Sacrifice

Dear President Bush,

Thank you so much for giving my family and I good reason for hope and pride in our country! I am a moderately young mother and wife and I work for the State of Oregon. I raised three sons who are young adults and I'm proud to say our whole extended family will be voting for you!!

Last night I watched your debate in it's entirety. I am so very proud of your courage and unwavering character! Thankfully, our boys were taught to think things through to logical conclusions. They also believe that one's character is extremely important, as this dictates world view, and therefore one's actions. Thank you, thank you, for being the strong, unwavering leader that you are! You are a president with whom they can logically, reasonably agree, take pride in, and know that you will not change or waver.

I know that sacrifice is a part of being president. Any citizen of a free country should also be willing to give in any way possible for the cause of freedom. At this time in our history if we are selfish or afraid, it will surely come back to bite us. However, I have great hope that you, Mr. President, are strong enough for us all! As a mother, I thank you for giving so that we can all sleep more peacefully.
I will continue to pray that God will give you strength and wisdom as you strive to protect our country and stand for freedom here and abroad. May He be gracious to us as a country by allowing you to continue on as our GREAT president!

Thank you (and your lovely wife) for your courage and sacrifice! Long may you hold America's highest office!!

Sincerely,

Ethel
Age 51
Stayton, OR

The worst day of my life

Dear George:

It's October 12, 2004. The worst day of my life. My husband, as I write this letter, is currently on his way to Kuwait. I can't help but to cry to myself and wonder why. I have a 10 month old little girl who may never know her Daddy, and a two year old son that asks me everyday why his Daddy won't come home. I have no answer. I can't even answer why we're fighting this war. I never understood from the beginning.

My son walks around shooting everything with whatever may look similar to a gun, and says he wants to be like his Daddy and shoot people. Once again, he is two. Is this the way you want these American children to grow up? Do you want them to hate everyone and go around killing people just because they have grown up thinking it was ok. Because they don't understand, and we as parents, can't even explain it to them. I don't think its right to kill anyone.

I understand "they" killed a lot of Americans on Sept. 11th, but I don't understand what that had to do with WMD in Iraq. I thought the real terrorist here was Bin Laden, but it seems to me since this war started we've done nothing but provoke more people to become terrorists. They are killing our men and women there. They're hurting the families that those men and women left behind. And we still have nothing to show for it. I don't see an end to this war. And now my husband is there fighting for a cause he doesn't even understand. He's a National Guardsmen in transportation and that's the worst part. What if he's driving one of his loads and someone sets a bomb off in front of him and we lose him?

I have to sit here everyday wondering how my husband is and if he's even safe. I question your reason for this war because I don't have an answer myself and all I hear you say is its a war on terror. Well you got your way and Saddam Hussein is no longer in power there. There were no WMD, and now its time to get our troops out of there. It seems to only be getting worse. I'm a stay at home mom who depended on my husband's income and that got dramatically dropped, Now my entire life is in shambles and all I can think about is my husband's safety and if my kids have to grow up without their Daddy. I'm alone, I don't have much for family, and we depended on him, he was our life and now he's gone. I just want an answer. Why? Please help me explain this to my son. And how much longer do we have to go on like this?

We look like the terrorists over there. They want their life back too. We've caused nothing, but hell to those Iraqi families and now, You're causing nothing, but hell here for the families of the Soldiers that are dying, and even the ones who are just gone away from home. And how do you think those men and women feel over there? My husband joined his unit before we met because he had nothing else, now that he has a family he feels terrible that he had to leave. He didn't want to leave us, but he had no choice. Do you have family there? Do you know first hand what those Soldiers are going through? I don't know how you can live with yourself knowing what you've done to this world and its people.

Dana
Age 23
Sheridan, IL