To the editor:

I would first like to thank the Hall Center, the Lied Center and Gary Hart for an excellent lecture and presentation of Thursday’s presidential debate. Democracy is built on education and sharing ideas, and forums like that at the Lied Center are central to our system of government.

It is quite easy to take sound bites and continually repeat them. It takes intelligent people who can formulate an argument on their feet, answering the question that was asked of them. At many times during Thursday’s debate, I felt that Bush was confused about the questions asked and could not respond. His arguments were poor. Bush used simplistic fear tactics, and regarding the difficulty of the war in Iraq stated that he has “seen on the TV screens how hard it is.”

Kerry stressed diplomacy, a smarter fight against terrorism, and preventing nuclear proliferation, including our own. He is the candidate who has seen the realities of combat, not just watched it on television.

In regards to Bush’s comments that Kerry is “inconsistent,” it frightens me that our leader is not willing to be continually re-thinking his position on the war, as war is dynamic thing, continually changing. Perhaps Bush could learn from the Arabic proverb, “a wise man sometimes changes his mind, a fool never.”

Thursday’s debate proved that Kerry is the thinking person’s candidate, and a leader that will make our nation proud.

Alison Miller,

Lawrence