We must never give up the right to open discussion As a nation, we need a thoughtful discussion about the September 11 attacks. In an age when open discussion is more necessary than ever, it is disheartening to see simple questions about our nation's interests, asked in these forums, labeled as un-American, inappropriate, or inimical to its core. Now more than ever, thoughtful and respectful debate can grant us the informational dexterity necessary to maintain an open and neutral perspective as events unfold. I'm an American. The social infrastructure of this country, built with enormous difficulty on the backs of many who sacrificed their lives for their country, as well as those who sometimes unknowingly found themselves on the nation's path of maturation, is unique and precious. It guarantees its citizens the opportunity for growth, unprecedented freedom and the means to remedy injustice. We are truly a great nation. Times of difficulty remind us of the patriotic respect and admiration we have for our country and lead us to understand how fortunate we are to live in such a nation. As an American, I refuse to give up the ability and willingness to think openly. , critically and analytically on the problems of our society and our world. I will not allow the privileges of freedom and opportunity so carefully created over the last two hundred-plus years to blind me to the mistakes we have made and the mistakes we continue to make. I will not give in to calls for unity and conformity in the pursuit of revenge. We owe it to ourselves and to those who have gone before us to maintain a reasoned and simple honesty in assessing the state of the world. Those who carry nothing but reactionary and manipulative accusations of anti-Americanism in public do a disservice to themselves, their country, and reasonable thought. It is difficult, however, to keep clear thoughts and well-conceived words during such a confusing storm as the one we face now. An abrupt exchange of writings between Noam Chomsky and Christopher Hitchens, a columnist for The Nation, was a visible sign of the growing tensions testing tempers and better judgment. David Talbot and Andrew Sullivan, both respected political writers, engaged in a similar exchange. There is cause for anxiety. The first highly visible attacks against our country kicked off a growing, anonymous swarm of threats and attacks, currently in the form of anthrax-containing mailings, which lack the visibility and impact of traditional acts of war but nevertheless fuel a sense of fear. and vulnerability.