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ATLANTIC HIGHLANDS HERALD |
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Last week Gordon Bishop wrote “President Bush is not God!” Well, finally, here is something upon which we can agree, for truer words have not been written. Several things come to mind when I think about our president and his administration, but “God” certainly is not one of them. “Albatross” might be closer to the truth; and no, I don't mean the large seabird, but rather “something that causes persistent deep concern or anxiety.” The truth is, I am deeply concerned about the direction of our country. And I'm not the only one. Recent polls show the president's approval rating has dropped to the low 30% range, and the vice-president is under 20%. I do not know what headlines Mr. Bishop has been reading, but most of America is clearly paying attention, and we are not happy. The Iraq war has become a certifiable mess, with no end in sight, only more bodybags coming home. Far from being a flowering democracy, the region is now a haven for terrorists, and the president's only answer is “stay the course.” Americans have stayed that course for over three years now, and we can see that it is a dead end. And now the administration states that our troops will stay in Iraq until at least 2009? We elect our leaders in the expectation that they can provide leadership and vision, especially in tough times. “Stay the course” is not a vision. It is a fiasco. I am also offended by Mr. Bishop's contention that anyone who does not agree with the president (or him) is some sort of Marxist-Leninist-Stalinist-Socialist-Anti-American. I am none of those things, but it is increasingly difficult to find any common ground with this administration. I think the government did a poor job with the terrible hurricane disasters of 2005. I don't think our government should be advocating torture as a means of interrogation. The budget deficit is at unprecedented levels, higher than at any time in history; I would like to see some fiscal responsibility. I believe that the word “refuge” should mean what it is supposed to mean (a place that provides shelter or protection), and that shortsighted politicians should stop trying to drill for oil in these protected places. I believe we should revisit the Kyoto Pact, and if we find it's not workable, then come up with something that is, instead of trying to pass garbage legislation like “The Clear Skies Act,” which actually makes pollution worse. President Bush won the 2004 election by over 3 million votes, as Mr. Bishop is fond of reminding us, but the actual percentage difference was rather small – 2.46%, to be exact. Mr. Kerry managed to get 59 million votes of his own. That is hardly a majority. Here's a real majority: currently, the president's disapproval rating – the percentage of Americans who are not happy with his job performance – hovers at a whopping 67%. That's roughly two out of every three Americans who have become disillusioned with the leadership of this country. So, please, Mr. Bishop – no more columns espousing the greatness of Mr. Bush – we're not buying it anymore. Sincerely, John S. Kaminski  |
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