With the election less than a month away, many students are beginning to decide who they will be voting for while the candidates vie for our attention and vote. I am a college student and a dedicated Republican.

Now, we usually don’t hear these words in the same sentence, but I am a dedicated Republican who is proud to have George W. Bush as our president, and I stand firmly behind him. Most students never hear the other side of the political spectrum, but we must look at the long-termÿeffects of the decisions the White House has made in the last four years, and then ask ourselves if we are better off. My answer is a steadfast and confident yes!

Here is a rundown of what the president and the Republican Party stand for on several of the major issues at hand in this election.

The Iraq War: While it is true that there have been numerous deaths of our armed forces and of Iraqi civilians, we are making headway in a country whose government had been oppressing its people for decades. Saddam Hussein had systematically been slaughtering his own countrymen during his reign of terror, and we watched it on the news in our comfortable homes with our manicured lawns and treelined avenues. It wasn’t until President Bush stepped up to the plate that we actually did something about it.

Many people are against the war, saying we were misled as to why we went to war. I say, tell that to the citizens who we liberated. Tell that to the men who had their arms cut off for allegedly betraying Saddam and to the families of the men who disappeared into Baghdad’s terrifying prisons.

Even if Iraq didn’t have weapons of mass destruction in the first place, are we a nation that is so self-absorbed we would sit idly by and watch as a dictator brutally massacres his own people?

If we hadn’t been bombed at Pearl Harbor by the Japanese, would we have bothered to enter Word War II?ÿWe weren’t directly attacked by Germany, so should we instead have watched and done nothing as Adolf Hitler murdered the Jewish people of Europe?

Some say this is a very far-fetched comparison, but Hitler invaded Poland and numerous other countriesÿjust as Saddam invaded Kuwait. Both were ruthless men who stopped at nothing in their missions of evil, and both murdered their citizens without a second thought. Should we have let Saddam build up power and try this again?

Americans are able to speak their minds about politics without the fear of reprisal, something the Iraqi people did not have until they were liberated. We take this special gift for granted, but it is a mighty power we all possess.

President Bush has never faltered in his decision to invade Iraq. He remains steadfast in his belief that Iraqi citizens should have the freedoms they deserve. Iÿcan appreciateÿa leader who actually goes through with what he says.

The War on Terror: On Sept. 11, 2001, we watched in horror as we were attacked on our own soil by a foreign enemy for the first time since Pearl Harbor. Nothing has been the same since. We are now in an ongoing battle with terrorism.

First off, no one is directly to blame for the attacks. You can’t make me believe that the Bush administration was the only administration to know about the possibility of attacks.

The fact of the matter was, we just never wanted to believe it could actually happen to us. As long as it happened “over there,” it was tragic, but not our problem. Since then, the Bush administration has implemented new security measures to ensure that our country is more protected. More border guards, stricter airline regulations and the Terror Watch Alert are just a few of the many changes made in our nation. Bush also has increased spending on our military so it now has the ability to counteract and defend against this invisible evil. There is no room for mistakes or leniency here, as the president has made quite clear. Bush knows how to lead a nation against terror.

How Students are Affected:

The Republican Party and the president have publicly stated that there will not be a draft! Our volunteer armed forces have been doing an outstanding job and will continue to do so with citizens volunteering to enter the Navy, Army and other branches.

Students need to think of the long-term effects of this presidency. The tax cuts mean that our parents, and indeed ourselves one day, can bring home bigger paychecks. The mandated testing in public schools helps to ensure that teachers are teaching up to the standards set by the government, and that students will have the opportunity to engage in higher education.

We also are more protected by the new policies the Bush administration has implemented, and as a result, our economy is beginning to rise. George and Laura Bush are the epitome of the class, elegance and refinement needed in the White House. Their morals, beliefs and family values are ones that Americans can be proud of. The president and Mrs. Bush represent America in a positive demeanor and will lead our nation into glory as we continue into the future.