I remember President Bush saying the war on terror would be a long, hard-fought war, and it would last well beyond his presidency. There has been much criticism of how he has handled the war in Iraq on terrorism. President Bush is not perfect, and mistakes have been made, but I really believe he is trying to do what is best for our nation during very difficult times. I would rather have a president who leads by his convictions than by a popularity poll.

When a person is constantly being criticized day in and day out, either he is doing a bad job, or — could it be — he is really doing the right thing, even though it’s not the popular thing to do.

We owe it to our president and our troops to pray for them daily. They have sacrificed so much for our nation and our freedom from terrorism. It would be a grave mistake to pull out of Iraq and not finish this war. I don’t believe we have been attacked at home since the war began.

SWAYZE LeGRAND Columbia