Editor,
I offer my highest complements to President Bush and his Cabinet. This administration's response to the acts of war committed against us on Sept. 11 has been outstanding. It has been rational, thoughtful and humane. It has my full respect and support. We also owe due credit and thanks to Congress and our allies. I have never been more positively impressed by our federal government - or more proud of it.
Now that a fully justified and appropriate military response has begun, there will be those who speak out against it. I believe this military action to be on solid ground: it is in response to grave and certain damage inflicted, other means have been well pursued without success and the use of arms holds the promise of eliminating more evil than it might beget.
Having said that, I would hope that those of us who do support this action would also support the fundamental principal of freedom of speech for those who do not.
Free expression of dissenting opinions and differing points of view will not diminish our long-term commitment against terrorism. This military action is but one round of a long bout, and the entire effort must be pursued with caution and circumspection, as it has been.
We are well advised to consider all our actions as broadly and widely as possible, short and long term. Above all else, we must not abandon our fundamental principals, which thus far we have not.
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John Bauer
UNM staff member
