Letter to the Editor, 10/01/08

‘ ‘ ‘ My letter is in response to the Sept. 23 article written by Molly Green titled, ‘End is… ‘ ‘ ‘ My letter is in response to the Sept. 23 article written by Molly Green titled, ‘End is near for U.S.’s tragic hero.’ Apparently, Green does not understand the United States’ system of government. She blames Bush and Bush only for the Iraq war and for the passage of the No Child Left Behind Act. But Congress voted on the bill that authorized the use of force in Iraq, and the bill easily passed with the help of senators such as John Kerry, John Edwards, Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden. ‘ ‘ ‘ Congress also passed the No Child Left Behind Act with Ted Kennedy as one of its sponsors. The Senate, including Barack Obama, just passed a bill that broadened the government’s ability to wiretap. And I hear people constantly blame Bush for Abu Ghraib, but I never hear Franklin Roosevelt being blamed for the Dachau, Biscari or Canicatti massacres. Any sensible American knows that for every soldier who commits an Abu Ghraib-like horror, there are thousands who risk their lives to help people whom they have never met before and even those who have tried to kill them.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ The point is that the ‘blame Bush for everything’ ideology is getting old. Whether you agree or disagree with the policies of the last eight years, Bush is only partially to blame. Congress, Democrats and Republicans are also to blame. And more than anyone else, the American people are to blame. Ultimately, they have the power to demand what they want accomplished through voting. That is why in this election we need to once and for all decide our future. But let us do it without the constant hate speech directed at a president whom we elected twice and who has made policies with the support of a Congress that we elected. That mindset, not President Bush, is what is stupid. Jeff Abraham College of Arts and Sciences