How will history judge Bush?

As President Bush comes to the end of his second term in office, two questions become inevitably apparent. First, what will be the legacy left behind by our nation's 43rd president? And second, how can we accurately judge presidential success?

Today's hyperactive media culture seems to locus on scandal, corruption and greed. This culture can build up a national hero or condemn an innocent man. Ether way, this media driven climate polarizes our nation's leaders by labeling and categorizing them in an untruthful fashion. George W. Bush is a product of this culture.

The mainstream media's perception of President Bush clearly will not stand the test of time. President Bush is regularly portrayed as a dumb, hayseed redneck from the South. They call him a liar, a warmonger, and an ideologue. They clearly view him as a bigger threat to global peace than the terrorists killing innocents around the world.

This is just absurd.

President Bush has obviously made some mistakes. He's done almost nothing to secure our nations borders, he's done little to curb Washington's out of control spending, and we all remember Hurricane Katrina. But we are too quick to forget all of Bush's tremendous successes.

This president has resided over turbulent and unprecedented times. Our nation has seen terrorism first hand here at home, igniting battle fronts in two countries. We've seen a level of science and technology that has profoundly changed the lives of millions. Over the past seven years we've seen cultural and political decision that will dramatically change the future of our country. This has not been an easy time to he president of the United States.

Through all the madness George W. Bush has stuck to his principles and withered the storm. His tax cuts stimulated our economy after the recession following Sept. 11. His moral stance on stem cell research has lead to monumental scientific discoveries, such as an embryo free way to produce genetically matched stem cells. His strong position on terrorism has liberated two countries from repressive regimes and at the same time kept America safe from a second Sept. 11.

Clearly George W. Bush does not walk on water but at the same lime he's not an evil man. The truth is, we have no real idea how history will judge our 43rd president. But we can be sure it will not be the media template of today.

Christian Reynolds

Geneva