http://www.willcoxrangenews.com

Wednesday, December 07, 2005

A Closer Look: What happened to George W. Bush?

By TERRY MAXWELL/Arizona Range News
This is the second in a two-part series.

Sadly, the wealthy politicians in Congress can't identify with America's poor and disadvantaged and are paradoxically assisting millions of indigent people throughout the world. As a consequence, the poverty-stricken in this country are being denied the full opportunity to experience upward mobility. Shouldn't the quality of life of our American families come first?

The Bush administration's lack of response to Katrina caused the American people to question his ability to take charge in an emergency. Perhaps people are forgetting Bush's leadership when terrorists struck the Twin Towers in New York City and killed 3,000 innocent Americans. All of us should be grateful for his leadership and almost immediate response to the psychopathic killers that changed America forever.

Whether Bush can make a comeback is open to debate. He has rolled over for his right-wing conservative base, which could pose a threat to the Republican Party in the next presidential election. If mistakes and events continue to plague Bush, the Republican Party will suffer in the 2006 elections and possibly lose the House and Senate.

The Democratic Party lost the last two presidential elections because they moved too far to the left. The right wing or left wing of either political party cannot lead America for an extended period of time.

For Bush to return to his first-term popularity, he should face reality and take responsibility for his lack of judgment that diminished his popularity and poll numbers. An apology to the American people would be appropriate and beneficial according to most pundits.

Bush should open his eyes to the reality that, yes, America is a great and generous democracy, but it is also besieged by debilitating poverty, destructive drug abuse, malicious race, gender and age discrimination, inadequate health care for millions of our people, marginal education opportunities for the disadvantaged, and criminal behavior that shocks many European countries.

If needed social progress is to materialize in our country, the president and Congress should tell the masses of American people that there is another America out there that is inhabited by about 10 to 15 percent of our population with little or no hope for a better tomorrow.

The poor and forgotten are not really represented by either of our major political parties.

Why? Because the poor in this country don't go to the polls to vote because they feel it is a lesson in futility.

Although it is seldom addressed in the news media, Bush and his administration should make an attempt to learn about other cultures and religions. Christianity isn't the only religion in this bi-cultural world we live in, however at times, President Bush acts like it is. Bush is perceived by many Muslim leaders in the Far East as being obsessed with spreading Christianity throughout the world by any rneans possible, including war.

Over the past four years, Bush failed to take steps to significantly reduce the flood of illegal immigrants coming into the United States through Arizona and other border states. Millions of unregistered immigrants and thousands of hardened criminals walked across our borders and overwhelmed the border patrol. Bush's lack of action at the border contributed to his decline in poll numbers. The use of military personnel should help control the situation if carefully monitored.

Maybe we shouldn't be too critical of George W. Bush and his conservative associates for not being able to comprehend and identify with poverty and deprivation that tugs at a person's self-worth as a human being. How could they if they have never experienced not knowing where their next meal was coming from?

Poverty in America is shameful, unacceptable and a national tragedy that has yet to be adequately addressed.

However, this is a capitalist society, and wealth and upward mobility aspirations are the driving force behind a healthy, robust economy. Therefore, people shouldn't be chastised for accumulating wealth and pursuing the good life. Yet, this doesn't excuse the Bush administration's lack of empathy for the poor and disenfranchised.

(Editor's Note: Terry Maxwell can be reached by e-mail at terrancefntn@aol.com.)