BILL O'DONNELL,
Sir, - As a "shared" citizen of both the US and Ireland who is not an advocate of war with Iraq, I have no quarrel with Vincent Browne or with his position on Irish neutrality and American military use of Shannon Airport.
But he is completely wrong about displays of flag in the US (Opinion, September 25th). The flags have little if any relevance to the current war fever and never have had.
The proliferation of flags on homes, automobiles and businesses predates by months the Bush administration's announced intent to seek a "regime change" in Iraq. They were, in the days immediately following 9/11, a rallying cry of unity that proclaimed we would not cower before this unprecedented violation of our shores and would stand united against terrorism.
Nothing more, nothing less.
I would have hoped that your distinguished columnist might have got more out of his brief visit to Michigan then the total misreading that he passed on to your readers.
They, and accurate reporting, deserve better. - Yours, etc.,
BILL O'DONNELL, Woonsocket, Rhode Island, USA.