Dear Mr. President

Dear Mr. President:

I'm writing to express my deep, deep concern about the general state of things.

When I was a newly registered voter (in 2002), I wanted to believe in your administration, since my parents both voted for you. I waited for your State of the Union address and each year hoped it would be good, hoped that you had plans to really make a difference since you called upon the Christian god; instead, I heard the numbers you gave and saw nothing but smoke. Symptomatic of all your humanitarian projects: you offered something like $15 million to help combat AIDs in Africa which I'm sure is a fantastic sum. But forgive my ingratitude: that gift is so paltry compared to the scores of billions that you have wasted on this "tragic misadventure" of a war. You said "No Child Left Behind" but music and other school or after-school programs have continued to disintegrate throughout the nation, leaving our next generation crippled.

You embarrassed me.

I am a student about to study abroad and I am excited to go, but nervous to admit that I'm an American.
I hope that the people I encounter outside of this country will not judge me by my president's actions or by the backwards decisions of silly, outdated lawmakers who don't listen to their consciences or constituents, but will come to understand that I am one of a growing number of citizens involved in progressive policy-making instead of presidential politics. Including Democrats, Independents, Green Party, and Republicans, my countrypeople have taught me to use my creativity to shape our path toward a better future, but you are not one of those teachers. They know the important of collaboration, innovation and foresight in policy-making; you have set back our budget, tied up our troops and ignored our poor.

Mr. President, you have professed yourself a Christian, so let me put it in these terms: America has suffered a severe moral lapse by forgetting to care for its people, by neglecting its people's needs. You have not been a good steward of America's people. Yes, of course, we all must contribute to caring for one another and we are all America, but I wish you would explain the discrepancy between your profession of faith and your presidential track record.

In America, the words "compassionate" and "conservative" do not go together; this is a severe moral lapse. Compassion is supposed to be a human value, exercised in daily action by treating other humans with kindness and justice. Justice is not a cycle of violent retribution; it returns its true seekers to a harmonious balance of fairness and progress. Conservativism, on the other hand, is a dogmatic adherence to exclusion and exploitation; it gives up as little and takes as much as it can get rather than making attempt to balance its actions.

In America, "family values" do not include protecting families here and/or around the world from poverty and disease; this is a severe moral lapse. They do not include provision for excellent public education or all-ages healthcare; they do not include a safety net for elderly citizens abandoned by their families. How can we refuse to care for our greatest treasures, our people? The phrase "family values" has been hurtfully misused, like candy in the hand of a kidnapper. Instead of promoting the true familial qualities of inclusion, security and unconditional understanding, it is made to deny young girls, women and gay couples their civil rights, their human rights to happiness and freedom. "Family values" means more than the best interests of reproduction and it certainly doesn't have a damn thing to do with discrimination; a family (biological or not, members don't even have to be related) is not established as a baby-farm - rather, it is supposed to be an institution of love, loyalty and livelihood for all its participants.

These are only a few, but they are major concerns that should have been addressed before any war was begun. End the war and pay attention to what the people need rather than continuing to feed your false sense of national pride. I am not proud of our weapons, nor I am proud of what you have done in the name of my country. I am proud of what my country will be able to do without you in the very near future.

Sincerely,
C. Elizabeth

P.S. I am shocked and appalled that the automated reply from comments@whitehouse.gov includes the phrase "protecting our Nation's deepest values" when you, Mr. President, do not seem to have a sense of cooperation or compassion.