Dear Editor:

Many who oppose war with Iraq sneer that America is acting like a "cowboy."

But to most Americans, the cowboy is not a villain but a hero. What we honor about the cowboy of the Old West is his willingness to stand up to evil and to do it alone, if necessary. That's why, when President Bush said of Osama bin Laden, "Wanted: Dead or Alive," most Americans cheered.

The only valid criticism of President Bush, in this context, is that he is not true enough to the heritage of the cowboy, who symbolizes the virtues of courage and independence. When cowboys went after bank robbers or rustlers, they didn't ask permission from the villain's gang. Yet Bush is asking permission from a U.N. Security Council that includes Syria, an active sponsor of terrorism.

If America fully embraces the cowboy's wisdom and courage, then the Islamic terrorists and the regimes that support them had better run for cover. They stand no chance in the resulting showdown.

Andrew Bernstein

This letter was published in Australia's Herald Sun (April 5, 2003)