President Bush Called the Nation to Duty

Excuse me if I sound flush with patriotism, but on Thursday night I experienced what could well be the defining moment of U.S. history in my lifetime. As I listened to President Bush’s speech before Congress, I heard a nation being called to duty as it hasn’t been since World War II. Since I missed Pearl Harbor by 17 years, I can only imagine the feelings of patriotism that Americans felt as they listened to FDR’s famous speech. On Thursday, tears of pride welled up in my eyes as I listened to the president.

Were his words hollow, to be forgotten as the shock of Sept. 11 recedes? I don’t think so. It’s up to us to see this war through to its logical conclusion.

John McElligott Jr.

Fullerton

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I am so proud of our president. His speech was so very inspiring. Bush is the kind of leader we need at this time. He is both strong and human. He is a big man, and the history books will reflect this fact.

Ray Ackerman

Studio City

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Bush has declared war on terrorism. From a practical standpoint, what does this mean? It means more vigilant security, better intelligence--particularly “human intelligence”--and cooperation with other nations regarding the common threat of terrorism.

Will it also mean the devastating and indiscriminate bombing of foreign civilians? If 500,000 Arabs perish--even if one of them is Osama bin Laden--will we have “won” our war against terrorism? Or will we merely have proven that we have as little regard for human life as our enemies and give Arab citizens further reason for despising us? Foreign terrorists want nothing more than a holy war with the West. Let’s not give it to them.

Chris Green

Culver City

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In the last decade, we have all witnessed a steady and rapid escalation of petty politics in Washington. It has, indeed, become a way of life. I must say that I now have newfound respect for our Democratic leaders as a result of the unyielding support they have given our president over the last 12 days.

As a conservative Republican, I never thought I would write to The Times to say how proud I was of the Democratic lawmakers in our country. My hat is off to them. May God bless this nation and keep these men and women focused in their efforts to lead this country, and the world, to victory.

Scott T. Slinkard

Santa Clarita

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In your Sept. 21 editorial, you note that “the president also offered his explanation of why groups like Al Qaeda hate the United States. ‘They hate our freedoms: our freedom of religion, our freedom of speech, our freedom to vote and assemble and disagree with each other.’ ” However, after giving this excerpt, you move on, without addressing the validity of what the president claimed.

The terrorists did not attack us because they hate our freedom of religion or speech or any other freedom. They could not care less about these things or about anything else that goes on within our own borders. They attacked us for a few very specific reasons, of which two are preeminent: the ongoing presence of our troops in Saudi Arabia and our Israeli/Palestinian policies.

Bush and his team, of course, know this, though obviously they would rather the American public not think about these things.

Daniel Baig

Los Angeles

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Buried in Bush’s surprising eloquence Thursday evening was an applause line rife with irony and entirely too much hubris, even for him: “They hate what they see right here in this chamber: a democratically elected government. Their leaders are self-appointed.” A brash statement, indeed, from a man who lost the popular vote decisively and who remains the first and only American president named by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Ken Greenberg

Bell Canyon