responsibility. Ivory Coast is a former French colony and thus problems now date back to French control. The French are there to help fix a problem they may have caused. Not only that but they are helping to stabilize what had been labeled “the most stable government in Africa.” The destabilization of Ivory Cost would lead to the possible destabilization of the entire region.
The letter is foolhardy on the other hand because it further perpetrates American arrogance and ignorance. “U.N. Forces” are simply troops of some country (the United States armed forces were “U.N. Forces” in the Gulf War”) that have earned the right and respect to cary the peaceful U.N. flag above their troops; to show that they are there to protect peace not war. Unlike the United States who barged into Iraq on falsified evidence and claims of threats to our security, the French entered Ivory Coast at the request of both the government and the rebelling faction. And if anyone wishes to question my knowledge on this, go ahead, I went to school with people displaced by this civil war. The French were sent to protect people, and protected people from everywhere in a conflict they didn’t start.
Trevin Ward
Sophmore
Computer Engineering
I'm Trevin Ward, I'm a Political Science Student at Iowa State University in Ames, IA.