Cross posted from Radarsite:
http://radarsite.blogspot.com/2008/04/open-letter-to-president-george-w-bush.html
Dear Mr. President,
My name is Hope. I am the undying spirit of the American Patriot, the loyal Homefront, and I am writing to you today with a heavy heart.
During these most perilous of times, once again, the good people of this great nation look to you, Mr. President, for our guidance and for our inspiration. We on the Homefront have proven our steadfast loyalty in the past and we offer it up to our embattled nation once again. Throughout our nation's history, by our selfless actions we have shown our willingness to sacrifice our creature comforts and our daily pleasures, our willingness to sacrifice our time, our industry, even our sons and fathers and brothers.
We are not blind, sir, and we are not ignorant of the perils we face. But we have become increasingly confused and conflicted. Our nation has been split asunder. Brother against sister, neighbor against neighbor. We cry out for your guidance and your inspiration, but, alas, to no avail. We are desperate for unity and clarity and purpose. However, rather than bringing us closer together you have been both directly and indirectly responsible for pulling us further apart and weakening us as a nation. You have -- forgive me, sir -- unwittingly played into the hands of our adversaries.
If you recall, immediately after that fateful day in September, we rallied behind you as one and awaited your orders. We loyally supported the bloody but necessary wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, no matter how unpopular or unsuccessful they may have at times appeared. We have stood steadfastly behind you and have tirelessly fought against those internal enemies, those traditional leftist forces of multiculturalism, moral equivalency and pacifism, who would willingly give this wonderful country of ours away. We eagerly awaited your call, our call to duty. But it never came. Instead, you told us to go shopping.
We are, we are being told, presently in the midst of a war, a nebulous War on Terror. But we are still unclear as to who our enemies are. Traditionally, in times such as these we have relied on our wartime presidents to provide us with a coherent narrative of the conflict, the reasons why we fight. We look to you for inspiration and clarification: This is who we are fighting and this is why we are fighting them. This is the enemy. This is what he looks like and this is what he wants to do to us. And this is why we must win. All of our great wartime presidents, from George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, to FDR and Ronald Reagan understood the necessity of this role of narrator and guide and fulfilled it admirably. And their unwavering leadership sustained us throughout those inevitable dark days of war and made our ultimate victory possible.
In short, leaders must lead and presidents must preside. We are loyal citizens and we are patriots, but we are not diplomats, we cannot be expected to understand the finer subtleties of international statecraft. We need the issues simplified. The reasons for fighting and dying must be made crystal clear. We welcome this simplification. We would even welcome propaganda. We might need the unquestioning passion and simplicity of propaganda.We are not professional diplomats, but neither are we fools. We know the enemy is not Terror. Terror is the weapon that our enemy uses in the hopes of bringing us to our knees. Our enemies are Muslims, and their creed is Islam. To attempt to circumvent this obvious truth will only bring us failure and dissent.
Imagine if you will Churchill flying off to Germany and hobnobbing with Nazis...
or FDR in one of his 1942 Fireside Chats, employing some kind of tortuous logic to convince us that we were not at war with the good Japanese people, but only with some small fanatical military clique within the Japanese government...
Preposterous isn't it? And yet, Mr. President, with all due respect, here are just a few of your inscrutable and confusing pronouncements on the nature of our present ruthless adversaries:
In the President’s Words: Respecting Islam
The United States is a nation dedicated to religious tolerance and freedom, and President Bush has acted to ensure that the world's Muslims know that America appreciates and celebrates the traditions of Islam. "Here in the United States our Muslim citizens are making many contributions in business, science and law, medicine and education, and in other fields. Muslim members of our Armed Forces and of my administration are serving their fellow Americans with distinction, upholding our nation's ideals of liberty and justice in a world at peace."
Remarks by the President on Eid Al-Fitr
The Islamic Center of Washington, D.C.December 5, 2002
"Over the past month, Muslims have fasted, taking no food or water during daylight hours, in order to refocus their minds on faith and redirect their hearts to charity. Muslims worldwide have stretched out a hand of mercy to those in need. Charity tables at which the poor can break their fast line the streets of cities and towns. And gifts of food and clothing and money are distributed to ensure that all share in God's abundance. Muslims often invite members of other families to their evening iftar meals, demonstrating a spirit of tolerance."
Remarks by the President on Eid
Al-FitrThe Islamic Center of Washington, D.C.December 5, 2002
"America treasures the relationship we have with our many Muslim friends, and we respect the vibrant faith of Islam which inspires countless individuals to lead lives of honesty, integrity, and morality. This year, may Eid also be a time in which we recognize the values of progress, pluralism, and acceptance that bind us together as a Nation and a global community. By working together to advance mutual understanding, we point the way to a brighter future for all."
Presidential Message Eid al-Fitr
December 5, 2002
"Islam brings hope and comfort to millions of people in my country, and to more than a billion people worldwide. Ramadan is also an occasion to remember that Islam gave birth to a rich civilization of learning that has benefited mankind."
President's Eid al-Fitr Greeting to Muslims around the World
December 4, 2002
"Ours is a war not against a religion, not against the Muslim faith. But ours is a war against individuals who absolutely hate what America stands for, and hate the freedom of the Czech Republic. And therefore, we must work together to defend ourselves. And by remaining strong and united and tough, we'll prevail."
Press Conference by President Bush and President Havel of Czech Republic
Prague Castle, Prague, Czech Republic November 20, 2002
"Some of the comments that have been uttered about Islam do not reflect the sentiments of my government or the sentiments of most Americans. Islam, as practiced by the vast majority of people, is a peaceful religion, a religion that respects others. Ours is a country based upon tolerance and we welcome people of all faiths in America."
Remarks by President George W. Bush in a statement to reporters during a meeting with U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan
The Oval Office, Washington, DC November 13, 2002
"We see in Islam a religion that traces its origins back to God's call on Abraham. We share your belief in God's justice, and your insistence on man's moral responsibility. We thank the many Muslim nations who stand with us against terror. Nations that are often victims of terror, themselves."
President Hosts Iftaar DinnerRemarks by the President at Iftaar Dinner
State Dining Room
"Islam is a vibrant faith. Millions of our fellow citizens are Muslim. We respect the faith. We honor its traditions. Our enemy does not. Our enemy doesn't follow the great traditions of Islam. They've hijacked a great religion."
Remarks by President George W. Bush and President Megawati of Indonesia
The Oval Office, Washington, D.C.
September 19, 2001
"The face of terror is not the true faith of Islam. That's not what Islam is all about. Islam is peace. These terrorists don't represent peace. They represent evil and war."
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My dear Mr. President, we rely on you and your good judgment to protect us, to defend our borders and to identify and deal with our enemies who would harm us. We need you and your leadership. But I'm afraid that all too often you have merely added to the confusion and weakened our national resolve. We have been hesitant to add our voice to those who wish to undermine your presidency or do damage to our democracy. But the perils are not receding, they are advancing. The imminent threats coming out of the fanatical apocalyptical regime in Iran are even more dangerous than the ones we face today. This time our very survival may be at stake.
We on the American Homefront cannot be expected to enter into a new and even more deadly conflict calling for even greater and more costly sacrifices and yet remain conflicted about who it is we are fighting. We need you to be strong. We need you to be clear. We need you to cut out all the PC nonsense, sir, and tell the world once and for all who it is we are fighting and why we are fighting them. We can no longer rally around a president who finds it impossible, or somehow inconvenient, to identify our enemies. We need you Mr. President, and now more than ever you need us.
Note: This is just a small sampling of the President's incredulous comments about Islam. To read the rest go here:
http://merln.ndu.edu/MERLN/PFIraq/archive/wh/islam1.pdf
God Bless America
