Letters: Dec. 22, 2003

• Share

The Love Him, Hate Him President

"Your report neglected to mention that one of Bush's campaign slogans was 'I'm a uniter, not a divider.' Ironic words indeed." Bill Pakula Destin, Fla.

It's absurd to think George W. Bush single-handedly created divisiveness in the U.S. [Dec. 1]. He became President of a nation already divided by numerous issues--abortion, the death penalty, affirmative action, family values, marriage, national security, welfare, the environment, taxes and so forth. Bush naturally takes a position on each issue, just as every other citizen does. He cannot conceivably support all sides. Anne-Marie Shaffer Palm Coast, Fla.

Your article clearly communicated the frustration felt by many of us on both sides of the divide. Bush has made sweeping foreign-and domestic-policy changes, creating a lot of chaos. Even those who support him have no idea where he is leading the country. That he doesn't alter his course in response to poll results means two things: he's sure he's right (which is scary enough), and he doesn't care about the opinions of those he serves. These attitudes add up to a god complex, and that's dangerous. Lauren Martin Freeland, Mich.

President Bush isn't wishy-washy; he's strong and not afraid to make a decision. The American people should stand behind him. I truly believe that history will vindicate him. Jenni Simpson Kosciusko, Miss.

Bush's political style may appeal to those who don't like ambiguity, but it produces bitter partisanship instead of solutions to problems. Compromise and accommodation make democracy work, but Bush does not seem to know how to govern in a democracy. Don Wittenberger Seattle

Hate and love are the wrong words to describe how Americans feel about the President. I am not emotional about the man George W. Bush. It is the Bush Administration and the unilateralism of its policies that scare me. How can the U.S. pretend to promote democracy around the world when it is such a poor team player in the U.N., the only global democratic body we have? Barbara M. Tull Delaware, Ohio

I've always thought of myself as a reasonable person, one who looks at both sides of an issue before forming an opinion. When it comes to Bush, I've tried to be fair-minded. But the emotion he evokes in me is fear. He has taken this country down a very dangerous path, and I'm scared to death of what is going to happen next. Sometimes I feel as if I've gone to sleep and awakened in George Orwell's 1984. Sandra Williams Colonie, N.Y.

I don't know whether I like Bush or dislike him. My husband has been deployed in Mosul, Iraq, since February. At first I was all for the war. Now I'm not so sure of its purpose or why my husband has had to stay over there for so long. Fighting for the freedom of Iraqis, who don't seem to want it, is not worth the price of breaking up families in the U.S. Laura Whitworth Pleasant View, Tenn.