Mr. President: Stop playing politics with war

From the Muskegon Chronicle. A small town about 4 hours from me. Usually Conservative.

Dear President Bush,

Every day, our readers write to us about the issues of the day, whether these be local, state or national. They speak from the heart and we print what they say, however harshly worded. Sometimes this newspaper is the target of their scorn, sometimes it is Gov. Jennifer Granholm and sometimes it is you yourself, sir.

Today, with all due respect for your office, we write you in the aftermath of your 2006 State of the Union message because we wanted you to understand why we have such deep misgivings about some of what you said.

This executive summary paragraph of our letter can be stated as follows:

Stop playing politics with war.

Mr. President, we appreciate, deeply, your appeal to Democrats and Republicans to, in your well-intentioned words, "act in a spirit of good will and respect for one another," and in so doing make the state of our union stronger.

Yet you continue to widen the divide between both sides when you insist that opposition to your policies has crossed the line from responsible criticism to what you called "defeatism that refuses to acknowledge anything but failure," and when you suggest that opponents somehow hope for America's defeat. This rhetoric is beneath the great character of the office of the president, and smears the good name of those whom we believe have ample reason to be critical of how America has come to be so ensnared in Iraq, and are deeply concerned as to how the way out will be found.

Mr. President, you must understand: This is our war, but it is also uniquely your war. At your urging and insistence, America invaded Iraq in 2003, and the consequences of that action are completely your responsibility. This mission still has not been accomplished nearly three years later, even though it was implied upon the deck of a Navy aircraft carrier that it was over in a month. Since then, thousands of our best and bravest have been killed as the result of your decisions, almost 10,000 more have been wounded, and untold Iraqis have perished as well, the good with the bad. The impact of this war has chagrined and alienated many old friends around the world.

So when Americans question your policies, they aren't "defeatist." They are exercising their rights as citizens to lawfully and patriotically question perhaps the most pivotal policy move of your administration. It isn't "defeatist" to ask questions about low troop numbers, the so-called "breaking point" of our military, the potential for civil war in Iraq, inadequate body armor and vehicle armor for our troops, discontent among our allies and the enormous drain of U.S. dollars to fund this adventure, Mr. President. This kind of dialogue is precisely what the Founding Fathers intended to take place in our own democracy, right here at home, even in the midst of war. With answers -- honest, nonpolitical answers -- perhaps we can survive this dangerous moment in history with less tragedy than has already come to pass.

Mr. President, this could be a long letter, but we will stop here, even though we have very grave concerns about other matters you raised in your speech. We just want you to know that however critical our editorials may be at times, we understand how tough a job the presidency is, and we don't envy the heavy responsibilities you bear every minute of every day.

Good luck, Mr. President. We'll be writing again soon. Thanks for taking the time to hear us out.

Coretta Scott King

One issue where we agree completely with the president was with his kind and generous tribute to Coretta Scott King, the late wife of slain civil rights hero Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Mrs. King was a hero in her own right, and was instrumental as a force in the multiracial movement that ultimately swept away the hateful "Jim Crow" laws that prevented African-Americans from enjoying their lawful rights.

Nor did her story end with her husband's assassination at the hands of a white racist in 1968. For almost four decades after that horrifying murder, she upheld and promoted the great causes for which Dr. King gave his life.

Coretta Scott King's life was a joyous as well as a painful one, and she bore a tremendous burden throughout her 78 years. Now this great lady, like her husband, belongs to the ages.

The editorial can be found here:
Mr. President: Stop playing politics with war

MLive is a aggregate site of many Michigan newspapers.

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