The Big Lie

News and Observer, Q section; 6/22/03; Tom Munk

The answer to your question about trust comes not from the analysis in the 'Q' section, but from the news on page 12A, which leads with "A third of the American public believes U.S. forces found weapons of mass destruction in Iraq...before the war, half of those polled in a survey said Iraqis were among the 19 hijackers on Sept. 11, 2001."

How could so many Americans come to believe such falsehoods? September 11 created great fear and anger among many Americans, who wanted a powerful and decisive response. The bombing of the Reichstag in the 1930s created similar feelings among Germans, who willingly believed the propaganda of Adolf Hitler and Josef Goebbels, the famous architect of 'the big lie.'

German pride, a sense that God was with them, and of patriotic destiny allowed the Nazis to convince Germans to give up their freedom in exchange for a sense of power and security. We all know the results.

I believe our nation's traditions of freedom and democracy are too strong to continue to go down that path, but I'm impatient for these traditions to kick in. With Republicans falling in line and many Democrats afraid to raise their voices, it is no wonder that many Americans began to believe things that were untrue, but supportive of the President's position.

We need a full and open investigation now. I want my democracy back and I don't want to wait.