by
Jo Kraych
Editor,
The Saginaw News:
President
Bush officially kicked off his re-election campaign Jan. 20 in what was
his interpretation of the State of the Union.
As
I watched him polishing his "cowbully" image with the U.S.
flag, I wasn't surprised by his blatant use of scare tactics by
continually referring to the terrorist threat to the U.S. It was eerily
reminiscent of the disgraced Sen. Joe McCarthy and the communist scare
of the 1950's. I envisioned myself being led off to jail because my
neighbor turned me in for reading a Michael Moore book. The USA Patriot
Act is a wonderful tool for silencing your critics and guaranteeing
re-election, Mr. President.
After
replacing U.N. weapons inspectors with 150,000 of our husbands, wives,
sons, daughters, aunts, uncles, brothers and sisters, we have found
absolutely nothing. We've spent $150 billion, had more than 500 U.S.
soldiers die, including 19 from Michigan, and are facing a projected
$500 billion to possibly $1 trillion deficit for 2004. It is obvious
that President Bush is living a separate reality from the rest of us.
How many more have to die to colonize the Middle East for the likes of
Halliburton Energy Services and Bechtel Corp.?
If
we took the time to do some simple math, the bill for the war in Iraq
comes out to $7,500 for every man, woman and child in the United States.
Since the government is spending more money than they are taking in,
that money must be borrowed from our children's future.
If
we had to take out a cash advance on our credit cards for $7,500 for
every member of our family so President Bush could fight a pre-emptive
war in Iraq, based on lies and deception of weapons of mass destruction,
would we be in Iraq right now? I don't think so.
We
need at least 5 million new jobs, Mr. President, not another $50 billion
for Iraq. We need a national health-care plan for all Americans (free,
just like yours), not a reinstatement of the draft. We need to stop the
flow of manufacturing jobs from leaving this country, not tax breaks to
help corporations do just that.
After
you've taken care of your campaign contributors, what is your plan for
the rest of us? The majority of people in this country are hurting, Mr.
President. I'd like to hear you vision for our future, and please don't
lie to us again.
Jo
Kraych
Co-Chair
Tri-City
Action for Peace
