Voting for president of the United States of America representssuch a hard-fought freedom which brings such responsibility.Regardless of individual vote, we will all live – if God allows -for the next four years under the same leadership. We have only twochoices.

The second presidential debate held in Missouri on Oct. 8, wassuch a great opportunity to witness firsthand some thought patternsof the two candidates, President George W. Bush and John Kerry -senator from Massachusetts. I have read about Sen. Kerry’s votingrecord, but I was so amazed at how “flawed” and inconsistent thesenator’s debate was.

Sen. Kerry, first of all, was, as others, so “stuck” on whetherIraq had weapons of mass destruction. That is history! Five minutesago was history.

Sen. Kerry served in Vietnam and he deserves respect for that.He received medals of honor in the war, but came home to denouncethe war just as people like Jane Fonda did. When asked about whathe would do, if elected, about Iran if it became an immediatethreat, he exclaimed, “We’d get ’em!” How on earth would youunravel this thought pattern? A president who opposes this war, yetvoted for it, but would take on another war? Make sense to you? Notto me. He’s just plain scary!

On the issue of health care, all I could decipher that Kerrywould spend more tax dollars, try to serve more people, with lessquality health care. You can expect more documentation. If weintend to divide the government pie, the slices will be thinner,and somebody had better be willing to “cook up” another pie. Goodluck!

What about abortion? Grateful that my mother chose life, Iwonder if Kerry is. He states he understands, though doesn’tsupport pro-life, being a Catholic. Well, that is reallyconfusing.

Regarding stem-cell research, Sen. Kerry supports embryostem-cell research. Unfortunately, I have a cousin who hasParkinson’s disease. She is now in her late forties, has had thedisease since her early thirties, and has two grown children. Shehas every reason to want to live, but I can tell you that she’dnever want to exchange her hope for a cure with the termination ofan unborn baby’s life. It’s uplifting to know of a president whobalances science with ethics – and is willing to be unpopular – not”politically correct” – that is, vote his convictions, stand by hisdecisions – not waiver. That defines a leader.

Though scientists have tried to explain the world and manthrough evolution, they still can’t fit where the monkey originatedinto their explanations or why they can’t make it rain in thedesert. In my estimation, science has already gone too far and manis proving every day that he can “outsmart” himself.

I’d like to say to Sen. Kerry that he cannot be the president ofthe gnostics, the agnostics, the atheists and the believer. Itwon’t mix anymore than oil and water. Somebody will go “under.” Arewe, then, to assume that Sen. Kerry also plans to be the presidentof the terrorist? This is a war against terrorism – which will beforevermore. Saddham is out. That was as good as any place tostart.

President Bush as he says himself is only human; his decisions,though, are fairly predictable. Kerry, though, on the other hand,is like a tornado brewing. The winds of his idealogy blow east andwest. I wouldn’t board his plane, so to speak, for fear he wouldchange course for no apparent reason. It’s easy to say what hewould do, what he would have done, but he hasn’t been in thedriver’s seat.

Our “push-button” society is awarding its own pressures andproblems. Sometimes we have choices, sometimes we don’t If there isone problem in the world, it could potentially be our problem.Though, I didn’t want to see this war happen, how can anyone say,what would have happened if it hadn’t happened? Only God knowsthat. To abandon this war now would, seems to me, be a “slap” inthe face of every veteran, every parent who buried a soldier, everychild who buried a parent who was a soldier, every survivor of9-11, and even my classmate in 1970 who returned from Vietnam witha missing leg.

My father, Marshall Smith, fought along with his brother, DavidSmith, left for dead in Germany, for our freedoms to have opinions,to worship without fear. I can write this letter and you, thereader, can disagree because of war.

This war is unique in contrast to all previous wars – it isagainst terrorists anywhere they are in the world – not Iraq,solely. How can Mr. Kerry regret a war that took out a murderouszealot but not defend the right of a newborn baby to life?

In my book, there’s a world for people who would back down inthis war – it is traitor. September 9-11, like Pearl Harbor, had tobe retaliated against. It’s paradoxically complex – yet simple: youeither support terrorism or you don’t. War is war. History ishistory. We are at war. The debate about whether we should havegone to war is a waste of time. The president can’t decide alone togo to war. The Constitution doesn’t allow it. Kerry helped us to goto war with his vote.

Let’s play school – it’s happening everyday – Sen. Kerryreceives as a grade for this debate – if transcribed: an A-plus incontent; an A-plus-plus in redundance (highest in the class); a D-in coherence; an F-plus in logic and reasoning, and an F – completefailure – in unity. Summer school will not be an option for Mr.Kerry, what’s done is done. Can’t change history. Addition won’tovercome division, and divided, we will not conquer. We are not adivided nation yet. Mr. Kerry will, if elected, secure thatdivision.

If you can’t decide who to vote for. Vote for Mrs. Laura Bush.She has been the president’s wife – not the president. She’s trueblue, looks great in red, and is pure white in her heart. She hasbeen an exemplary first lady. She’d probably choose to go to thelibrary instead of going “on-line.” Sometimes answers aren’t foundin science and seemingly going forward, but rather in steppingback. Science doesn’t afford all the answers.

Sen. Kerry has his wires crossed as a recalled Smyrna, Tenn., orCanton, Miss. Nissan. His infinitives are split, he can’t connectdot A and dot B with a straight line, and is miserably stuck insome sort of unknown regressive past tense. He is a wreck waitingto happen.

Bush is a leader; Kerry should just settle for being what heappears to be: a diplomat and a dreamer.

Do what you want, just vote. Things could get worse; I believethat. God bless.

Jan Elizabeth Smith Busby is a retired schoolteacher and aresident of Bogue Chitto.