Quotes of the Day
Iraq: Moment of Truth
Shame on those Americans who no longer support the war in Iraq [May 24]. A war that was right when the first U.S. soldier was killed had better still be right after the deaths of more than 800 of our troops. The war may not be as easy as we thought it was going to be, but that doesn't mean it is wrong. We Americans should remain loyal to our military, including our Commander in Chief and those directly in charge of the troops in Iraq. If we rally around our military and its leaders when the going gets tough, they will make us proud, as they always have.
MIKE GALLAGHER
Houston
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Where is a President like Harry Truman when we need him? Truman was willing to drop atom bombs to save the lives of American troops. In the face of enormous public disapproval, he fired General Douglas MacArthur. Truman showed courage and decisiveness when confronted with seemingly impossible situations. The whys and hows of the quagmire in Iraq would not faze him. He would either order the troops home or unleash the full might of the military on those who disrupt our efforts in Iraq. Moreover, he would take full responsibility for the decision.
WILLIAM H. HEDRICK
Albany, Ga.
I'm fed up with the idea that Europe is indebted to the Americans because they saved us in 1944. The U.S. had a choice: a Nazi Europe, a Stalinist Europe or entering World War II. Neither Nazism nor Stalinism was in the U.S.'s best interest, so it entered the war. Europeans may be indebted to those G.I.s who fought here 60 years ago but certainly not to the Bush Administration.
PASCAL DURUISSEAU
Nivelles, Belgium
You asked if the President who led us into Iraq knows how to lead us out. Bush did not lead me into Iraq; he dragged me, kicking and screaming, along with millions of others who could foresee the catastrophe this ill-advised action would produce.
CHARLIE ROSE
Boulder, Colo.
Your cover referred to this as being George W. Bush's moment of truth in Iraq. If this is the case, then it's better late than never.
JAMES GALLAGHER
Petaluma, Calif.
I like Bush very much as a person; he is the most humane President the U.S. has had. He is not, however, a calculating politician. He has been poorly advised by his Vice President, his Secretary of Defense and others in his Cabinet, and the blame rests with them. Bush has a benevolent heart; he wants what is best for Americans. He is a man of faith and goodwill, but he lacks the intellectual capacity to be a President.
JUNE GOMEZ
Orlando, Fla.
TIME dwells obsessively on all the bad news, the blood and guts, of the Iraq war. Can't you report just once on the good that U.S. and coalition troops have been doing? Let's hear about the positive things that President Bush and our people have achieved over there.
TIM SWALLOW
Waterloo, Iowa
It is not a matter of people losing confidence in Bush and the war. From the beginning, many of us had no faith to lose. Your story noted that General John Abizaid, head of the U.S. military's Central Command, exhorts the troops to keep the faith and emphasizes the good things that are happening in Iraq. That might change people's perception of the war, but it won't change the reality of it.
JORGE OVALLE
Normal, Ill.
Bush's Problem — and Ours
Joe Klein stated that sooner or later John Kerry has to tell voters whether he thinks the war was worth it and "whether he believes America has a responsibility to restore stability and rebuild Iraq" [May 24]. That doesn't make sense. The real issue is not what Kerry thinks but whether President Bush, who took us into an unjustified war without a rational plan to get us out, is competent to continue to lead our nation.
DAVID SOUKUP
Suquamish, Wash.
The war in Iraq may be everyone's problem now, but that doesn't change the fact that it's still Bush's fault.
RAY GREGORY
Virginia Beach, Va.
Ritual Politics
Andrew Sullivan wrote that the Roman Catholic bishops' threat to deny Holy Communion to pro-choice Catholic politicians is harmful to the church [May 24]. It is not the bishops who are hurting the church but Catholic politicians who excuse themselves from the church's moral guidelines while expecting to be treated as Catholics in good standing. One cannot be a good Catholic and still support choice on the issue of abortion. Communion is a statement of unity with Christ and his church. A pro-choice stand is a contradiction of that unity.
ALBERT CLERC
Houston
Catholics, listen up! If you vote for Kerry, you'll be damned, but that's in the future. If you vote for Bush, you'll prolong the hell we're already in. Easy choice. Vote for Kerry, and go to confession after the election.
NORA JEAN SMITH
San Diego
Since the Catholic church also opposes the death penalty, will the bishops deny Communion to politicians and voters who support capital punishment?
HECTOR TIMOURIAN
Livermore, Calif.
Starving the Enemy
Re your story on fuel-efficient hybrid cars, which are propelled by gas engines and electric motors [May 24]: While my Honda Civic hybrid is eco-friendly, that was a secondary concern for me. Every stop at the gas pump now feels like an al-Qaeda fund raiser, but with my hybrid, I'm using only my fair share of U.S. gas production. I'm not lining Osama bin Laden's pockets anymore.
MATTHEW MCINTOSH
Gretna, La.