Open Letter

 

Politics is not my thing; I just don't have the political mentality, so for me to write anything on a political topic, it has to be something that really strikes me. This open letter is to anyone who wants to read it, but it is primarily for me to express my opinion about the things that concern me.

 

President Obama:

 

It has been one year since your election. I have noticed that the news has focused on the things that have not been accomplished in this time. Let's look at the things that have been done.

First you urged congress to act on the economic situation that you inherited, which they did, and you stopped a total economic collapse when the major banks started to crumble under their own greed. I applaud you! Many have asked, "Where is my bailout?" only seeing that we gave money to the big banks. They fail to realize, that that was the bailout for everyone! If the major banks had completely crumbled, our economy would be one hundred times worse than it was at it's lowest in the past year. The banks were supposed to use that money to finance loans to businesses in order to keep our economy moving and create jobs. Instead they squandered the money on bonuses and hoarded it. Live and learn, never trust big bankers with money if there aren't pre-defined rules attached.

Next there is the health care initiative. Republicans ate this one up! I have not lived through such fear mongering and ridiculousness in my lifetime. The republican right shouted about undue spending and running the deficit and ruining healthcare for those that have it. What nonsense. The healthcare bill was no where near perfect, but we have to start somewhere. Again I applaud you, President Obama! No one else before you has gone this far! What I would like to see is a big news channel expose which republicans are getting payoffs or are big holders in the insurance companies. That is why the bill was publicly trashed; the insurance companies are making extreme profits with little regulation at the expense of the health of every American that cannot afford the "Cadillac Policies." Even if you think you have good coverage, you are wrong. Your insurance is dictating to your doctors what they can treat you for and with. They are in the driver’s seat, not you or your doctors. I would personally like to see the heads of the insurance companies tried for willful endangerment of every American citizen that has been denied treatment, and then tried for murder in the names of all those that have died because of the treatments they were denied that might have saved them.

Now I'd like to move on to the conflicts in the Middle East. Afghanistan and Iraq. People are whining that you promised to pull our troops out of Iraq if you were elected, and yet they are not home. I would like to remind them that President Obama has done something that no other has done. He set a deadline. He laid out a timeframe for withdrawing our troops. The republicans threw fits when he did it, and now they are glazing over it and feeding the sentiment that nothing has been done. For those that harp on the fact that our troops were not immediately withdrawn, I would remind them: If President Obama had immediately withdrawn all troops, then everyone that had died in any foreign country in all of our conflicts, would have died in vain. Iraq would have broken down into feudal wars and another dictator would have arisen. Afghanistan would have immediately been reclaimed by the Taliban and they would have brutalized anyone that had disobeyed their fanatic rules during their exile. Everything that every American soldier has ever fought for would have been in vain. We would have handed those countries right back into dictatorial slavery. At least now they have a chance at freedom. We can finish training their militaries and let them try democracy on. From there they can develop their own plan of government, as free people.

My little letter is not long, nor all inclusive. There are a lot of people that have been turned by the fear mongering, bullying and lies of the republican right when it comes to President Obama. As for me, I have this to say.

Mr. President, I voted for you in 2008 and I support you still. I believe you have done what can be done and will do even more as your administration continues. Don't give up; we are still counting on you. If you were to call me or e-mail me today, I would do whatever you asked to help out in any way I could.

I would like to thank you as well. You took a job that I never could. I have no tolerance for political B.S. and would simply end up a frustrated mess in your position. Thank you for fighting for a job that 90% or more of the public could not do, and doing it to the best of your ability. Keep up the good work and don't give up the faith in our great nation.

 

Thank you sincerely,

 

J.A. Laughlin

 

 

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