Open Letter to Pres. Bush

It will soon be 7 years since you were first sworn in as the 43rd President of the United States. We all remember what was a painfully long delay for everyone to know who had been elected in the 2000 election. I was not sure of you, but I certainly had high hopes, what with your successful record as Governor of Texas. You had high ideals about the US government, and in particular, Washington D.C.

I must tell you first off, that I am not an American. I am a Canadian, possibly a rare one who supports President Reagan Conservatism and fundamental conservative values. I am a neighbor, an outsider looking in. I'm writing this in this format, and publishing it in this way, only because, a) no one would publish it in Canada and b) you most definitely would never see it. So I believe this is a more hopeful format. American or not, my wish is that you will welcome my recognition and my thoughts on what lies ahead. My preference would have been to wait until your term is done, and until your completed work can be evaluated from a historical perspective rather than from a sound-byte perspective. But with this latest election result, I decided to write you early. May I point out that by writing this open letter to you today, sir, I am likely to lose a few more friends, and I may not hear from various family members for some time.

I have a few things in common with you, Mr. President. We apparently like the same music: John Fogerty and Stevie Ray Vaughn to name two. I particularly like Fogerty's "Born on the Bayou" and SRV's "Texas Flood", and I wonder which are your favorites. I used to have a Scotch Terrier as well, appropriately named Scotty (my first wife is a Canadian of Scottish descent). Scotty past away earlier this year, after living 98 good dog years.

Secondly, as an outsider looking in, I wish to say "Thank you", Mr. President. I appreciate all you have done to strengthen America, and for helping to keep it where it is, on top of the hill. I for one, know and understand the value of a strong, independent and freedom-loving America. Oscar Wilde once said: "Nothing that is worth knowing can be taught". Regretfully, past Canadian governments have so depleted and reduced what used to be a significant, departmentalized and well equipped military to the point that when we first volunteered to assist you in Afghanistan, our valiant men and women had to hitch a ride on your aircraft.

In deed Mr. President, the world at times seems to take America for granted. Your actions however, have served to tell the world that America will do what needs to be done, despite objections from many whom we could call ungrateful, envious, or idiotic, if not all three.

When you arrived in D.C., you made deliberate and concerted efforts to include the minority party (the losers) through bipartisan projects. It became clear after only a few months that the minority would chose to obstruct and to otherwise deny you any success. This, Mr. President, as you well know, intensified after 9/11.

You certainly came into your own on that day when you visited Ground Zero, and proclaimed to the world your intention to defend America and to pursue those responsible. You unleashed the so-called "Bush Doctrine", which only served to focus the left's cross hairs unto you. That change in policy remains intensely shocking to this day, but it is widely supported.

I salute you for your steadfast, determined and stubborn positions on Pre-Emption, Democratizing the Middle-East (sowing the seeds as it were), and instilling both respect and fear from your enemies. Better than cowering to the enemy to get meaningless laurels and adulation from those who seem to have lost their ability to recognize what is good for their own survival. Any civilization that looses this ability looses its right to be saved by others who have their eyes open, in my opinion.

Thirdly Mr. President, who won the election in the end? I submit Mr. President, that nobody won. I say this because the entire smorgasbord has become so convoluted, so filled with truth-stretching, innuendos, diabolical absurdities and out-right lies that Americans are clearly bamboozled by various party members. Not to mention, the 4th branch of government, the press and mass media who constantly and repetitively use sound-bytes and out-of-context quotes with the express purpose of supporting the press' own bias, and to distort the actual intended meaning of quotes.

Those who fear who and what they are, relegate themselves to chameleonic behavior in the face of either contentious liberal and conservative issues. As we all know, they do indeed propagate both parties, but this multiplies the sinicism and mistrust. In the end, some simply vote the way they always have, because sorting the truth out appears near impossible, though they do want to exercise their right and do their duty.

The resulting masquerade unravels soon after the election, when the electorate discover (apparently for the first time) the partial truth. I am concerned Mr. President, that possibly yourself and some of your cabinet, have bought the Press' assertion that the Iraq War was the issue. Of course, Senator Joe Lieberman's win is an aberration, in their view. But of course, aberrations to the left, explain all of life's mysteries. Some would have you believe that the shunned and maligned Senator Lieberman's constituents are apparently vastly different than the whole country.

Likely the worst a man can do to his fellow countrymen is to pretend to be something or someone he is not. The worst he can do to himself is to believe it. The masquerading is indeed a huge disservice to voters.

Fourthly Mr. President, I will tell you what I believe happened in this 2006 mid-term election. Regretfully, I must say you moved onto the wrong side of the immigration issue. While it is true that America is a land made of immigrants, it requires more than just showing up, as it should. There are exceptions of course, for those who are escaping the clutches and rigor of tyrannical despots.

When the press is not on your side, you can hardly profess that amnesty is not proposed, if the end result provides the equal condition. To the average guy and gal out there, the variations are from 'stay' or 'leave', meaning, amnesty or not. If your proposal says, "stay for a while" and "you don't have to leave yet", they kind of look the same.

While Americans generally feel sympathy for those who go through the normal, demanding and time-consuming process to become full-fledged citizens of this great land, they would consider it a privilege and worthy. When Americans see desperate Cubans risking their lives to land on Florida shores, this too they can understand and allow themselves to support a lackadaisical entrance procedure.

But if people from other nations, cross into the U.S. by simply walking over its otherwise defended and glorious perimeter, and thusly granted equivalent amnesty, they would feel as I would, devalued. Discounted citizenship from a proud populace goes against the grain of sovereignty that lights up their hearts when they hear America's anthem. The hard-fought bloody battles that you mention often time again, which define and sustain America, and which provides for the world's only shores of hope and freedoms, are precisely for that perimeter. The shinning city on the hill has a border, Mr. President.

The average American can relate to "No one will provoke me with impunity" and "don't tread on me". Those who work hard to come to America legally, are the ones who value what they've earned, and will join in its defense. There is no real voting base of "Latinos" for Republicans, whatever Republicans do. Those Latinos who will vote for the Democrats, will do so with contempt, disrespect and mistrust of the amnesty program, as they would without the Republican program. Conservatives who do the right thing must face the music, either way. There is less value to the citizenship granted like duck soup for whatever reason.

Mr. President, you refer to that fateful day in 2001, as a day America changed. Many discuss the eras of pre- and post-9/11. Several new clocks started ticking on that mournful day. The first clock was, when will they hit again? The second was, when will we teach them a lesson? The third one was, when will we learn our lesson?

To your credit Mr. President, you vowed to prevent a future, similar attack on your watch, and you have so far, thank God, succeeded. I grant you a further laurel that you have kept your eye on the ball, rather smartly, and have successfully kept the enemy off balance ever since. God only knows if the enemy has learned anything though. America's lesson is clearly not yet learned by all.

For example, the American left's erroneously learned that U.S. foreign policy, or other American actions and behaviors are to blame. You, on the other hand have proposed that liberating peoples and providing them with the tools they need to ramp up, is the way forward. The very same problems, which enable enemy combatants to continuously join the ranks in both theatres of the War on Terror, is the problem the average American sees with the U.S. southern frontier, and to a lesser degree, the northern border.

It is the most paramount issue, the most dangerous and the most ignored. The left and the press have been working hard since you took office, to deny you, your Administration, and the Republican Party any significant achievement. By trying to get you to admit to errors, and to otherwise propel your focus off of the target, it is for the same reason the left and the press continues to pound on the war in Iraq.

Fifth and last is the road ahead Mr. President. The left has been in your face with attack after attack, with senseless and seething rage. They've made the economy appear to be in shambles whilst it has roared with almost unparalleled success. They've made every bit of good news, negative. They've even blamed you for 9/11, Hurricane Katrina and for all that ails America. They've called you all the names from Satan to Hitler, and every sadistic psychopath in between. That should be an indication that you are doing good work. Conservatives would be concerned if the left were in agreement all the time, though it would be nice once in a while.

God has given mankind the tools to survive and fend for our needs. One tool is to recognize who our enemies are. You have three remaining charlatans on the world stage, one real and two childish cretins. The real one is the Hitler of our time, and you have already recognized him as part of the axis of evil. If allowed to rise, we will have no one to blame but ourselves. He is thusly rising on your watch Mr. President, and sadly, the Israeli lion is asleep and not expected to wake.

Now that the Democrats have a slim majority, they would like to have a fruitful tenure, much like you wanted to have from the beginning. They want to strike a new tone of understanding and bipartisanship with you now. Laughable and predictably moronic, they want what they denied you. You know what to do here, Mr. President.

After pulling in political chameleons to shamefully appear conservative, the wacky left has scammed some power. The RNC is not much better, if it cannot rely on conservative candidates with conservative values. Both are doing a disservice, and contributing to this chaotic environment where incessant polls are brandied about without concern for the language of the questions involved in the polling.

Immigration is key Mr. President. You have but two years, and if the left's new tone has any value, please put it to good use on protecting U.S. borders to effectively seal it from mass intrusions. It surpasses the matter of the desert dog, because even he can use a weak border at his advantage. America would back you on a sound policy, if it does not include McCain/Kennedy shenanigans, loopholes and toothless enforcement. This issue, Mr. President, will be your legacy, regardless of any future successful or unsuccessful terrorist attack on American soil.

You will soon give America another State of the Union Address. I will watch it on my television as I always do. In the meantime, I will pray for you, First Lady Laura Bush, and your family. God Bless.

Sincerely, a little Canadian on your side.