It is time for op-ed contributors to The Daily Free Press to step away from the Bush-bashing bandwagon for a moment and review the facts. Had the uninformed authors of “Only unrealistic rich can agree with Bush” (Jan. 22), “One of these days we will bring war to Mars” (Feb. 5) and “Permanent Daylight: A look at the Politics of pigs” (Feb. 4) done so, they might have thought twice about publishing their opinions, or at least would have included some supporting facts in presenting their ideas. How can Mark Bridges believe the president “has turned our once-respectable military into a reckless, unorganized killing machine”? Why does Matuya Brand think it’s acceptable to compare the president to a “pig”? Where does Quintin Marcelino get the idea the president’s true motive for space exploration is “space combat”? Truth is, we won’t know by reading their articles because in their rush to join the ranks of the Bush-bashers, they, like their brethren, simply skipped over the facts. Sadaam Hussein was an evil dictator who used chemical weapons against his own subjects. He ignored United Nations imposed sanctions for more than a decade. President Bush’s decision – one echoed by congress – to remove Hussein from power was predicated upon the best intelligence available at that time. Intelligence gathering is an art form, not a science. By the time intelligence is forged into fact, people have likely died. Had the United States suffered another terrorist attack tied directly or indirectly to Hussein’s dictatorship, no doubt Bridges and his cohorts would be chiding the administration for failing to take action. Our government saw a threat to our country and eliminated it. Our military’s ability to vanquish an enemy swiftly with minimal loss of civilian life speaks volumes about our military’s professionalism, restraint and strength. Only a person who has never picked up a weapon and stood a watch in defense of his or her country would characterize our military as “a reckless, unorganized killing machine.” Brand’s “pig” comparison is in the poorest taste and without merit, particularly in light of the president’s domestic agenda. The president’s health-care plan proposes more than $177 billion to make coverage more available and affordable, with $89 billion in new health-care tax credits to make private health insurance more affordable for low- and middle-income families. It includes $1.5 billion for long-term development of community health centers to serve an additional 6.1 million patients. Increased funding from 2003 supported 170 such centers serving one million more patients. In the first three years of the president’s term, federal funding for public schools increased 59.8%. Through the Reading First program, 20 states received $412 million to help improve student’s reading abilities. Nearly $3 billion in federal funds were available to recruit and retain exceptional teachers and principals as part of the No Child Left Behind Act. President Bush’s Jobs and Growth Act of 2003 is designed to provide substantial tax relief to 91 million taxpayers. Middle-income families would receive further benefits from the reduction of the marriage penalty, an increase in the child tax credit and implementation of a lower 10 percent tax bracket. On average, those 91 million taxpayers would see a tax cut of $1,126 – 3 million of them would have their income tax liability eliminated. The act is specifically directed at moderate-income families and those with children. President Bush guided our economy to the path of recovery. Mortgage rates during the Bush administration are the lowest they have been in decades, fueling housing-sector businesses, and making home ownership more accessible for working-class families. The stock market’s recent surge to pre-2001 levels is a strong indicator of investor confidence and is another sign of economic recovery. The growth of the budget deficit and the sluggish economy during this administration must be framed in proper historical context. Our president directed the creation of the Department of Homeland Security, melding 170,000 personnel from 22 agencies into one – the largest reorganization in government since 1947. The reorganization resulted in efficient sharing of counter-terrorism data amongst all law enforcement entities. America is waging war against terrorism, both at home and overseas. The attacks of 9/11 revealed a dangerously low level of preparedness in America, requiring immediate action. That action has a significant price tag. To wait for a balanced budget before deploying troops or bolstering homeland security readiness would have been folly with possibly disastrous results. I’m a Republican and an active-duty officer in the U.S. Coast Guard. While the Uniform Code of Military Justice prohibits me from publicly disparaging my commander in chief, it does not require me to commend the president’s accomplishments and vision – this I do of my own volition. As for Marcelino’s bizarre column, I can only say his opinion certainly belongs where it appeared – under the heading of “I’ve got nothing.”
Chris O’Neil Governmental PR Graduate Student COM 05 508-455-1681