Today I got an e-mail from barackobama.com asking me to donate $5 or more to President Obama's campaign. With my donation, I'd be eligible to win a ticket to dinner with him as one of four lucky "supporters." He said he wanted my stories and ideas and invited me to share them with him if I was one of the four winners.
I didn't donate, but I did go on the website to send my reply and share some of my ideas with him, anyway. Thought I'd share them with you, too...
Dear President Obama,
Thank you for the opportunity to win a dinner with you. It was so kind of you to invite me, however, I don't have $5 to spare. I lost my job and haven't had much luck finding a new one. Of course, with the job went my insurance. Which makes me wonder if we really want to be the only industrialized country in the world that allows tens of thousands of our fellow Americans to die each year simply because they can't afford health insurance? Have you read the Universal Declaration of Human Rights lately?
My mother is currently on hospice with terminal cancer. She's a beautiful, positive person and I enjoy every minute I'm able to spend with her. Without Social Security and Medicare, she wouldn't be with us today. As President of these United States, Mr. Obama, why aren't we hearing you speaking out against this insanity of cutting Social Security and Medicare? Do you really want us all spending our twilight years searching for that elusive empty park bench or clean, quiet spot beneath the overpass?
WE the people are not exclusively the top 1% of the population with all the money (and apparently, all the cards).
And, why are our soldiers still killing and being killed across the globe? Bush was undeniably a war criminal and should be behind bars for his crimes, but YOU, winner of the Nobel PEACE Prize for goodness' sake, have outdone yourself in striving to surpass his bloody legacy. Since you took office, US drone strikes in Pakistan have more than quadrupled. We're killing civilians in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen, and Libya. And, over 6,000 of our own young men and women have lost their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan -- and with you keeping them there, this number will continue to rise.
I could go on about FBI raids on the homes of peace activists, people being jailed without trial, and our loss of civil liberties and basic human rights but I know you're busy trying to convince us that dropping bombs on Libya doesn't violate the War Powers Resolution because it's not REALLY a war -- we're just killing people again. Nothing new, really; business as usual. Iraq wasn't really a war, either -- it was an occupation, so I can certainly see your point. (I'm sure the Iraqis and Libyans would agree.)
We thought you'd bring change but it seems to be headed in the wrong direction.
Anyway, I guess you didn't actually ask for an RSVP but I thought I'd take you up on the opportunity to share some of my stories and ideas since I won't be making it to the dinner.
Oh, and thank you for the "invitation."
Sorry I didn't have the $5 to accept it.