To: oped@nytimes.com
Re: May God bless America - or heaven help us!
Date: Friday, 03 September 04

Dear Sir/Madam,

 

I chanced to see Senator Zell Miller ranting at the Republican Convention against John Kerry on the TV news on the other day. I'd never seen or even heard of him before, but he struck me as being a nasty, dangerous person. Whoever's side he is on, I'm on the opposite side (Cheney and G.O.P. Mount Vigorous Assault on Kerry).

 

Immediately after 9/11, America had more sympathy and support around the world than ever before. It was a huge and invaluable amount of capital that could have been put to such positive use in these challenging times. But the Bush administration has succeeded not just in losing it, but in turning it into a liability that will cost (is already costing) America and the world dearly. That is a tragedy both for America, which needs the rest of the world, and for the rest of the world, which needs America.

 

To see Americans (and so many of them manifestly my not-so-distant relatives) celebrating the Bush administration at the Republican Convention so enthusiastically as the saviour and future hope of America and the world (which I do not doubt, in their deluded minds, they believe), I found a very depressing sight.

 

How much better (or, more realistically, how less bad) things might now be if instead of George W. Bush America had got Al Gore for President.

 

If God really does bless America He'll make sure that Bush doesn't win the coming presidential election.