WHEELING, W. VA. -- If Jessica Lynch is the bravest woman in America, the second-bravest may well be Angelica Amaya. Or, as some will say -- for various reasons, including ones of her own personal safety -- the most foolish. Certainly the several hundred people gathered Saturday morning at the Veterans Amphitheater in a Valley Rally for America think she is dead wrong and ignorant. Or, as one angry veteran puts it, standing less than an arm's length away from her, "She's sick -- mentally disturbed." Yet Angelica Amaya stands her ground, tears rolling down her cheeks and her entire body shaking in the cold wind that pounds in off the Ohio River. "I'm scared," the 33-year-old office worker admits. "But I have to do this." ... ...Angelica Amaya carries a simple homemade sign that says "I love my country but . . . " She has pasted a photograph of a young Iraqi woman on the sign and written below: "Are you willing to kill her to get to Saddam?"... ...She stands, shaking and often tearful, as politician after politician takes to the podium, the event carried live on far-reaching WWVA radio... ...Two 12-year-old boys, Matthew Clark and Steven Logdon, have come to raise the flag with the Young Marines, and both stand firmly with the President on the necessity of going to war with Iraq. "I'll do anything for my country," says Logdon. "We're going to make a difference in the world," says Clark. That, too, is what Amaya hoped to do, but after two hours of standing in the bitter cold, no one has warmed to her message. Until suddenly an older man, Bill Milan from nearby Martins Ferry, his little granddaughter in tow, breaks through the small circle gathered around Amaya and says, "Listen to her -- she's right, you know." A veteran of the Korean War, Milan says it makes no sense that "so many innocents have to die to get one man. "There are other ways to do this." "Thank you," says Amaya. "Thank you." Milan nods once before leaving. "You're brave, young woman." The full story.
I'd say the thousands of women putting themselves in harm's way in Iraq are more courageous, but that's just 1 person's opinion.
It's tough to decide if one innocent should die in "exchange" for Saddam. If you don't believe in Utilitarianism or the "greater good" than of course you're going to disagree. But far more than a single innocent person has died under the brutal reign of Saddam. Far less have died during our campaign than die under Saddam every year. Yes, it is unfortunate that innocents die, but sometimes that is what happens when removing a greater evil to provide a greater good.
"Courage"??? Courage is facing enemy fire tens of thousands of miles from home. What was the worst that was going to happen to Ms. Amaya, she was going to be called a nasty name? Gimme a break. Protesting the war is a valid expression of free speech but to call it courage is a sickening insult to the millions of US servicemen, including hundreds of thousands of women, who are protecting her right to protest. It is because of these men and women that she is not tortured, raped, and murdered for protesting government policy, and she should wake up every day and be thankful for them.
"Did you hear what happened in New York City a year and a half ago? " asks one man who shakes in fury. "Do you know about 9/11 -- or did you just crawl out from under a rock? " Still trying to justify attacking Iraq with 9/11 is where the ignorance truly is in the article.
So if the Bush cabal hadn't sent other Americans' kids into Iraq to kill them and "free" them, this young lady would have lost the right to protest and, far more heinously, would have been tortured, raped and murdered for any attempt at protest? Wow.
Give me a freaking break.Does anyone actually believe this girl was ever in harms way? So she decided to got to a pro war rally.. good for her for voicing her opinion.Standing up for your beliefs takes courage.but its more of a believing in yourself type courage , you know the kind it takes to get up in front of your 9th grade speech class. This country doesnt have a modern history of tearing young girls to pieces who stand up for their beliefs. This country doesnt have a modern history of executing disenters... she is likely a girl of strong character.But please do not equate what she did with people who are putting their lives on the line in the belief that they are liberating an oppressed people.Whether YOU believe this or not isnt the debate.Most of our soldiers do believe they are there to help the Iraqi people.And they are willing to take the ultimate risk to accomplish this.
Not today or tomorrow, but down the road it would be a possibility. This girl was never in anything resembling harm's way, I have no problem with what she did (legally) but "courage" is not the right word for it.
Ms. Amaya is noteworthy as a symbol of the freedom of speech that the US is trying to export to Iraq. There will be a time in the future where the Iraqi citizens will be gathering to show their support and appreciation for the coalition forces. At that time, I can envision someone in a peaceful democratic Iraq, with a sign that says, "I love my country but..." At that moment, when the fool is allowed to state his or her opinion without being tortured, will be the moment that the US can take supreme pride in their achievement. To discuss the type or level of "courage" of Ms. Amaya is foolhearty. Let's just celebrate that she did it and was not harmed. The truth, or rather the lack of truth to her statement will be told by the millions of appreciative and breathing Iraqis. And that day, I look forward to very much.
As Sen. Bentsen said to Dan Quayle, "Angelica Amaya, I know Jessica Lynch, and you are NO JESSICA LYNCH."
Huh? Did you ever hear of the labor, women's suffrage, and civil rights movements, or are you just taking a bowel movement on all that sacrifice? Oh I get it. You're submitting that "modern history," for all intents and purposes, begins just after all that. Okay...
When he was talking to his father, the emporer, about never being appreciated for his "different" form of courage in comparison to Maximus. I can't remember the exact quote, but he was basically defending his cowardice by saying that there are different types of courage. Look, I don't disagree. She's braver than most for standing as a individual on principal. But what does she hope to gain by doing this? Fame? Honor from likeminded individuals? I could easily go down to a local gay bar in Ferndale, MI and call them to repent, but that would make me mean, not brave, at least to most people on this message board.
No problem. Hopefully. Reverend Phred is one scary sonuvabitch. He kind of reminds me of that reverand from Poltergiest II.
Moral courage perhaps, but certainly not courage of the type exhibited by Jessica Lynch and her fellow servicewomen in Iraq and elsewhere.
Stupidity is a better word If she is truly courageous and if she truly cares about Iraqi women, she should go to Iraq BEFORE THE WAR and protest the treatment of women by Saddam and Uday. This is head-in-the-sand faintheartedness, not real courage. P.S. Personally I would agree there are other ways (other than war) to disarm Iraq, but her sign is pure stupidity -- how many despots got overthrown PEACEFULLY in human history?? If people who have ability to do something all subscribe to her notion (not willing to risk any innocent lives to get rid of tyrants), despots will rule forever.
alex please stop masturbating the jessica lynch story. there is a difference between courage and staying alive. which one was she a student of? a little from column a and a little from column b. i think a little more from column b (the latter)
Protesting against government policy (whatever the policy may be) in a free, democratic country where they face no risk whatsoever of physical harm don't show anywhere near the courage of someone who actually puts their life on the line. How do you feel about people who protest outside abortion clinics (not blow them up, just protest)? Irish, it's not just Jessica Lynch, every serviceman and servicewoman shows far more courage than does any protestor in the US, no matter what the cause. Nothing against the protestors, but they know that no harm will come unto them as a result of their actions. Now, if you want to talk about anti-Saddam protestors in Iraq a month ago, that's a different story.