At this point in history, I would be embarrassed to consider myself either conservative or liberal. Any label beyond "American" at a tumultuous time such as this is nitpicking.

On the conservative side, I've seen judgmental, hateful Web sites such as Hollywood Halfwits and Boycott Hollywood spend far more energy critcizing Hollywood than supporting our troops. These Web sites resort to an almost McCarthy like attack of a person's God-given right to freedom of expression should he or she disagree with their mantra. And I find it extremely hypocritical that they tell stars such as Susan Sarandon and Sheryl Crow to keep their political opinions to themselves, yet when stars such as Sarah Michelle Gellar and Brad Pitt express pro-Bush sentiments, they have no problem embracing unsolicited views on the war. Instead of expending negative energy on modern day witch hunts, perhaps you close-minded conservatives should be praying for our troops and brushing up on current events instead of judging and gossiping. Your propaganda makes me sick.

And then there are the liberals. I don't want to label you unfairly, but it's clear that a majority are anti-war. And I hate to break it to you, but millions of Jews were not freed from concentration camps by passivity and happy thoughts. To assume that anyone, especially our selfless troops, likes the idea of war is just as asinine as the anti-Hollywood propaganda perpetuated by conservative America. Do you really think that bin Laden or Hussein (or their followers) will be touched by naive notions of peace? No. Because, as history has shown, force is necessary for the preservation of peace. Sitting around in a hug rally will not stop the raping and murdering of women and children overseas, nor will it dissuade terrorists from executing an act as heinous as the WTC attacks. So re-read your history books and develop a better discernment of why war is a necessary evil.

I visited the Oklahoma City memorial this afternoon with my family, and I was once again reminded of the frailty of life. I am so thankful that the leaders of our nation are not sitting around waiting for another attack on U.S. soil. However, I hate the fact that men and women, regardless of race, will die. I hate the fact that some are so caught up in judging other's opinions instead of celebrating a nation in which those dissonant views should be praised as freedom of speech. I hate the fact that not even the face of war can bring our nation together and that hatred for one another is just as palpable here as it is in Iraq.