Presidential Pardon
Brandye Huggs, staff writer
It seems
everywhere we turn people are speaking out either against or for our
president.
I have
my own feelings about President George W. Bush, but I am glad to live in a
society where everyone is entitled to his or her own opinion. I wonder,
though, if people ever stop to think that the reason we as a nation have
this freedom is because of men such as President Bush. Men who believe in
America and our Constitution. Men who know that our nation was founded on
virtues, values, and respect, and have dedicated their lives to preserving
it. That is what public service is, and for anyone out there who has
forgotten, President Bush, like all other presidents, is a public servant.
Thanks
to our Founding Fathers, America is a nation where its citizens are allowed
to speak their minds. This is such a major privilege. Very few people in
other countries will ever experience the same liberties and freedoms we are
allowed. If the people in Cuba were to speak out against their leader,
severe punishment would follow. How I feel about President Bush is my own
opinion. However, I feel, that as the president of the United States of
America, President Bush, or anyone holding this office, should receive our
respect and support the position commands.
I do
support President Bush. I believe in his morals, ethics, beliefs, policies
and the man he is. I support that he is a Christian. He believes in our
nation and the people who make up our nation. I feel he has had a hard and
challenging time in office. While he has been president, he has faced the
September 11th attacks, and handled the situation with fierce
determination, empathy for lives lost and changed forever, and good military
leadership. I strongly believe if our nation had not invaded Afghanistan and
now Iraq, we would be fighting a war here on our own soil. President Bush
has faced rising gasoline prices, which has nothing to do with him. Other
aspects of government control these. Anyone ever hear of special interest
groups, lobbyists, and Congress? This issue is greater than the president.
Yet, he is trying to relieve the pressure by opening up the country’s oil
reserves and drilling for oil in Alaska.
President Bush is even now being blamed for Hurricane Katrina. I suppose he
and Mother Nature teamed up to wipe out part of our country, right?
Absolutely not. People were warned to evacuate, and later were begged to
evacuate. Busses were sent for those unable to find their own transportation
out of the areas, yet busses were leaving half-empty. Is it President Bush’s
fault this occurred? Of course not. Why is he being blamed? What about the
State Officials, Representatives, Senators and Local Officials? President
Bush had aid on the way within three days, while aid to the tsunami victims
last year took three weeks.
Remember, President Bush was elected twice to the highest office in the
United States. This is not an easy feat. It took dedication, perseverance
and the American people to put him there. I do not think disrespect should
be shown to the president of such a great nation. People who travel to
foreign countries and degrade our president make our nation’s citizens look
like fools. We as a nation should do our best to represent America with
dignity and respect.
Consider
this: does a worker tell his boss he is dumb and ignorant? No. Should a
child show disrespect to his or her parents? No. I feel the president is in
the same category. Love him or hate him, respect that he is the president of
the United States. He is the Commander-in-Chief of our Armed Services. He is
also human and only a man. I was taught to respect my country and its
leaders.
President Bush is my leader. I support him as such and will continue to
support any president of the United States of America.
