Editor:

The key point of my previous rebuttal was that one man cannot be blamed in entirety for the failures of a nation. Also, constant negative criticism that fails to be constructive is a waste of time. After reading Mr. Macias’ Dec. 18, 2008, letter to the editor, my opinions have not changed.

Concerning my opinions, I do not feel that biblical verses strengthen political arguments. While my religious views guide my political beliefs, as a political science and public administration student. I have been taught that biblical verses provide guidelines for opinions, but do not fortify a political argument due to the adamant separation of church and state. As a result, I prefer to rely on facts when building arguments.

Another important separation that should be considered when discussing President Bush’s time in office is the idea of “separation of powers.” Our Founding Father’s safeguarded the nation by fragmenting the federal government. While Bush is an easy target as the head of the federal government, the actions of Congress should not be overlooked.

While it has been suggested that the Sept. 11, attacks were planned by the Bush Administration, such theories have been disproved. Strong arguments are based on factual evidence and are weakened by vague and incorrect information. Mr. Macias gave a literal definition of genocide. However, the operational definition of the word genocide is quite different. Also, President Bush’s brother, Marvin P. Bush, was not in charge of security at the World Trade Center. He is a security trader in Virginia; the World Trade Center was a client of the company Marvin P. Bush is affiliated with.

Specifically addressing President Bush’s decisions on Sept. 11, 2001,his choices of action were limited. When the nation falls under attack, the president and vice-president are taken to secure locations for protection, as the chaos that would follow the death of the president would further weaken the country. The surprise of the attacks limited the margin of time Bush had for immediate action. Also, because the airplanes hijacked were commercial airliners with innocent passengers on board, the U.S. Air Force could not simply “intercept” the planes without further thought or discussion.

As 2008 comes to a close, President George W. Bush’s time in office has almost expired, and a new leader will soon be in office. Instead of dwelling on past events, it is important to look towards the future, as it holds all the promise of a better tomorrow.