Farewell President George W. Bush

Tonight, January 15, 2009, President George W. Bush conveyed his final message to the citizens of the United States of America through his farewell address. He reflected on the challenges that defied him as President, most notably the attacks of September 11, 2001. Below is an excerpt from the transcript of his speech taken from Fox News:

"This evening, my thoughts return to the first night I addressed you from this house, September 11, 2001. That morning, terrorists took nearly 3,000 lives in the worst attack on America since Pearl Harbor.

I remember standing in the rubble of the World Trade Center three days later, surrounded by rescuers who had been working around the clock. I remember talking to brave souls who charged through smoke- filled corridors at the Pentagon and to husbands and wives whose loved ones became heroes aboard Flight 93.

I remember Arlene Howard, who gave me her fallen son's police shield as a reminder of all that was lost. And I still carry his badge.

As the years passed, most Americans were able to return to life much as it had been before 9/11. But I never did. Every morning, I received a briefing on the threats to our nation. And I vowed to do everything in my power to keep us safe.

Over the past seven years, a new Department of Homeland Security has been created. The military, the intelligence community, and the FBI have been transformed. Our nation is equipped with new tools to monitor the terrorists' movements, freeze their finances, and break up their plots.

And with strong allies at our side, we have taken the fight to the terrorists and those who support them. Afghanistan has gone from a nation where the Taliban harbored Al Qaeda and stoned women in the streets to a young democracy that is fighting terror and encouraging girls to go to school."

Before you reflect on the Presidency of George W. Bush from your personal standpoint, I ask you to accept his words above and listen closely. While much ridicule is often seen in the media's assessment of the eight years during his Presidency, there are certain elements that need to be positioned in the forefront of our minds. Although many, admittedly myself, have faulted President Bush for a number of his executive decisions, we must note that our Commander in Chief has kept America safe since the horrendous attacks in 2001. I do not use this as a justification by any means for his decisions in the Middle East, but I ask that we don't be quick to harshly write-off a man who has continued to keep our borders safe. We need to put our ideologies and judgments aside for one moment, and give some sort of thank you (even if we find it against our will to do so) to President Bush for the often overlooked things he has accomplished. As a liberal who has discovered a paramount of dissimilarity between myself and the President, I give George W. Bush my respect and gratitude for embracing the most powerful position within the most powerful country in the world.