an open letter to george w. bush
President Bush,
It is obvious now that a majority of the country agrees with you as to where this country should go. Though I disagree wholeheartedly with most everything that you stand for, my love of country forces me to accept this and work with it. However, it does not force me to sit idly by as you make decisions that I feel all of us will regret in the not so distant future.
Much of what you have done in your first term has created a giant schism that divides us, polarizes us and you have much work to perform to heal that divide and make these states united again. You can do this if you want to, if you try to, if you moderate your administration some.
First, it is important that you reshape your cabinet. The news is abuzz with the impending resignation of Attorney General Ashcroft. This is an excellent place to start rebuilding unity. Please choose his replacement wisely, avoiding radical figures like Ashcroft and considering more moderate leaders like Rudolph Guilliani. Other contentious figures that need to go are Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz in the Defense department. Taking a route similar to Clinton's appointment of Cohen would do much to heal some of these wounds. We as a people are not as radically right as your current adminstration reflects.
Second, could you please own up to your mistakes? You no longer need to worry about re-election, so could you please, please, please, be willing to state that mistakes have been made in the war and at home? Apologies can have such a huge impact in their humility. To be asked outright about your mistakes and not being willing to admit that you've made any polarizes people and creates distrust. Yes, the war in Iraq could have been fought better. Yes, it was wrong to throw people in prison without any rights. Please just say "we could have done things more smoothly..."
Third, listen. Pick up a newspaper now and then and reader some letters to the editor. Pick up a foreign magazine and read what people outside this nation think. Surf the web and read some blogs. It matters. You are the highest representative in a representative democracy and as such, you need to listen. To some, this shows a softness in shaping your actions to the most popular denominator, but it is not. It is responsibility, the responsibility that belongs to you in your office.
Fourth, speak softly more often and put away the big stick. It's not just the nation that has been cut and scarred by the last four years...but the world. I honestly believe that there is a desire for peace out there in the world, and that will never happen while we fling threats and missles here and hither. Violence begets violence and it needs to stop. Someone needs to be the bigger person here, let us be the bigger person that I know we are.
I write this in the hope of hopes that maybe by some cosmic mistake you actually read this. We need to heal and I feel as hurt as anyone...these are the things you need to do to start making me feel better.
Sincerely,
kyle.
It is obvious now that a majority of the country agrees with you as to where this country should go. Though I disagree wholeheartedly with most everything that you stand for, my love of country forces me to accept this and work with it. However, it does not force me to sit idly by as you make decisions that I feel all of us will regret in the not so distant future.
Much of what you have done in your first term has created a giant schism that divides us, polarizes us and you have much work to perform to heal that divide and make these states united again. You can do this if you want to, if you try to, if you moderate your administration some.
First, it is important that you reshape your cabinet. The news is abuzz with the impending resignation of Attorney General Ashcroft. This is an excellent place to start rebuilding unity. Please choose his replacement wisely, avoiding radical figures like Ashcroft and considering more moderate leaders like Rudolph Guilliani. Other contentious figures that need to go are Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz in the Defense department. Taking a route similar to Clinton's appointment of Cohen would do much to heal some of these wounds. We as a people are not as radically right as your current adminstration reflects.
Second, could you please own up to your mistakes? You no longer need to worry about re-election, so could you please, please, please, be willing to state that mistakes have been made in the war and at home? Apologies can have such a huge impact in their humility. To be asked outright about your mistakes and not being willing to admit that you've made any polarizes people and creates distrust. Yes, the war in Iraq could have been fought better. Yes, it was wrong to throw people in prison without any rights. Please just say "we could have done things more smoothly..."
Third, listen. Pick up a newspaper now and then and reader some letters to the editor. Pick up a foreign magazine and read what people outside this nation think. Surf the web and read some blogs. It matters. You are the highest representative in a representative democracy and as such, you need to listen. To some, this shows a softness in shaping your actions to the most popular denominator, but it is not. It is responsibility, the responsibility that belongs to you in your office.
Fourth, speak softly more often and put away the big stick. It's not just the nation that has been cut and scarred by the last four years...but the world. I honestly believe that there is a desire for peace out there in the world, and that will never happen while we fling threats and missles here and hither. Violence begets violence and it needs to stop. Someone needs to be the bigger person here, let us be the bigger person that I know we are.
I write this in the hope of hopes that maybe by some cosmic mistake you actually read this. We need to heal and I feel as hurt as anyone...these are the things you need to do to start making me feel better.
Sincerely,
kyle.
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home