Letter: Bush, Guardsmen far from cowards

Tuesday, Oct. 11, 2005 | 9:24 a.m.

Robert Elliot's Oct. 7 letter to the editor drips with loathing for President Bush. I will not even attempt to address the "premise" therein because, sadly, there is no arguing with unbridled hatred.

One statement, however, is so grossly inaccurate that it cannot be ignored. The characterization of Bush as a "duty-dodging coward who evaded service to his country during a war" not only maligns the president, but all of those who have served in the National Guard.

Bush, like many other Americans, served in the National Guard during the 1960s and was honorably discharged (despite efforts by CBS to discredit his service with falsified documents). Was every National Guardsman from that generation (and today's) a coward? Hardly.

Just look at the heroic service of our National Guardsmen during the recent hurricanes. Are they "cowards" too? The hatred that spews from such shrill partisanship is utterly unconstructive and results in all sorts of collateral damage. To those who must hate, go ahead and enjoy yourself, but be aware that such defamatory remarks may do great harm to others, regardless of the intent.

Ellen Shaw Henderson