The Sun (Lowell,
MA)
Sunday, October 3, 2004
Endorsement: George W. Bush for President
It's about national security.
That's the key issue on the minds of Americans planning to vote in the
Nov. 2 presidential election.
They must decide whether Republican President George W. Bush or Sen.
John F. Kerry, a Democrat, can provide the leadership to safeguard
America from
foreign terrorism.
Americans aren't fools. They know that without safe cities and
towns, America will lose its greatness. Our cherished freedoms
and sacred liberties will be diminished, along with our opportunities
for economic prosperity and our basic pursuit of happiness.
Our children and their children will live vastly different lives if we
fail to guarantee a future free of turmoil.
Islamic extremists, both here and abroad, have one purpose: To destroy
America and halt the spread of democracy and religious tolerance around
the globe.
They'd like to be plotting in our streets right now. They'd like
to be sowing murder and mayhem with suicide bombers and
hostage-takings, and spreading fear in the heartland and everywhere
else. They'd like to be wearing us down and bringing our nation
to its knees.
Since the devastating terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, one American
leader has maintained an unbending resolve to protect our homeland and
interest against Islamic savages and those foreign governments
appeasing them.
That leader is President Bush.
While out-of-touch U.S. politicians and world leaders have attacked
President Bush's tactics, they can't question his steely commitment to
keep America safe.
In the ashes of ground zero, where nearly 3,000 innocent Americans
perished, President Bush vowed to find the perpetrators, in domestic
cells and distant lands, and bring them to justice. He said he
will do all that is humanly possible - and necessary - to make certain
that terrorists never strike again on U.S. soil.
Can anyone deny that President Bush has not delivered? America -
the terrorists' No. 1 target - has recovered from its tragic wounds and
rebounded. It remains safe to this day.
What might a lesser leader have done, faced with the daunting task of
deciding America's course against withering, partisan attacks from
Democrats, media propagandists, disingenuous U.N. officials and
disloyal White House operatives selling their souls for profit during a
time of war?
A lesser leader might have caved in. President Bush has stood his
ground.
In this year's election, the question isn't whether we are safer now
than we were four years ago. We already know the answer.
Sure we are - and that's because of President Bush. The critical
question is: Four years from now, will America be safer than it is
today?
In our book, Americans have to place their trust in President
Bush. He's proven to be as sturdy as a mighty oak when it comes
to saying what he means, meaning what he says and acting decisively.
When it comes to the war on terror, President Bush means to keep our
military strong and our country secure.
John Kerry, on the other hand, has all the attributes of the shape of
water when it comes to telling us what he believes and what he'd do for
America. Like incoming and outgoing tides, Kerry is content to go
with the flow. In a dangerous world infested with sharks, Kerry would
be chum - at America's expense.
We in Massachusetts know John Kerry. He got his first taste of
politics 32 years ago in the cities and towns of Greater Lowell.
In his 20 years in the U.S. Senate, Kerry, a Navy war hero, hasn't
risen above the rank of seaman for his uninspiring legislative
record. He's been inconsistent on major issues. First
he's for the 1991 Persian Gulf War, then he opposes it. First
he's for the war in Iraq, then he's against it. First he's for a
strong U.S. defense, then he votes against military weapons
programs. First he's for the U.S. Patriot Act, then he opposes it.
Kerry's solution to stop terrorism? He'd go to the U.N. and build
a consensus. How naive. France's Jacques Chirac, Germany's
Gerhard Schroeder, U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan and other Iraq
oil-for-food scam artists don't want America to succeed. They
want us brought down to their level. And more and more, Kerry
sounds just like them. In a recent campaign speech, Kerry said
America was in the wrong war, in the wrong place, at the wrong time.
No doubt John Kerry sincerely wants to serve his country, but we
believe he's the wrong man, in the wrong place, at the wrong time.
Americans should think back three years ago to the smoldering ruins of
the World Trade Center. There among the mist lay the images and
memories of fallen firefighters, police, a Catholic chaplain and
ordinary working citizens - moms, dads, sons, daughters.
President Bush, through heartfelt tears, told us never to forget the
twisted carnage and the massacre of the innocents. Yet some of us
are forgetting.
President Bush told us the attacks must never happen again. Yet
some of us are wavering because of the brave sacrifice of soldiers that
our nation's security demands.
Well, President Bush hasn't forgotten. Nor has he lost the
courage and conviction to do what is right for America.
We know if there is one thing the enemy fears above all else, it is
that George Bush's iron will is stronger than his iron won't.
The Sun proudly endorses the re-election of President George W. Bush.
Copyright © 2004 The Sun.
Reprinted by permission. (Jim
Campanini, Oct. 14, 2004)
Editorial Board: Publisher Kendall Wallace, Editor
Jim Campanini, Editorial Page Editor Sharon Flaherty, Assistant
Editorial Page Editor Ann Frantz, Political Editor Paul Sullivan.
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