The following is a letter to the editor of our local little paper, written in response to the US ambassador to Canada giving a harshly critical speech to a Toronto audience recently. I think it is well thought out,and I beleive it represents the feelings of a majority of Canadians, certainly including myself.

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Editor:

An open letter to Mr. Paul Cellucci, United States ambassador to Canada

Dear Mr. Cellucci:

I had the opportunity to hear highlights of the speech you delivered, recently, in Toronto, expressing your disappointment and distress with Canada's choice regarding participation in your country's illegal war of aggression on Iraq.

I would like to say, Mr. Cellucci, as Canadians, many of us are disappointed and upset, as well. We are disappointed that our closest ally has chosen to ignore the civility of international law and has engaged in an illegal, immoral war of aggression simply because its current chief executive is unable to learn patience. We are disappointed that our closest ally has chosen to justify, retroactively and for future generations, Germany's invasion of Poland and Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor.

We are disappointed that our closest ally which has an infant mortality rate more than twice that of Korea and 145 per cent higher than Mexico and which, apparently, is unable to provide access to medical care for more than half of its own people has chosen to appropriate 62 billion additional dollars for its illegal war.

In a world, Mr. Cellucci, where more than 30,000 children starve to death each day and where hunger is the greatest medical challenge we face, we can think of several more useful and productive ways to spend an additional 62 billion dollars.

We are disappointed that a nation founded on the principles of self determination and the integrity and rights of individuals has chosen to use its considerable military and economic power, and squander the lives of its young men and women, to brutalize the covenant we all, as nations, have worked so long and hard to establish and live by.

We are disappointed, Mr. Cellucci, that the United States has succumbed to its fear and greed, set aside the legitimacy of law and reason and chosen to ignore the will of the people of the world who believe there are positive options to war and aggression.

A true friend, Mr. Cellucci, will have the courage to tell you the truth about what you do, even if it puts friendship at risk. I believe it is our duty, as friends, to stand aside from this terrible thing you are now engaged in and to tell you, clearly and in friendship, this is not the way. This is wrong. We, too, are disappointed.

Alexander Burton
Chilliwack