Calling Americans whiners not accurate in most cases

Editor,

In response to Vanessa Strobbe's column Wednesday imploring us all to stop whining, I know it is incredibly frustrating for Republicans who have grown accustomed to being in charge to realize that honest disagreement about how this country is being run is not "whining." I think the choice of this word suggests that anyone with a contrary opinion - as the Bush administration suggested, a person who uses "reality-based" logic - is a child and is not to be taken seriously.

I really could debate almost every point in this article, but I won't. Yes, it was the president and vice president who duped this country into going into war in Iraq through dishonest means. World War II didn't last as long as this war has. The Taliban is resurgent in Afghanistan. Saying the war was started based on dishonesty is not "complaining"; it is stating fact. I really hope that our journalism classes are spending time talking about this. Ethics in journalism, especially for someone in a position of editor, is incredibly important. To say "People need to pull away from the biased media and look at the actual facts," when you have just shown us that you are not looking at the facts, is a bit frightening. At the very least, it does not inspire confidence in your argument.

I know that Strobbe must believe strongly what she has written here. I appreciate that she cares very much for this country. The only accurate part of the use of the word "whine" here is that the people who are complaining do currently have less power than those who are making decisions. We can see what is happening to the Republican Party right now. Phil Gramm said we were all "whining" about the economy until the credit market and the stock market went bust. Fortunately, a lot of the misrepresentations, including hate speech, voiced behind closed doors in Republican circles, are now seeing the light of day. I imagine that what Strobbe said Wednesday reflects only a reasoned part of what she hears at home. It is my hope that getting these statements - whether misunderstandings or lack of fact or, in some cases, even hate speech - will help all the citizens of our country to see who has been truthful and who has not, who has the more inclusive and optimistic message and who can help us find a way back to reasoned discourse.

I have a lot of faith in the students today - and in Strobbe - that you, at your best, can find ways out of the old fights, choose new paths and find ways to talk more reasonably together. What we face in our country is going to be tough, but we will survive together. My suggestion (to all of us) is to take some time, go into the mountains or a quiet park and let go of the stress and frustration that makes you think that the majority of people in this country are uninformed whiners. If anyone wants to be a leader, or even a great journalist, you have to find a way to bring out the best in people and inspire their confidence and cooperation. You also need to take a step back and try to work on understanding what the "facts" really are. I have faith in Strobbe and all of us.

Maggie Werner-Washburne

UNM staff