As a prolific Letters to the Editor writer (not all that prolific in getting them published), I appreciate a good Letter when I see one.
That was the case this morning. In the New York Times Letters, “Bush’s Final News Conference, and His Legacy,” I read this letter that truly says it all—in 157 priceless words:
To the Editor:
President Bush’s defense of his pursuit of the war on terror is emblematic of his vigilance to hold steady to this misguided course, and for that, he does not atone. While he gives a nod to lesser errors, the days of the Bush presidency are haunted by the following laments:
A lament for the war dead, and for the Iraqi families that have gone without food, water and electricity, even as the largest American embassy took root from the desert floor and United States companies bided their time while oil contracts were set up for their taking;
A wail for the quiet erosion of the Constitution, the privacy of citizens, and those interned and tortured without trial or hope;
A cry for the eviscerated social programs failing the American people, and the debt that saddles the future;
And a tear for the earth, cordoned from the caution of science and left, wounded, to its own overwhelmed defense.
Nancy Dickeman
Seattle, Jan. 13, 2009
Thank you, Ms. Dickeman
