Honourable Narendra Modi-ji
As I penned this piece, I heard of your words at a rally in Bihar, and instead of deterring me from writing to you, it only strengthened my resolve that this needs to be said.
Over the last week or more we have witnessed what can only be described as the molestation of a human tragedy, the perpetrators of this crime being politicians coloured green, saffron and various other shades, all no less sullied. As individuals, party-men, members of the ruling class and the opposition benches, they have vulgarised the very soul of compassion and empathy. This is for certain not a new phenomenon, and only another sign of who we are.
However, with all due respect Pradhan Mantri-ji, what has astonished me is not just your silence, but the spoken and written words...
Politics
Hi there. You probably remember me. My car was parked on a side street in a fairly “nice” neighborhood in Philadelphia over the weekend. I was the guy who bothered no one and stayed with some friends for a few days. You? All I really know about you is that you don’t know the differences between socialism and communism and that you carry a pen on you for one reason or another. Anyway, I had a great time — I was able to use this weekend for some much-needed relaxation catching up with friends and colleagues and left Sunday morning feeling refreshed and relaxed.
I didn’t notice what you wrote when I packed my suitcase and laptop back into my car, hopped in, and drove off. In fact, it was not until an hour later when I stopped for gas along the Pennsylvania Turnpike that I noticed,...
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Dear Donald Trump,
Greetings from the 50 States and other Territories. We acknowledge your unrivaled courage and honor your many initiatives to reveal the facts. Thank you! We extend our sincere gratitude to you and your family for being a source of truth and light in the political darkness of falsehood and deception.
First and foremost we are addressing you as the only open and honest presidential candidate throughout the current campaign season. This nation has not seen any presidential aspirant so transparent and forthcoming as you have been. Please know that were it not for your quite politically incorrect posture, this letter would not have been written.
Many Americans have been particularly impressed by your willingness in the past to challenge Barack Obama on his ‘missing...
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When I first read your post, I was heartened to learn that you were treated with respect when dealing with the Tucson police. As you mentioned, respect is a two way street, and as long as you’re being respectful, you should expect the same in return.
However, I started to take issue with your post when you discredited the #blacklivesmatter movement. The problem is that your insinuating that because you had a good experience with two respectful police officers, all people will have the same experience. This is simply not the case, and to suggest it, diminishes the experience of many people who have been victimized by bad police officers.
Your post is effectively victim blaming, because it suggests that the people victimized by police were probably just being disrespectful, and that...
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We hear a lot of bickering from both camps these days about how the other is trying to force their beliefs on everyone.
I think we can all see many examples in society of how this is true on BOTH sides, but you have to understand this behaviour is just par for the course when you have strong convictions. You believe that your beliefs are correct and that society would be a better place if everyone followed your convictions, so you act on your Constitutional right of free speech to proclaim your convictions.
However, not everyone is going to agree with you. If you disagree with someone, you are within your First Amendment right to debate the topic. You are also within your rights to peacefully protest and/or take action to get laws passed in favor of your ideals.
What you do NOT have...
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F.D. Roosevelt
President of the United States
White House
Washington, D.C.
Sir:
Some recent work by E. Fermi and L. Szilard, which has been communicated to me in manuscript, leads me to expect that the element uranium may be turned into a new and important source of energy in the immediate future. Certain aspects of the situation which has arisen seem to call for watchfulness and if necessary, quick action on the part of the Administration. I believe therefore that it is my duty to bring to your attention the following facts and recommendations.
In the course of the last four months it has been made probable through the work of Joliot in France as well as Fermi and Szilard in America--that it may be possible to set up a nuclear chain reaction in a large mass of uranium, by which...
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23 July 1939
As tensions mounted in Europe following Germany’s occupation of Czechoslovakia, Mohandas Gandhi, the famously non-violent leader of the Indian independence movement, wrote a clear and concise plea for Hitler to avoid war, but it never reached its intended recipient because of an intervention by the British government. Just over a month later, the world looked on in horror as Germany invaded Poland.
Dear friend,
Friends have been urging me to write to you for the sake of humanity. But I have resisted their request, because of the feeling that any letter from me would be an impertinence. Something tells me that I must not calculate and that I must make my appeal for whatever it may be worth.
It is quite clear that you are today the one person in the world who can...
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Letter to Mr. Félix Faure,
President of the Republic
Mr. President,
Would you allow me, in my gratitude for the benevolent reception that you gave me one day, to draw the attention of your rightful glory and to tell you that your star, so happy until now, is threatened by the most shameful and most ineffaceable of blemishes?
You have passed healthy and safe through base calumnies; you have conquered hearts. You appear radiant in the apotheosis of this patriotic festival that the Russian alliance was for France, and you prepare to preside over the solemn triumph of our World Fair, which will crown our great century of work, truth and freedom. But what a spot of mud on your name—I was going to say on your reign—is this abominable Dreyfus affair! A council of war, under order, has...
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16 April 1963
My Dear Fellow Clergymen:
While confined here in the Birmingham city jail, I came across your recent statement calling my present activities "unwise and untimely." Seldom do I pause to answer criticism of my work and ideas. If I sought to answer all the criticisms that cross my desk, my secretaries would have little time for anything other than such correspondence in the course of the day, and I would have no time for constructive work. But since I feel that you are men of genuine good will and that your criticisms are sincerely set forth, I want to try to answer your statement in what I hope will be patient and reasonable terms.
I think I should indicate why I am here in Birmingham, since you have been influenced by the view which argues against "outsiders coming in."...
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Congratulations Justin
Don't let anyone tell you that you are cashing in on your family name. The media is talking about the Trudeau dynasty and sort. As you mentioned in your victory speech "I didn't make history, you did". Well, thanks for your thoughtfulness.
Canadians need a change. Steven Harper had his mandate straight for a good amount of time. But with time like a sports athlete, lost sight of what is important now; not 10 years ago. And that frustrated my fellow citizens.
What We Expect
Your campaign's tag lines "We listened" and "Real Change". I request you to remember these important messages as change is the only thing that is constant. In the last 10 years Canadians have watched our core values stripped off of us. Values of tolerance, peace and growth. I hope you...
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