A Lesson in Accountability
By Mary MacElveen, Jul 2, 2002

Was George W. Bush Ever Taught Accountability?

Writers find inspiration in many places. A conversation, something on television, an article or a letter to the editor. Call it a light bulb moment. It is when something really connects, sending the writer to her keyboard.

My light bulb moment had to wait its turn as I was busy getting my children off to school. After all, I do have my priorities. I still find time to reach out any who will listen. No matter where they are, I reach out with any medium to relay my message.

Today's inspiration came from a letter to the editor in Newsday. After reading this man's intuitive comments, I was left shouting, "Way to go, Michael!"

To my surprise, my children asked, "Who is Michael, Mommy?" I smiled and said "A man wrote to the paper with the sentiments many like me hold."

That sentiment is accountability. We Americans teach our children that they will be held accountable. It is after all, the golden rule in life. In my opinion, it is good parenting to instill the lesson in accountability in our children. I often wonder if George Bush Sr. and Barbara Bush had instilled that all important lesson in theirs as well?

However, with the many policies and actions put forth by their son George, I am not sure they have. It just seems to me that every time he opens up his mouth, he wants everyone else to be held accountable. But I never hear him say that of himself. Some lesson he is sending out to each and every one of us, especially our children.

I remember Bush promised to "leave no child behind" at the RNC convention and in numerous speeches. I wonder. Isn't he leaving our children behind by not holding himself at all accountable? A child is left behind when they do not learn the lesson of accountability.

This is what Michael had to say in the June 5, 2002 Newsday. "Responsibility for any lapses in intelligence, particularly in light of the $30-billion-a-year budget allocated for legal information gathering, rests ultimately with President George W. Bush himself. Where else should the buck stop?"

He goes on to say, "But in light of either the intentional suppression of legally gathered intelligence regarding terrorist activity prior to 9/11 or just plain incompetence, the Bush administration has now chosen to unleash the FBI on the U.S. public through its unregulated snooping on all manner of legal communication, be it in chat rooms, library records, e-mail and the like."

Through Bush's own lapses, he is opening up a can of worms that will result in the erosion of rights for all law-abiding citizens! I could not agree more strongly with this fellow citizen. The Bush intelligence community drops the ball, and we are now all left to pay for its incompetence?

Some through their lives, injuries, loss of loved ones, and those of us that will have our rights in this country forever changed. This is unacceptable. We must hold Bush accountable, and he should hold himself accountable as well.

Bush rightfully blamed the terrorists on 9/11, and swore to bring back Osama bin Laden dead or alive. He should have also stated that his administration let the people down. I would have had more respect for him if he had added, "This happened under my watch, and I will get to the bottom of it." Instead, he has taken us on a journey that none of us thought conceivable.

Bush spent more time waging war than catching terrorists, a war that as he put it, will last for a very long time. For nine months the American people have been championing his efforts, and have heard Bush's friends and officials blaming the Clinton administration. Now we find out, that there were warnings prior to this attack.

Yes, some happened during the Clinton administration, but the Bush intelligence community was briefed. So, when he took office the accountability fully came to rest on his shoulders. After all, a true leader accepts this accountability, and does not have any back channel blaming of the previous administration.

Dee Dee Myers stated on Crossfire the other night, when the first attack happened on the World Trade Towers back in 1993 - only a month after President Clinton took office - he never blamed Bush Sr. for it. President Clinton held himself accountable. After Timothy McVeigh bombed the Murrah building in Oklahoma City, President Clinton and his Justice Department never invaded everyone's civil rights.

Looking back, this Bush administration warned us of bad things to come. When Chinese forces held our plane, and it took so long for this administration to word in diplomatic terms acceptable to both sides, "I'm sorry!" I must say that this was one of the most embarrassing moments in U.S. history.

Now we have George W. Bush dictating to Congress just how to go about these investigative proceedings. This it outrageous! Did President Clinton tell congress just how to go about their numerous investigations into him? No, he did not. Had he done so, many would have been up in arms, as we all must be at Bush's latest demands.

George Bush's reasoning for this is that he does not want anyone tied up in endless proceedings instead of doing their job. The same thing could have been said for the many Clinton administration officials Congress forced to appear.

A true leader would say, "Let the chips fall where they may," and would accept accountability. President Clinton accepted that "chips fall where they may" accountability, and the end result were the impeachment hearings. It is my sincere hope that those holding these investigative proceedings - who saw fit to push through the USA Patriots Act law which ripped into our many rights we hold dear - will not buckle under George Bush's demands.

If we find out at the end of these investigations, that Bush ignored any of these warnings, we must demand of him, that he hold himself accountable to us. If we are to teach our children a lesson in accountability, we must show that we hold our leaders just as accountable for their actions as well. We often tell our children that they must pay a price for unaccountability, so should our leaders.


ADDITIONS TO THIS ARTICLE

I originally wrote this article on June 5, 2002, but think some additions need to be added to it. Because it speaks to holding this administration accountable to us, the citizens of the United States of America, and to the world community as well.

On July 1st, 2002 I learned that the Bush administration plans to cut cleanup of 33 Superfund sites. This is inexcusable! Thousands of Americans have been sickened and systematically murdered by chemicals leached into the ground.

This administration has done more harm to our environment ever since it seized office than any other, yet no one is holding them accountable for these policies. They cite cost as the factor for this outrageous decision. If they are so cost conscious, then they should have held back on the tax cut that broke the bank.

They fund a questionable missile defense project when we have already seen attacks upon our nation that did not involve a missile. We need that money for things that really work. After September 11th, we rewarded an incompetent airline industry to the tune of $15.5 billion dollars. That money could have gone to clean up these toxic sites or for real security to prevent future attacks.

Bush says that many corporations responsible for toxic leaks do not have the resources to pay for it. Well excuse me, Mr. Bush, how about seizing their assets like you did with Al-Qaeda and other terrorist organizations?

There are other forms of terrorism, Mr. Bush, and many citizens have been feeling the impact of chemical terrorism from these corporations that you tend to work for, instead of protecting the health of American citizens.

The citizens of our country, who have been affected from these chemicals, die a slow, unmerciful, and painful death. Where as those killed on September 11th, died instantly. I would think that those attacked by these chemical corporations would trade places any day with those killed on September 11th.

But, if this is not enough to enrage any of you reading this, read on.

July 2, 2002, we learned this administration and its friends in Congress refuse to overhaul the FBI and the CIA. They tell us they're concentrating on the new Homeland Security Agency, which will not include any defense or intelligence!

In America, we have always been taught to hold ourselves accountable and responsible for failures. Delaying the overhaul of these agencies is horrific. We are not seeing an administration accountable to those murdered on September 11th, their survivors, or the rest of us.

Whistle blowers such as FBI Agents Wright and Rowley came forth knowing full well the retaliation that they may face. Agent Wright even said he was sorry. He is not the one to be held accountable. If they can take responsibility, so should this administration. The higher ups who failed to do anything should apologize.

The Bush administration tells the rest of the world that they must hold themselves responsible and accountable for this terrorist threat, yet what is Bush doing to live up to that standard? Nothing! Mr. Bush says, "You're either with us or against us." What has he done to make us safer?

By your actions and inaction and unaccountability, you are against us. Mr. Bush, thousands died on September 11th, and you must be held accountable. You place our military at risk, you must be held accountable for this as well. You are at the head of the table, and it's up to you to fix this problem now. You fought for this job. You sued all the way to the Supreme Court to get it. Now do your job.

It's time to clean house and fix what is broken rather than create another agency that will face the same problems the FBI and CIA have faced. We the People must hold Bush and his friends in Congress accountable. We know they won't hold themselves accountable!

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