Politics

Dear Everyone So, as the dust settles and I turn to face the next five years in this country I call home, here is what I hope for you all... I hope that you are not old, sick, young or ordinary. I hope that you don't rely upon any welfare benefits to pay your bills or feed your family, or if you do, that they are not the ones that will be cut in the next round of austerity measures. I hope you do not have to turn to food banks to avoid going hungry. I hope you are not forced to live in one room because you can't afford the fuel bills to heat your home. I hope that you do not need to rely on the NHS for your health care, or if you do, you are seen and treated by people so dedicated that they manage a wonderful service in the face of long hours, low pay and impossible time...
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Dear President Putin: As the Chairman of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee dedicated to the protection of human rights, I urge you to work to repeal recent laws and policies that severely infringe upon the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals in Russia. These efforts—including legislation you recently signed banning “homosexual propaganda”—are not only an affront to fundamental principles of equality, but also contradict the rights enshrined in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Russia is a party. I support a strong United States-Russia bilateral relationship and believe we must work to strengthen this important relationship whenever possible. However, I cannot stay silent while your country works to put in...
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Dear Rudy, I am writing to you because you recently said some things about President Obama that confused me. I hope you can clarify some things. During a private dinner held in New York City for possible GOP 2016 presidential contender, Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, you said: "I do not believe, and I know this is a horrible thing to say, but I do not believe that the president loves America. He doesn't love you. And he doesn't love me. He wasn't brought up the way you were brought up and I was brought up through love of this country." "I do not believe that the president loves America." So, Rudy, let's break down your statement. When you say that "I do not believe that the president loves America," what indication do you have or what criteria are you using? I really want...
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Dear Baltimore, I had a dream about you. It began in a massive room. There were lots of people packed wall to wall buzzing about in conversations. Their attire was quite formal but only some wore suits or gowns. Many others were garbed with impressive clothing of kinds I had never seen. Altogether, those in the room were a marvel to watch. These people of every complexion were in perfect peace with one another. Not like at a cocktail party or an awards show but the type of peace you see in close families. The collective chatter of their several thousand voices echoed across high arched ceilings in a way that created this wonderful flutter of sound: Everyone was talking about you Baltimore. Some people spoke of the city's high school graduation rate going...
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Dear President Bush: This Fall, my theater company will have the honor of producing a festival of the complete plays of Václav Havel, the man who, as you know, was recently President of the Czech Republic. He is a man I think we both admire. I don’t know if you are familiar with his writing, but I am sure you are familiar with his struggles during the Communist era in Czechoslovakia. He was jailed for being a bold advocate for freedom in a country where, for many years, it was sadly lacking. His writings articulate the principle of living in truth: that freedom can best be achieved when the seemingly powerless in society live true to their beliefs. Soon after what is known as the Prague Winter, when Soviet troops clamped down on burgeoning freedoms and their tanks rode into Prague...
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Dear Mr. Bush: As you know, the first group of chickens intended to be placed on vehicles to detect deadly chemicals in Iraq have died of unknown causes resulting in the use of chickens reportedly being suspended. We ask that you permanently cancel the use of chickens to detect deadly chemicals and replace them with sophisticated chemical detection systems. Making these birds participate in our wars is not only cruel and unjust; it is a betrayal of the men and women who are serving under you. Under the stress of battle, causes of the birds’ death, which may or may not be from toxic chemical exposure, will not be identified quickly enough or with sufficient accuracy to enable the soldiers to put on their gas masks at the crucial moment. Soldiers in the Gulf War panicked when sentinel...
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Dear President Bush, I am writing in response to your State of the Union address last week. First of all, I apologize for not watching it on television. Do not take it personally; if John Kerry were President, I probably wouldn’t have watched him either. But I did read your speech. Your staff had promised that the speech would address energy policy, and it certainly did. I agree with you that America must “diversify” its sources of energy. By all means, let us explore new technologies and biofuels. You also said that “we must step up domestic oil production in environmentally sensitive ways.” I could not agree more. But while I agreed with everything you said, I was bothered by what you did not say. Namely, you never used the word “conservation.” You set a goal of reducing...
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Dear Mr. Bush, I hear that you are going to Viet Nam now. As a veteran of that war, having served two tours of duty "in country," I, like former Texas Lt. Governor Ben Barnes, have some advice for you. First, you won't be needing a gun now; we surrendered the country over to the commies on May 1st, 1975. You may recall that as Communist tanks rolled into Saigon over the bodies of Vietnamese Special Forces and Airborne troops, President Ford was playing golf here at home with some of his Democrat buddies. A Republican, like yourself, he talked a lot about "peace with honour" and "staying the course,” and other such popcorn-puffed potpourri tossed out at the American public. In the end, President Ford's golf balls meant more to him than the death of fifty-eight thousand American...
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Dear President Bush, We are approaching the eve of Passover, the Holiday of Freedom for the Jewish People. I am writing to ask you to release my husband, Jonathan Pollard. Jonathan is competing his 20th year of a life sentence in an American prison for his activities on behalf of Israel. At a mass demonstration attended by thousands in Israel today, Israeli Cabinet Minister Natan Sharansky, with whom you are personally acquainted, indicated that he regards Jonathan as a political prisoner. Media reports quote Minister Sharansky addressing the crowd by telephone, stating: "Jonathan Pollard is a Prisoner of Zion. We must do our utmost to secure his release!" Mr. President, no doubt you are aware that my husband's case is unique. Among other things: Jonathan is in his 20th year...
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Dear President Bush and Senator Kerry: As a religious leader and as a citizen with great regard for this country, I make this plea on the eve of your first presidential debate. It is time for the tone and the content of your campaigns to change. The world is watching this election closely. The challenges facing this country and the magnitude of the issues confronting the world are too grave and complex for negativity. We know the reality of fear. Please do not appeal to our fears. As people of faith, we claim the biblical promise, “Do not be afraid.” We need a vision of our shared future with all of God’s creation. Please stop looking back 30 years and challenging each other's military service. We need you to provide us with a vision for the next 30 years. What will the world...
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