W ITHIN the past few days, the Bush administration has been doing amazing work to keep up the morale of the American people. Starting on Sept. 20 with an address to the nation and Congress, the George W. Bush that late night television has used as its clay pigeon was nowhere to be found. Instead, the nation saw a rehearsed and strong Bush and a speech that was broadcast to eight out of every 10 Americans in the country. The president took full advantage of this pivotal moment in U.S. history by delivering an amazing speech that instilled confidence and comfort into a shaky nation. His speech embodied how we have to unite behind him.
Bush's speech to the nation didn't trip over colloquialisms, nor did it fuss over artful wordplay. Rather, he was very forthright and plainspoken in the manner he delivered his lines. Bush took a hard line against terrorism by claiming that any friend of the Taliban is an enemy of ours. He equated the people who flew planes into our national symbols with Nazis, and he vowed justice be done for those who were lost in the collapse and explosions. Most importantly, he made clear that it's the terrorists that are the nation's enemies, and not "our many Muslim friends" or "our many Arab friends." In doing this, he denounces those who would pick on certain American citizens.
Bush deserves commendation for the hard line that he has taken in defending our country. By taking immediate action against the terrorists and those who would give them sanctuary, his administration has affirmed that America is a sleeping giant rather than a helpless bully. He has put our nation on the path to healing by pledging to punish those who are responsible for these deeds. As our troops begin to close in on Afghanistan, it's imperative that we stand behind Bush and unite as he leads us and his administration into a critical situation.
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In the months since Bush clinched the election in a controversial decision, the media, and especially late night television, have done nothing but lampoon our new president and his Republican administration. Jay Leno, Saturday Night Live and Conan O'Brien have attacked the president, portraying him as stupid, drunk and in many ways an incompetent fool. Some have questioned his ability as a leader, with talk of him as living off his father's reputation. Reporters would follow him with microphones waiting for him to make the next slip of the tongue upon which they could denounce him as illiterate.
Others, especially Democrats, criticized his appointments to Cabinet positions. However, whether or not people agree with his tax policies, or even voted for him in the recent election, he is every American's president. His presidency was arrived at by a democratic vote "of the people, by the people, and for the people." Although the election results have been contested, Bush is our president, plain and simple. Whether or not a given American likes him, he speaks for that American.
Now more than ever, America needs the comfort of a strong ruler. We are living through a period of time in which our sense of security has been shattered. We are no longer an indestructible force, impervious to threat on our home soil. Many Americans have reacted to this realization in a variety of ways. Some of these ways have been negative; a cry of racial discrimination upon Arab-Americans and the crashing of our stock market have left some sectors of American life reeling. However, others can point to the sudden burst of patriotism that has engulfed our country. Flags are being hung in windows, and many are figuratively "rallying 'round the flag" in defense against a common enemy. As a result, Bush's popularity has reached 86 percent in the Gallup poll, up from 51 percent before the attacks (www.cnn.com.). This creates the largest approval rating for any president since George Bush Sr. in the Gulf War.
This uniting of Americans under a common goal is the bittersweet result that has come out of this tragedy. Essentially, when this year began, half of the people in America wanted the Bush administration and half did not. We are at a crossroads now where the fussing over every crosswind that blows through Congress seems negligible when compared to the larger scheme of things. Regardless of their personal political beliefs, one thing that all Americans can claim about their country is pride in the freedoms that our founding fathers created 200 years ago. All Americans should unite and support the Bush administration in its quest to bring those responsible for these brutalities to justice. Otherwise, some of us have missed the point of patriotism; it's not about the bitterly divided line of partisanship, nor is it about hating those who some would consider to be less American than themselves. Rather, it's about finding the common thread of American pride.
(Kevin James Wong is a Cavalier Daily viewpoint writer.)
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