Letters

• Share

"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.

LATEST COVER STORY Mind & Body Happiness Jan. 17, 2004 Past Issues Tsunami Jan. 10, 2004 ----------------- Person of the Year Jan. 3, 2004 ----------------- Secrets of the Nativity Dec. 13, 2004 ----------------- The Stealth Killer Dec. 6, 2004 ----------------- Coolest Inventions Nov. 29, 2004 ----------------- Battle for Fallujah Nov. 22, 2004 ----------------- Four More Years Nov. 15, 2004 ----------------- The Joy Of Sox Nov. 8, 2004 ----------------- The Morning After Nov. 1, 2004 ----------------- The God Gene Oct. 25, 2004 ----------------- The Vote Battle Oct. 18, 2004 ----------------- Visions of Tomorrow Oct. 11, 2004 ----------------- The Tragedy of Sudan Oct. 4, 2004 ----------------- CBS Controversy Sept. 27, 2004 ----------------- America's Border Sept. 20, 2004 ----------------- Struggle Within Islam Sept. 13, 2004 ----------------- World of George Bush Sept. 6, 2004 -----------------   SPECIAL REPORTS  Coolest Video Games 2004  Coolest Inventions  Wireless Society  Cool Tech 2004 PHOTOS AND GRAPHICS  At The Epicenter  Paths to Pleasure  Quotes of the Week  This Week's Gadget  Cartoons of the Week More graphics >> More photos >> MORE STORIES Advisor: Rove Warrior The Bushes: Family Dynasty Klein: Benneton Ad Presidency More Stories >> CNN.com: Latest News

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.

I don't really hate Bush — hate is such a strong emotion. I will admit to feeling dislike, disgust and disdain. In all my 73 years, I have never had so little respect for a President. It's too bad, because I'm an easygoing, patriotic, friendly sort of guy, and to be so turned off by someone is against my nature. But that's how I feel about Bush, and judging from your story, there must be millions more Americans like me.
Robert Carrelli
Thousand Oaks, Calif.

--The cover photomontage of George W. Bush sporting a lipstick kiss mark and a black eye definitely got a rise out of readers. "When I saw how you defaced the President's picture, it felt like a slap in the face," wrote a reader from Colorado. That feeling was echoed by many, like the Georgian who declared, "Whether you like him or not, he's our President, and we're at war! Our enemies are probably plastering this picture all over their walls." A Missouri man compared the cover to "graffiti sprayed by an ignorant adolescent." But another Coloradan caught the cover's playful spirit: "When I first saw it, I thought it was Alfred E. Neuman on Mad magazine!"

Continental Divide

In "How Europe Gets Bush Wrong" [Dec. 1], Michael Elliott explained how the Continent's history plays a big part in shaping Europeans' views of the U.S. and Bush in particular. Certainly, European history has its limits, but who can pretend to be above it and able to pass judgment on it? Not Bush. His not being European gives him another perspective on things but not a superior position. If Europeans seem to be caught up in their own way of understanding the world, Bush should keep in mind that he too is caught up in history and his own way of comprehending things, and nothing but international cooperation can legitimize his views and actions.
Gilbert V. Lepadatu
Lexington, Ky.

In my experience, Europeans in general are only marginally less parochial than Americans. It may well be that Europeans today are less knowledgeable or interested in the U.S. than they were 20 years ago. But even so, they are more informed about the U.S. than Americans are about Europe. As for President Bush's speech in London, he has wonderful speechwriters. But a man's actions speak far louder than his words. It's the actions the people of Europe are responding to. When I speak to my friends abroad, I find myself spending a lot of time defending the U.S. The difference between my friends abroad and my right-leaning friends here is that those abroad at least listen.
Wahrena Pfeister
Houston