In the last four years we have embarked on a dangerous and ineffective war on terror. The present administration entered a war without an exit strategy, and opted for a bully as opposed to persuasive plan. The results are over a thousand American soldiers are dead, in addition there is still no peace in Iraq or weapons of mass destruction found. Our economy is a clear indicator that the present administration failed to make sound economic decisions. For one, corporate profits are soaring and economic opportunities for the middle class are shrinking. The healthcare concerns of the poor have been ignored, along with the environment and the quality of education for inner city children. Can we stand another four years of disaster?
I think not. Some Bush sympathizers would say, “Well Bush had to deal with the attacks on the World Trade Center, and this war on Iraq, that is all very difficult,” But as John Kerry argues there were many presidents in US history that had to deal with a difficult economy and war, and did not cause the chaos that Bush has caused. Many agree that Saddam Hussein was a threat to the world, and I agree. However, we must exhaust all diplomatic measures before going to war, and this administration failed to do that. We disrespected the international community by going to war and now we are in a mess we can’t climb out of.
I don’t believe that Kerry, if elected, would transform the country into a utopian land, no one can. However as he motioned in the last debate, companies get tax breaks for outsourcing jobs under the current administration, if he were president he would encourage companies to create jobs at home by giving them incentives to do so. Because we live in a capitalist society, the government role is limited, however the actions that the government takes should be in favor of those who need the most attention.
Most industrialized nations provide health insurance for all their citizens, but for some reason we are not one of those nations. I, like many, was concerned that if we substitute the current health care system, we would jeopardize the quality of our health care. However, Kerry made it clear that he was not proposing a federal health care program, but rather giving people the option of getting affordable health care. Also we must consider that many people don’t get medical attention until is too late and the cost for treating an illness at the late stages is more expensive than prevention. If everyone was medically insured, than poor people would have the option of being seen by a doctor at the first signs of a medical problem.
We should be ashamed of our consumption habits, especially when we considerer our oil consumption. We consume 2.5 million barrels of oil per day from the Middle East, a place which is unstable and has pushed the gas prices sky high. John Kerry proposes a plan that will give tax incentive to automobile companies to invest in new technology and manufacture cars that rely on alternative fuel. He also proposed giving tax breaks to consumers who purchase such vehicles.
Last but not least, let’s discuss our favorite topic, education. According to the John Kerry’s website, 220,000 qualified student were not able to attend college last year because of the high price of education. A close friend of mine was not able to return to UB, because there was not enough PELL grant available for all students who need it. Part of the reason why the government had to cut 100 million dollars from the PELL grant fund, was to fund this war on Iraq, which we tried to fight with out the help of the international community.
According to the John Kerry website, Kerry will make the effort to ensure that every student is able to get a college degree, and that schools have the resources needed with qualified teachers.
Again, I don’t believe our country will change overnight, but I feel that Kerry will take steps to make sure our country is going in the right direction. Bush wants four more years, but please lets only give him three more weeks. And as many liberal women claim, “my bush makes a better president.” I encourage you to visit JohnKerry.com, and then of course, GeorgeBush.com, and if by then you are not fed up with all the political bull@#$% Visit moveon.org.