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Friday, March 29, 2024
The Observer

Committing to both God and politics

BJ Strew's Dec. 8 column, "Bush's imperial theology," attempts to strike the worst fears in Americans. In it, he not only portrays America's president as a 19th-century imperialist stalwart, but he also compares President Bush's ideology to that of the terrorist group Al-Qaeda. Such fear-mongering and degradation is not only divisive, but it is rather unhelpful to the effort of helping our country during this time of war.I do not know for Strew, but as for me, I do believe there is evil in the world. Slavery was evil, as was the Holocaust; ditto for the gulags of the Soviet Union. The use of the term "evil," by our President merely illustrates an otherwise abstract adversary to common folks in America: he is calling it as he sees it. Any reasonable American, regardless of his or her position on the Iraqi War, agrees that there is a such thing as good and evil in this world, and Saddam Hussein sure isn't on the side of good.Moreover, the magazine that Mr. Strew quotes from, "The Nation," is not known for its American-friendly articles. In fact, its most recent online version has a piece that blames the riots of the 1970s not on drug-crazed draft-dodgers, but rather on men who actually went to Vietnam to defend America against communist insurgency: "Thirty-five years ago, hundreds of thousands of people took angrily to the streets, universities were taken over and a sitting President was hounded from the White House because of people like Wesley Clark." Clark was then a Lieutenant in the Army and felt it his duty to serve America.It is no wonder that this fringe element of American politics is always the most critical of those who serve "a higher calling" and seek guidance from God while doing so. It is clear that the likes of "The Nation" and Mr. Strew don't think too highly of tradition-minded Americans, whether President Bush or General Clark. Thus, regardless of your party affiliation, let not this fringe element question your commitment to God, Country or Notre Dame. Instead, let us unite to ensure that light will overcome darkness throughout the world.

Darrell ScottjuniorWashington, D.C.Dec. 8