To the editor:

When a president is elected, there is an implicit pact of trust between voters and the president, and it is imperative he maintains that trust with the American people.

The events of 9-11 taught Americans how it feels to be attacked, the helpless feelings of impotence and fear. For once, we were the targets, we were the victims, and we all suffered the heartbreak, the horror, the tragedy of war. What we went through, we should wish on no other human beings, much less perpetrate and initiate war on innocent civilians.

Sadly, President Bush misled Americans into a war alienating the United States almost to the point of total isolation with the rest of the world based on false and misleading assertions by the White House against a country not even remotely involved with 9-11.

Bush used and abused 9-11 to exploit and scare Americans into accepting his strategy to pre-emptively attack any nations who might be thinking of doing us harm. To this day, his administration refuses to put a cost on its war or when it will end.

Bush cites belief in God as the ultimate authority in his actions; making his action in Iraq a “faith-based initiative” by the United States. Unfortunately, he overlooked the Commandments, “Thou shalt not lie” and “Thou shalt not kill.”

Fool us once, shame on you, fool us twice, shame on all of us.

Curtis D. Bennett,

Lawrence