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Colin O'Donnell, Lucan Community College, Co Dublin

At around 6 p.m., I get a pain in my stomach. This is when I switch on the television and see that the "show" is under way yet again.

After September 11th, George Bush found himself between a rock and a hard place. He had two choices - to look after his popularity, or to look after human life. He chose his own popularity.

The right thing to do would have been to put out a great number of CIA undercover agents and collect information. Eventually they would have gathered enough intelligence to imprison or assassinate all those responsible for this great atrocity. Why didn't the President do this? The answer is obvious: it would have taken months or even years, and his popularity would have plummeted.

One thing, though, that the President would have achieved was the satisfaction of knowing that what he had done was right for America, and above all right for human life.

Instead he decided to put on a show, and pick a fight with a backward, ignorant government. The people of America watch in delight as "justice" is done. It is detrimental that they look on their President as a hero.

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Media Scope is edited by Harry Browne.