WE ARE 'A NATION OF COWARDS'

Attorney General Eric Holder spoke of "a nation of cowards" last week
and his words were parsed, dissected and scrutinized by some in the
media as an affront to Americanism, but Holder is absolutely correct.

Without a doubt we are a nation of cowards and cowardly in many walks
of life. What do you call a 10th-grade dropout who becomes the
street-level drug dealer? What do you call the college dropout who
forsakes his or her education with no legitimate prospects beyond the
'hood? Hero?

What of the young woman who decides to have unprotected sex before she
completes school? Once pregnant, can she support herself and her child
if that is her choice? Finally, what of the young man with multiple
children but no diploma or degree, and felony convictions? These are
America's urban and rural cowards. You see the nation is full of
cowardice -- cowards in the boardrooms and cowards in the classrooms.

At some point, these cowards should meet and perhaps together help the
AG and his boss put America first in this time of economic upheaval.
Another form of American cowardice occurs on radio waves most
weekdays; these cowards point fingers at illegal drug users but forget
the log in their own eye. They speak of redistribution of wealth as
some foreign experiment instead of the social control it is. They wrap
themselves in Americanism, our flag and their bombast while passing
themselves off as conservative patriots. But we know who they are:
These are cowards making a living by railing against the weak. I do
not have the voice to combat these cowards and their brethren, but the
attorney general can -- along with his authority under law.

He might not address the blowhards directly, but he may address their
minions who implement cowardly views into workplace policy. Where
voices like mine might be effective is raising the question among my
urban and rural brethren. People not afraid to respect and move among
them must force those falling short to face their own cowardice. We
have to share our own stories about facing down ignorance and
embracing education. I have a little knowledge in this area because I
am a high-school dropout, a Navy veteran and a holder of an advance
degree. I am no coward.

Willie Peterson, III

Frankfort, Ky.