Presidential Address

So, I missed the rest of Path to 9/11
(at least most of it)...but I caught
G.W. Bush's Presidential Address.

In case you missed it, I have listed most of his main points and made a few comments to a few of them in this posting.

Here are his main points:

• America is still in mourning
• On 9/11 ordinary citizens made extraodinary acts of courage
  
• We have learned alot about the enemy, that they are evil but do not kill without purpose
• The enemy (extremist Islamic fundamentalists) hate freedom and have no room for negotiation
  
• We are being tested by a war we did not choose
• This war will define our generation
• We have made progress and have some known terrorists in custody
• Sadam Hussein's Iraq was a known threat and the world is safer with him gone
• America's safety depends on the outcome in Iraq and we will stay until they have a stable democracy
• American's continue to join the military and fight in Iraq and we will NEVER back down from the work they begun
• We are going to do for the Middle East what our grandparents and parents did in Europe
• Even people whose parents where killed in WTC are still joining the army and becoming firefighters
• America needs brave young people and Good American's help their neighbors in need because:

  The spirit of our people is the source of America's strength. And we go forward with trust in that spirit, confidence in our purpose, and faith in a loving God who made us to be free.

And here is my commentary:
The President claims that we are being tested: that Ordinary Americans have made Extraordinary Acts.
I am not surprised that the president has used the 9/11 memorial fervor to try to inspire people to join the army and other first responder type professions....and this is something I am torn about. On the one hand, we need these people and on the other hand I am not confident that those who join the military will only be sent to those areas where they will be fighting a just cause.

There is no doubt that there are many unsung heroes who have finally begun to receive the recognition they deserve. I only wish that singing their praise was not accompanied by a call to arms.

I also agree with the President that one of the defining issues of our age is the conflict between fundamentalists and the tolerant...

I hope people can see that we are experiencing this conflict on many fronts: not just internationally between Secular nations and Extreme Islam, but also within the United States between fundamentalist Christians who would like to dissolve the separate of church and state, which is the defining principle of the U.S.

We need to be able to practice what we preach...we need to have a working democracy here at home before we can export it to other nations.

The President still claims that Iraq was a clear threat.
I agree that the terrorists are people who do not have room for negotiation, but I do not agree that there was a the necessary evidence to warrent an attack on Iraq. Sadam Hussein was without a doubt someone worthy of being tried for his crimes against humanity, but he is not alone. There are other very, very bad world leaders out there with whom America still has diplomatic relations--no sanctions! Nothing! And so why is it that we have not addressed these other nations? Because they are not a threat to the United States? Perhaps. However, there are more issues that need to be addressed than the number of soldiers and first responders or the resources and laws needed to keep people secure, to stop terrorists from killing!

Is our safety tied to positive outcome in Iraq? I agree with the President that our future is tied to the near future of Iraq. The President is suggesting that if we leave Iraq we are walking out on our obligations and letting Iraq to be a safe hazen for terrorists.
I want troops out of harms way, and I have seen several documentaries that seem to suggest that the Iraqi citizens would like to see troops leave. However, from these same sources I have gathered that there is much work to be done to rebuild the infrastructure....troops from the Coalition of the Willing, as well as American and international nonprofits, nongovernmental organizations, and corporations will be needed in Iraq for several years to come...
Hopefully, troops will be phased out and Iraqi's will feel more and more like they control their own destiny.


We need to help our neighbors in time of crises, of this there can be no doubt.
But am I expected continue to help my neighbors if I think they are bad people? Do I have the right to ask my neighbors to at least try to be better people? What if my neighbor has asked me to stop helping him/her? Even if I think she/he need my support, should I not respect his/her wishes?
When he suggests that we stand by our neighbor, I wonder which nation he was thinking about: Iraq or Israel?

Americans are still in mourning!
Yes, many Americans are still mourning...and many Americans are not paying attention. They are hiding from what is depressing. Mini-series like The Path to 9/11 still have the potential to do good, even if part of their content is false) because they might lure more Americans into paying attention. Path to 9/11 can help viewers understand that 9/11 should NOT have been a huge surprise: people did see it coming!!! Not just people in the Clinton administration, but also people in the Bush administration. Without something like The Path to 9/11 people would have not have connected the various terorist attacks and attempted terrorist attacks that have occured over the last 20-plus years!! The terrorist related attacks that have occured might seem to the ordinary NEWS viewer to be a series of unrelated events, events like the 1983 bombing of a marines military base in Lebanon, the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center, and the arrest of a man smuggling explosives across the Canadian border into Washington State, and the suicide bombing of the USS Cole, and 9/11!!!

While the President continues to make his point that the terrorists hate us and want to kill us because we love freedom is a tad too simplistic...but I will conceed that this issue is one that will continue to demand our resolve and dedication if we are to let freedom ring.