Finish the Thought
Saturday, we asked readers to complete the sentence: “The Obama administration’s drone program has …”
“… been a measured response to terrorism. Consider the alternatives. Our national security is not enhanced by ill-conceived actions similar to President Bush's invasion of Iraq.”
CHARLES E. WILSON
“ … been one of the few successful programs since he took office. Using drones to take out enemies of the United States has saved many soldiers' lives and has been cost effective. If the exact same thing had occurred under Bush's administration, the conservatives would have heaped praise upon him. It's time to put petty politics aside and embrace what works well regardless of who gets the credit.”
STEVE BARNEYCASTLE
“… been consistent with his overall policies. Obama has killed terrorists, killed the economy, killed our future with debt, killed the employment hopes of millions.”
HARRY R. COOKE
“… caused a reversal of arguments by Republicans (except for uber-hawk John Bolton). Republicans usually accuse the president of not being aggressive enough on terrorism but in this case they are suddenly hyper-concerned about civil rights, collateral damage and other silly, sissy issues usually espoused by those ‘dang hippy’ Democrats.
“Hypocrisy? You betcha.”
KAM BENFIELD
“... drawn the ire of the liberal senators of the Congress not because of the drone program per se but because the Obama administration is not forthright with the Congress about the decision-making process of targeting an American citizen for killing even though the person was identified as a terrorist. Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon is particularly worried about the fact that president is the lone, ultimate decider to kill an American citizen without going through due process and bypassing congressional oversight.
“I personally don't believe Sen. Wyden intends to save the life of a terrorist but to protect all innocent American citizens. The practice now puts all of us at risk.”
BOON T. LEE
“ ... transformed liberals into raging warriors and conservatives into tree-hugging peaceniks. In American politics, hypocrisy is in infinite supply.”
JAN HUGOSSON
“… resulted in the murder of American citizens without due process. Waterboarding is outlawed and considered torture but murder of American citizens by drone without due process exemplifies the hypocrisy of the left.”
DON WOLFE
“… kept us safer without putting more boots on the ground. Unfortunately, President Obama is damned if he does and damned if he doesn't.”
CYNTHIA GOUGH NANCE
“… proved a few things.
“Reality can be so hard on rhetoric and theory. Remember how Obama was going to embrace the world and sing ‘Kumbaya’ around a big campfire at the U.N.? How's that working out?
“He was going to empty Gitmo and fill it with rich people not paying their fair share for his vote-buying schemes. Rich ‘greedy’ people are criminals, poor greedy people are Democratic voters.
“Like all politicians who tell you what you want to hear, he can't tell you the truth about what is really going on. The world is a hard, cold place that does not care about your kid's self esteem, whether someone is getting free birth control or abortions or who you marry. In fact, many people in the world want to see us dead and being humble and apologetic to them just gives them a better shot at his neck as the president bows to them.”
KEN HOGLUND
