Though a columnist rarely should turn anything (especially public response) into a personal issue, I am an emotionally-driven and last-word-minded person.

To paraphrase a response to my March 7 column, “Give rational thought a chance,” a reader said she was glad I am moving to Spain because I would be one less liberal to deal with. After having a few laughs, I became angry that someone would label me a liberal based on one column — especially because I pride myself on being a Republican and fighting the “liberal media” by making the Opinion page even-sided (or in some cases, right-wing).

I am not a Democrat because I do not support war. Nor would I be a Republican if I supported war.

In fact, political allegiance cannot be determined by any stance that can be had on the issue of War in Iraq alone. Even the sides you take on issues that formulate your opinion concerning war may not place you in any political category.

There are some issues — no matter how much “Hardball” can argue them — that go beyond party politics, and can be completely apolitical.

War is my theory’s poster child.

My reasons for disapproving of war are half-politically enigmatic, and half-excluding politics:

I am a Constitutionalist. The War with Iraq — an extension of the War on Terrorism — is a constant excuse to create right-dissolving legislation, such as the PATRIOT Act and the Defense and Security Enhancement Act of 2003 (a.k.a PATRIOT II). Between the two PATRIOT Acts alone, four Constitutional rights have been completely thrown out the window to “fight terrorism,” or as another editor put it, “Establish King Ashcroft.”

But Constitutionalism, be it between preserving or not preserving constitutional right, or interpreting or taking word-for-word the Constitution’s literature, is not a political stance. Republican and Democratic Supreme Court justices throughout history have differed within their own parties in their stances on the Constitution.

War will cost the United States billions of dollars, which may or may not be justified. Last time I checked, both presidents Clinton and Bush each tried to balance the budget. Both major U.S. political parties support fiscal responsibility, regardless of whether they actually practice it.

The War with Iraq will not fight terrorism, it will only fight Iraq. Whether Iraq is heavily linked to terrorism is not a party issue. It is an issue that balances on the amount and validity of available information. From what I have read (both from news sources and people kind enough to inform me of both sides of the issue), I believe our efforts would be better focused on finding and killing Osama bin Laden — the man who attacked the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, killed tens of thousands of people and made Sept. 11, 2001 stand out in our minds forever.

Last, the likely, potential war hit me personally. I lost one of my most coveted and longest-standing columnists, Marine reservist Andy Topetzes, to active service. During my tenure, I have gotten to know Andy, and aside from being an outstanding political mind and columnist, he is one of the finest model Americans I have ever known; civic-minded, polite, dedicated to his duty as both a citizen and a soldier and as classy an individual as one could meet.

The possibility exists he may die or suffer serious injury for a purpose which remains to be seen. Unless Iraq truly is a considerable threat to the United States, and planned on attacking, then all other feasible reasons — personal vendetta, oil, misdirected attack on terrorism — are simply not enough to justify losing someone every parent should pray their children become.

I would like to use my last space of the quarter to reiterate a message I think will promote informed assumptions and accusations: War does not discriminate its allies by party. It discriminates by ignorance. At times, war can be avoided; at others, war cannot be avoided. Neither Republicans nor Democrats have exclusive rights to the correct analysis of war’s necessity. Only informed, thoughtful people can come close to deciding this.

Picket the war or support the troops. Do both but oppose the cause of war — I don’t care. Just make sure when you act, act based on your opinion, not because an elephant or a donkey whispered in your ear.

Kyle Woodley is The Lantern Opinion Editor and is proud to be a Republican. He can be reached for comment at [email protected].