Bush Behavior Setting Terrible Example for Children
by Megan Bronson
"In every deliberation we must consider the impact of our decisions on the next seven generations." The Iroquois Confederacy
I am neither a Republican nor a Democrat nor a Libertarian. I am an American citizen, I am a mother, I am a grandmother, and I am concerned for the children not just of this nation, but of the world. As someone who has long been a strong advocate for children, I am deeply concerned. I am concerned with the moral example that is being set for the children of this time and I am concerned at the example of conflict resolution that is being modeled for them. I am deeply concerned that the present administration is guiding this country and our children down a path that will have grave consequences not only for this generation but for all future generations.
I am concerned:
That an unprecedented policy of preemptive strike, (to attack first when a perceived enemy has made no covert threatening move or direct verbal threat to do harm), has become morally acceptable. That the assassination of heads of state and their families has been directly ordered and condoned by the highest levels of our government and has become glorified in the media and has apparently become an acceptable policy for this country. With the language being used by the highest official in our nation which is reflective of a wild west cowboy movie from the 1950s""wanted dead or alive", "smoke them out of their holes", "track them down and bring them to justice (i.e. kill them)". This is an inappropriate example for the young people of our nation. That it has become un-American and unpatriotic to disagree with the present administration or to dissent. This right is the most essential building block of a true democracy. That thinking people have become afraid to speak out. At the appalling lack of separation of church and state. That so many people seem to be blind to what is happening and like children are following the pied piper to their doom. At the distortion of truth in our government, in our media, and in the press. Lies of omission are as serious as outright lies. They are also more cunning. That lying and conning to gets one's way is being condoned on all levels of our government. Toddlers lie, manipulate, triangulate, scream, and stomp to get their way. I expect more from the executive branch of government. At the striking similarities in the behavior and communication patterns of the Bush administration to dysfunctional and addictive family systems. I am concerned with "the end justifies the means" mentality which has been the modus operandi of the Bush administration from the 2000 presidential election up until now including how intelligence appears to have been distorted and misrepresented in order to justify the assassinations and war in Iraq. That so few people stand up to George W. Bush. We have a tyrant for a president posing in evangelical garments who relates to heads of state who disagree with him like a tyrannical, shaming, patriarchal father or worse yet a grandiose toddler. This is unacceptable behavior. That is what I would tell my children or my grandchildren if they behaved this way and what I am saying to George W. Bush. Your behavior is unacceptable to me as an American citizen and as a citizen of the world. Being the president of a democracy and being the king of a kingdom are very different things. That America is losing friends and allies and respect around the world. This is a dramatic and pervasive world-wide trend. The Bush administration appears to have forgotten the most basic principle of being human""we live in and on our lunch box. Whatever damage we do to our water, our air, our land, we ultimately do to ourselves. The survival of our planet is essential to the survival of our children and grandchildren. The damage done to the environment and the damage that will be done by the environmental policies of the present administration will be irreparable.
In making decisions that impacted the community, one North American tribe, the Iroquois Confederacy, had a policy of considering the effects of important decisions on the next seven generations. That policy is a call to thoughtfulness and consciousness in decision making. That policy reflects an understanding of the interconnectedness of all human beings and ultimately all living things. The extreme short sightedness and narcissism with which the Bush Administration makes decisions will have far reaching effects on my grandchildren and yours, on my great-grandchildren and yours, and all future generations to come. The policies of the present administration will ultimately leave all of our children behind. If enough of us stand up and speak up and demand a change there is hope. Speaking up is not only a right of a democratic society, it is an obligation. Our country and our world cannot afford four more years of the Bush administration.
Megan Bronson Belmont , Michigan
©2004 Megan Bronson
