My immediate reaction to the letter "Protesting disrespects soldiers who are fighting" (April 1) was how someone could write with such ignorance. The reality is the peace protests are against the war, not the heroes that defend our country.

The letter begins with "Before this war started, you all had every right to protest." Do we not have the right to protest anymore? America is about freedom of speech, not about hiding feelings because you're afraid of being called un-American.

Most protesters are, in fact, very patriotic and have every bit of respect for the American soldiers currently fighting in Iraq. Protesters, like everyone else, want to see American soldiers return safely home. They want to
solve the conflicts without violence and stop the killing of innocent civilians in Iraq.

Never once have I come across a peace protest that had signs speaking out against our war leaders or had speeches disrespecting our brave soldiers. So when writing another letter, please do your research and find out what protests are truly about.

Ask yourself this: How can you live with supporting violence? How can you live with supporting a war that will undoubtedly have American casualties? "Pro-American" is to pray for a quick end to the war and have our loved ones return safely home.