Thank you, Mr. Bush, for the last eight years.

Thank you for providing endless fodder for satirists, late-night hosts and comedians of all kinds. Despite the difficult times, we were never wanting of a laugh.

Thank you for picking away at our personal freedoms. It was only since we started to lose those things we took for granted that we became willing to stand up and demand them back.

Thank you for giving the executive branch more power than it should ever have had. Over the last eight years we Americans got a chance to see how dangerous government can be when you remove the checks and balances that our founding fathers so wisely set in place. Rest assured, we will not let it happen again.

Thank you for Dick Cheney. The offspring of Darth Vader and the monster that lives under my bed has taught us that all offices of the government need to be held accountable. Especially when armed with a gun.

Thank you for thumbing your nose to the rest of the world. You taught us the value of not squandering the support of our friends and allies when we have hard decisions to make. We will be better diplomats for it.

Most of all, thank you for reminding us that who we elect as president does matter. We’ve got a new president now and a lot of people hope that he can undo the damage you helped create. He’s already overcome many obstacles and it’s a hard task, it’s true, to solve the problems our nation faces, but he won’t be doing it alone. Like a good president, he called on us to make the change we seek and we are here to help him. We are Americans. And if you’ll excuse us, Mr. Bush, we’ve got a job to do.

So thank you, Mr. Bush, for the last eight years. Don’t let the door hit you on the way out.

Tony Mohareb
CSUN Alum, Class of 2007