High School Students Display Their Anti-Gulf War Sentiments

Re “High Schoolers Demonstrate Anti-War Sentiments” (Nov. 22): Principal Tom Anthony mentioned that he received “some negative comment about the protesters from faculty members who believed that the demonstration was offending students and school employees who have relatives stationed in Saudi Arabia.”

As a faculty member myself, I believe most of our faculty know that protesting a military solution in the Gulf is meant to foster discourse and raise the level of public debate on the alternatives to war and the inherent loss of civilian and military lives.

Foremost in the minds of the protesters I talked with is the concern for the lives of our troops. I doubt that can offend anyone who thinks about and understands the meaning of protesting war.

Personally, I can think of nothing more encouraging than seeing responsible and thoughtful students (for the most part) practicing what, hopefully, we are trying to teach. That is, to get informed, understand the complexities of controversies, look at all the sides, think for yourselves--and, most importantly, recognize that what they think as individuals does matter and that they should try to peacefully influence the course of this nation’s future.

PAUL PFLUEGER, Laguna Beach