Dear Mr. President

President Barack Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20500


April 13, 2011


Re: Citizen Response to Speech on Deficit

Dear Mr. President,

Had I possession of a functioning magic wand, I would wave it from the Continental Divide and cast a spell across the United States to simply cause people to listen. Not merely hear, but truly listen. To each other, to our children, to our fellow citizens of planet Earth… and your speech on the date of this letter is where I would cause the spell to begin.

Your decency, your dignity, your intelligence, your compassion, your candor and your will to lead are among the reasons I voted for you. These qualities of yours shine brighter now when you are mired in this heated political dog fight over money, a topic so volatile and destructive that countries go to war, parents disown children, siblings deny each other and people commit murder over it.

I know you have staffers, speech writers and advisors, all of whom assist you in both formulating your policies and communicating your messages. Still, Mr. Obama, you are the President. Ultimately it is your decision to say whatever you speak, and it is you upon whose head the repercussions will fall. So please add courage to the above list of admirable characteristics.

I haven’t the income or celebrity to wield much influence. My opinions are simply that: my opinions. But I hold the opinion that our nation is at a giant cultural crossroads. Of all the would-be leaders I can imagine at its helm, you are the one I would choose… again. Especially now, you are the one whose leadership gives me hope that the U.S.A. might yet survive the 21st century. Thank you.