I have three general reasons President Bush deserves another four years. Please consider them:

The primary reason Bush deserves to be re-elected is because of his competent policies. In light of the 4,000 Americans killed every day by abortion, Bush has signed bills such as the Unborn Victims of Violence Act and the partial-birth abortion ban. The president knows the importance of the traditional family and would even amend the Constitution to protect marriage as a union between one man and one woman. His tax cuts have allowed the economy to grow 4.8 percent in the past year, and the USA Patriot Act has enhanced our ability to combat terrorism. Breeding grounds for terrorism have been eliminated in Iraq and Afghanistan, while Saddam Hussein’s regime and weapons development have been destroyed.

Bush also possesses the characteristics necessary to be a president. He makes his decisions for the good of America, not the good of his campaign. A prime example of this was his decision not to use federal funds to support the destruction of human embryos for stem-cell research. This has cost him dear support, but the president knows human life is more important than votes. The president also can make swift decisions when necessary, such as ratifying the Patriot Act. Lastly, Bush is in good moral standing. Although not intolerant of other religions, Mr. Bush is an active member of his Methodist church and reads through the entire Bible periodically. John Kerry, on the other hand, has ignored orders from his bishop not to receive communion, and tries to woo Catholic voters by bringing photographers to his church.

The third general reason Bush deserves another term is because Kerry has failed to prove himself better than the president. Accusations that John Kerry is a flip-flopper are not Republican hype based on inconspicuous attachments to Senate bills. Kerry has said he was “personally opposed” to abortion, yet he has also said that he would only appoint abortion-rights judges to the Supreme Court. He told us Bush did not send enough money to Iraq, yet voted against an $87 billion package to support our troops there. He has failed to make his position on marriage clear, and when it came time to vote on a constitutional amendment to protect marriage, Kerry and Edwards were absent. This schizophrenia implies that Kerry is a poor decision maker and/or does not wish to reveal his standings on the issues. As the candidate advocating a change in the executive branch, Kerry has the burden of proving that he is a better candidate then Bush. But the senator has demonstrated himself to be nothing more then a Masked Marauder.

With these factors in mind, I have concluded that Bush deserves four more years of office, as well as a round of applause.

John Murray is a sophomore at Free State High School.

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