Propaganda not an acceptable kind of art? Shall we do away with pictures of happy children and flying doves? That's propaganda.

Shall we do away with the stop smoking/drinking/vice and other pictures? That's propaganda.

Shall we do away with advertising, for dear friend that too is propaganda.

Or shall we do away with the art in your gallary, dear dear Doro? Those beautiful images you create showing love, peace and romance? For my good friend, that too is propaganda.

And just because you, Doro, don't accept something doesn't mean it isn't art. And just because you don't get the irony, maybe because it is to forgien for your culture, doesn't mean others don't see the anti-war message in the pictures you dispise.

And what exactly do you mean by telling me, an American, that you, a german, know something better than I? The germans don't have a lock on suffering or war. Before you start telling me, or anyone else, that we need not tell others that we are superior, you had best first look in the mirror.

Your view, the German view, the American view and the Iraqi view are not absolutes. I despise this war. It makes me sick to my stomach to know that two of my best friends are in the middle of this war. But I also despise what Iraq has become, a haven for torture, rape and pain where people are killed at the whim of an insane dictator.

When they came for the gypsies, I did not stand against them. When they came for the gays, I did not stand against them. When they came for the jews, I did not stand against them. When they came for me, no one stood against them. That is not peace.

Doro, I think you are a good, kind, gentle, loving person. I admire you for that, I really do. I admire you for having strong feelings. But I caution you as well. I caution you that thinking so little and so hateful of someone else and their opinion is as short sighted as you can be. If you don't like it, move on. Forget about it. Move past it. For some day it could be your art that offends. Some day it could be your religion that offends. Some day it could be YOU that is offensive. And I will stand beside you and tell them to go away.

So let me be clear... To those of you who think this war is a grand thing, you are just as foolish as grasshoppers who won't hoard food. You lack of vision will come back to haunt us all. And those of you who honestly think that talking to Saddam would have ended this crisis... you are nieve. As is all to common in these situations, the truth lies somewhere inbetween, in that murky place outside of Black and White, and very very deep in the grey.

But I'll stand up against anyone attempting to do away with the right to expression or the right to speak. Tell me war is bad, Doro. Just don't tell me, or anyone else, to shut up. You don't have that right. Hooray patriotism or not.