President George W. Bush’s second inaugural address was an inspiring, truly historic speech not heard since John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan.

In the tradition of Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, FDR, Truman, John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan, he re-emphasized the great American values of freedom and liberty, which are threatened by the barbarism of Islamo-fascism.

And then there were the noisy protesters with their repetitious slogans who – thank God – have every right to do so in this great country of ours.

As reported recently in the national media, protesters displayed signs with these slogans: “America’s Taliban” and “Hitler was also democratically elected.”

One is entitled to ask which teachers have failed to teach these people recent and no-so recent history?

Have these people ever heard of Hitler’s slaughter of 6 million Jews during the Holocaust and his plans to exterminate the Jewish people from the face of this Earth?

Have they heard about the Islamists’ agenda “to kill all infidels, Americans and Jews?”

About the Taliban’s and Saddam Hussein’s atrocities against women and political dissidents?

What fault do they find with American values of freedom, liberty, tolerance, decency and respect for human dignity?

In Ronald Reagan’s words, America continues to be “the shining city upon a hill” for millions of people on this Earth and after more than 200 years it remains a symbol of hope for the aspirations of mankind.

Dr. Klaus D. Kuck, Lewiston