Who Wouldn't I Be?

If I could be someone, who wouldn’t I be? I wouldn’t be George Bush.

Having screwed up so much in our country and the world, he may end up leaving the worst legacy of any president in history. At some point, he will realize that; and when he does, it could psychologically cripple him.

By enabling wholesale death in Iraq and destabilizing modern civilization’s main source of energy, Bush stands at the brink of triggering Armageddon. By ignoring scientific evidence regarding global warming, he has made the problem worse, possibly contributing to one of largest mass extinctions in our planet’s history. Can he handle the responsibility for such devastation? I know I couldn’t.

He has actively fostered the neglect that led to the destruction of an entire city and threatens the safety of all Americans. Pushing for laws that tear down his country’s most treasured protections, enshrined in the Constitution he swore to protect, he has helped to hurt, humiliate, or kill countless innocent people. When he is forced to face the consequences of his false view of the world, will he be able to face himself in the mirror? I couldn’t.

I do not want to be George Bush.

Note: This essay was an assignment for the Denver Writers Group.