Thursday the president of the United States, George W. Bush, gave his second inaugural speech. Amid pomp and circumstance, Bush spoke in glowing yet abstract terms of his plans to spread democracy and freedom throughout the world.
While people were listening to Bush’s inaugural speech, they could hear anti-war chanting in the background.
Besides the spreading of liberty, a key word throughout Bush’s speech was unity. He called for unity between America and its allies, as well as unity of purpose among the American people.
Considering that this is the first war-time inauguration of a president in decades, Bush seemed unrealistically idealistic and abstract.
This idealism is one thing that has kept many people going throughout the war. It has given people hope that Bush will not stray and will succeed to the best of his abilities in his plans for spreading liberties.
However, optimism and abstractions are not what some people were looking for. These are the people that have been waiting for an end to the hostilities in Iraq, either culminating in an end to American involvement or Bush’s projected aim of Iraqi freedom.
For these people who want something to happen, whether war or peace, Bush’s rhetoric was neither comforting nor appropriate.
The Reflector editorial board is made up of opinion editor Angela Adair, news editor Elizabeth Crisp, assistant news editor Jed Pressgrove sports editor Jeff Edwards, entertainment editor Dustin Barnes, managing editor Pam McTeer and editor in chief Josh Foreman.