Letters

Replies to European worries about second Bush term

In response to the Nov. 4 article "Global memo to Bush: Be involved, but not bossy" I composed this letter.

Dear Europe:

I am a working-class man. My father emigrated to the US in 1960. I have close roots to Russia and Sweden. I think highly of Europe, as far as I am familiar with it. It is from this point of view that I compose this message.

I think there are many things wrong with my country. I think things could be better here and across the planet. So I do what I can with as much effort as I can, and I do it every day. At my job, at home, in my neighborhood, in my town and state, and in my country.

I am not really sure that world leaders are as important as we like to believe. I must admit that I am unfamiliar with most European leaders. And I doubt that you know the American people by your impressions of our president. This is the very point of my message. We, the people, are never unanimous in our decision. We fight over it. The president is our leader. But he is not my boss. Nor will he be yours.
Robert Anderson
Coeymans, N.Y.

The "Global memo" should have been headlined "Partisan letter to Bush." I have heard all the same talking points from John Kerry in the past several months. It is very easy to criticize America while sitting in Cairo or Paris, or in the ivory towers of academia. Such speech, under these circumstances, is not courageous. It is the expected thing.

On another subject, if China desires America's cooperation, perhaps it should take another look at questions of human rights and a prison labor force, and how such things relate to competitive fairness.

America's citizens choose America's president. We desire a president who will consider our interests before those of the other nations. We don't want a president who is comfortable with a "wait and see" attitude toward terrorism. President Bush prevailed over Mr. Kerry for these exact reasons, which is why most of us hope Bush pays no attention to this "global memo" for at least four years.

Bill McEntee
Easton, Mass.

Coalition-building has its limits

Thank you for the Oct. 27 article "Antigay remarks spark EU row" regarding the EU's refusal to consider a more conservative leader in light of significant social problems.

This points to a larger issue. Increasingly, the US cannot rely on other countries, even those once considered allies, to support what Americans believe to be right and proper. While Senator Kerry made a huge noise regarding the need for an international alliance when we act in the world, it is becoming clearer and clearer that with little exception, we must be willing to do what we need to do, militarily, socially, or ethically. Coalition-building has its limits.
Christian Anderson
Salt Lake City

Reexamine exit-poll results

I highly respect the level of professionalism in your reporting. I was troubled, however, by your Nov. 5 editorial, "Voting Advances, and Retreats." Only a few months ago, technology experts were expressing deep concerns with new electronic voting systems, showing how the systems could easily be hacked and voting records changed. The discrepancy between exit polls and voting results should raise questions about the legitimacy of those results and the accuracy of exit polls. Instead, journalists have chosen to assume that somehow only the exit polls were wrong.

Considering how fiercely close this election was projected to be, I think that all these things deserve further investigation.
Susan Gaeddert
Madison, Wis.

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