A decisive president

In the upcoming presidential election, people have two options: to vote for Bush or to vote against him. When citing reasons to vote for Kerry, grouchy voters resound with the chorus: "Because we hate Bush!" Many people see the war in Iraq as a violent and senseless aggression by the United States. Some believe that our nation bullies other nations simply because it can. I see it differently.

George Bush is a courageous and decisive president. We live in an age where no one wants to act. There's too much personal risk involved. Parents won't punish a misbehaving child, because they don't want to be mean. A referee who makes a call gets booed, because there's always someone who doesn't like the call. It can be tough to act, but, if we do not deal with problems quickly, they are far more severe down the road.

President Bush made the decision to invade Iraq, and he has taken a lot of heat for the decision. I consider myself a peaceful person, but I believe the invasion was justified. The decision was undoubtedly tough, but Sept. 11 taught us we must meet terrorism head on. A preemptive strike reduces possible violence by not allowing the threat to mature.

Saddam Hussein was a tyrannical, aggressive leader who disregarded authority. He was willing to push limits as far as he could, but no one wanted to call him to account. Saddam was a threat whether he had weapons of mass destruction or not. George Bush made the decision that every one else was afraid to make. He hustled in a situation where time was of the essence, and invited those brave enough to join in the fight. It was a gutsy move. Many nations did not follow in hopes that they could reap the benefits of the work of others. Who can blame them? Too much personal risk is involved.

The fact that no weapons of mass destruction were found in Iraq is not a reason to paint Bush as a liar. In essence, it proves that because we acted so quickly and decisively, Saddam's intentions to acquire such weapons were thwarted. What if we had waited for other nations too long and later faced a nation with nuclear capabilities? Then we could have invaded together and all been annihilated together! I am thankful for a decisive and committed leader. I believe Bush does what he believes is right regardless of whether it makes him popular.