9-11 belongs to everyone

The Greenville (S.C.) News

President Bush is not exploiting the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on this nation by including appropriately solemn images from Ground Zero in his re-election commercials. Charges that he is exploiting the tragedy for political gain are opportunistic.

President Bush will be judged by voters on many issues in the coming election. How he has led this nation through the shock and horror of 9-11 and what he has done to prevent more terrorist attacks will be two of the key issues.

Bush's opponents last week rushed to condemn the TV ads. Some family members of the 9-11 victims harshly criticized the president, as did a firefighters union that last year endorsed Democratic candidate John Kerry.

Sept. 11 belongs to this nation. As former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani said in a ... television interview, no one owns Sept. 11, not even the families of the victims. ...

Other wartime presidents have used campaign material to remind the American people of the need to stay the course during turbulent times.