High school students offer differing viewpoints on Iraq

Walking up and down the halls of Damascus High School, "war" and "Iraq" are not words you hear very often. But ask students their feelings on the showdown with Saddam Hussein, and a wide range of knowledgeable and diverse viewpoints emerge.

"We should blow them away," senior Joe Freeman said. "As long as Saddam Hussein is still alive, he'll keep doing bad things."

Naturally, other students disagree. "By Bush's logic, preventing a terrorist attack would involve bombing a country that hasn't threatened us in years," junior Jimi Huston said.

The remainder of students fall somewhere in between: "I'm kind of two-sided on the whole thing," sophomore Kayla Bulmer said. "I don't understand why we are going to war. How are you going to solve violence with violence?"

Once the topic of Iraq is raised, emotions become heated. Take one recent debate in the media center after school, for instance: "[Bush] is not protecting the United States by doing this," freshman Lauren Franklin stated, setting off an intense conversation.

"She's right -- the president could be doing more, instead of war," Huston chimed in.

Franklin and Huston began discussing the other issues the United States is facing. Health teacher Judy Baggett-Stone interjected: "What's the option? Do nothing? If we don't go in, brace yourself for another terrorist attack." The debate spread to other nearby students, as well.

Many students have well-thought-out viewpoints. "This is really all about oil and how we are hurting Iraq's economy," senior Andrew Limparis said.

Several students are considering establishing an anti-war movement at Damascus High School. At other county high schools, a movement called Students For Peace And Justice has organized teach-ins and protests.

The possibility of war affects students in subtle ways. Teachers reference recent developments in lesson plans, particularly in social studies and English classes. Secretary of State Colin Powell could be heard in classrooms, sharing evidence of the dangers Iraq poses via television broadcasts during his presentation to the United Nations earlier this year.

Students often point out the omnipresent dangers of war, expressing concern over the deaths of both Americans and innocent Iraqis. "War will put too many lives at risk," junior Angela Gross said.

But some students also realize the purpose of attacking Iraq. "If we don't go to war, we have to solve it a different way," freshman Amanda Frazier said.

"If we don't [attack], we'll have to live in fear," senior Jenn Diatz added.

The support of the United Nations is an essential element of some students' support of a possible conflict. "We should only go to war with the U.N.'s support," senior Kevin Burns said.

"But we're going to go to war anyway," regardless of a vote by the United Nations Security Council, fellow senior Chris Kaplan responded, adding that he hasn't made his mind up on the possibility of war.

"I'm off and on about it. My mom will be sent over there" to help wounded soldiers, said freshman Tanner Shriver.

"It's really disturbing to me -- I'm only in 10th grade and I have my whole future ahead of me," sophomore Dolly Boone said.

A smaller but more vocal group of students harbors strong anti-war sentiments. "If the draft comes back, I'm going to Europe," senior Andrew Limparis said. "I'm not going to fight for this nonsense."

Brian Stelter is a senior at Damascus High School and editor in chief of The Observer, the school's newspaper. His column appears on a monthly basis in the Damascus edition of The Gazette.