George,

At no time in our history have so many people from so many countries gathered to voice their opposition to the president of the United States and to express their fear of his policies as they did on February 15.

London saw the largest gathering of protestors in English history while nearly a million met in Rome, both capitals of countries whose leaders support President Bush. New York City, the home of ground zero, squeezed thousands in the small zone to which the protesters were restricted. From Paris to Philadelphia; from Seoul to Seattle; from Melbourne to Miami; from Cape Town to Charlottesville; from 350 other cities around the world and at home millions upon millions came together to ask that war be avoided. Everywhere their message was the same: The world is on the brink of disaster.

Ever since September 2001 the United States has needed to confront two momentous questions. The first is this: how may we stop the terrorism aimed at us and other nations and peoples by Osama bin Laden and his Al-Qaida followers? The second is this: why are we are mistrusted, feared, and even loathed by so many people in so many parts of the world and how should we address this reality?

These are two interlocking questions. We cannot answer the first successfully if we ignore the second. Yet that is precisely what our leaders have done. With a frightened nation behind them they seek to battle terrorism. They do so, however, by failing to acknowledge the deeper question of why we have engendered so much enmity. Leaders who deny reality cannot lead. Already their denial has led them to scorn great nations that have been allies and to cause valuable leaders to lose confidence in us. And we do nothing to heal the damage this denial has done.

It is not too late for President Bush to step back from the precipice. He still has the opportunity to preserve the peace and, at the same time, to neutralize Saddam Hussein by supporting the Inspectors and adding to the amassed American military forces the support of our faltering allies. Does he have the understanding and the will to do this?

Paul Gaston (electronic mail, February 16, 2003)