An Open Letter to God

Dear God,

The other night, James Dobson's ministry asked all believers to pray for a storm on Thursday night so that the Obama acceptance speech outdoors in Denver would have to be canceled.

I see that You have answered Dr. Dobson's prayers -- except the storm You have sent to earth is not over Denver, but on its way to New Orleans! In fact, You have scheduled it to hit Louisiana at exactly the moment that George W. Bush is to deliver his speech at the Republican National Convention.

Now, heavenly Father, we all know You have a great sense of humor and impeccable timing. To send a hurricane on the third anniversary of the Katrina disaster AND right at the beginning of the Republican Convention was, at first blush, a stroke of divine irony. I don't blame You, I know You're angry that the Republicans tried to blame YOU for Katrina by calling it an "Act of God" -- when the truth was that the hurricane itself caused few casualties in New Orleans. Over a thousand people died because of the mistakes and neglect caused by humans, not You.

Some of us tried to help after Katrina hit, while Bush ate cake with McCain and twiddled his thumbs. I closed my office in New York and sent my entire staff down to New Orleans to help. I asked people on my website to contribute to the relief effort I organized -- and I ended up sending over two million dollars in donations, food, water, and supplies (collected from thousands of fans) to New Orleans while Bush's FEMA ice trucks were still driving around Maine three weeks later.

But this past Thursday night, the Washington Post reported that the Republicans had begun making plans to possibly postpone the convention. The AP had reported that there were no shelters set up in New Orleans for this storm, and that the levee repairs have not been adequate. In other words, as the great Ronald Reagan would say, "There you go again!"

So the last thing John McCain and the Republicans needed was to have a split-screen on TVs across America: one side with Bush and McCain partying in St. Paul, and on the other side of the screen, live footage of their Republican administration screwing up once again while New Orleans drowns.

So, yes, You have scared the Jesus, Mary and Joseph out of them, and more than a few million of your followers tip their hats to You.

But now it appears that You haven't been having just a little fun with Bush & Co. It appears that Hurricane Gustav is truly heading to New Orleans and the Gulf coast. We hear You, O Lord, loud and clear, just as we did when Rev. Falwell said You made 9/11 happen because of all those gays and abortions. We beseech You, O Merciful One, not to punish us again as Pat Robertson said You did by giving us Katrina because of America's "wholesale slaughter of unborn children." His sentiments were echoed by other Republicans in 2005.

So this is my plea to you: Don't do this to Louisiana again. The Republicans got your message. They are scrambling and doing the best they can to get planes, trains and buses to New Orleans so that everyone can get out. They haven't sent the entire Louisiana National Guard to Iraq this time -- they are already patrolling the city streets. And, in a nod to I don't know what, Bush's head of FEMA has named a man to help manage the federal government's response. His name is W. Michael Moore. I kid you not, heavenly Father. They have sent a man with both my name AND W's to help save the Gulf Coast.

So please God, let the storm die out at sea. It's done enough damage already. If you do this one favor for me, I promise not to invoke your name again. I'll leave that to the followers of Dr. Dobson and to those gathering this week in St. Paul.

Your faithful servant and former seminarian,

Michael Moore
[e-mail]
MichaelMoore.com

P.S. To all of God's fellow children who are reading this, the city of New Orleans has not yet recovered from Katrina. Please click here for a list of things you can do to help our brothers and sisters on the Gulf Coast. And, if you do live along the Gulf Coast, please take all necessary safety precautions immediately.

Comments

[Marmann]

Dear Michael:

And now (supposedly) we're in for two more hurricanes this week, with the last one due on (I believe) the night McCain is supposed to give his acceptance speech.

Maybe God IS trying to send us a very clear message, maybe about the McCain/PALIN ticket!

I just hope that nobody gets hurt in any of these storms.

[KareninSac]

My heart breaks for the people of the Gulf Coast. I hope and pray that they all be spared injury to their persons and property. It's almost too much to bear, so soon after Katrina.

For politicians and "journalists" using the pain of others to further their agenda: shame on you. This is NOT about you. Mr. McCain, please stay out of the way in the Gulf Coast. This is not the time for photo ops.

[castlerider]

Mike, we really need to start doing something about the concern so many of us have about the sabotaged and hacked voting machines.
This is the last bastion the neo-cons have to win, and I 'm sure they are doing everything to shore it up.

What can we do? How can we help to see this doesn't happen again? Because it's probably already being manipulated for access, as we speak. These jerks are desperate not to lose their positions of power, and if anyone thinks these guys are not above the ultimate cheat, they need to think again.

[robiform]

A very nice post, which of course, will be totally misconstrued by the right-wing media and their dittohead followers. And let's just wait and see how much charity for those in the path of Gustav will be forthcoming from those right-wingers!

[taniacaa]

As a Floridian I am glad that the storm has weakened a bit (Cat 2 instead of Cat 3). It really makes a significant difference when the storms are downgraded, but this is the nature of our part of the world.
I'll pray for minimum damage and zero deaths.

Palin=Bush
Both Governors of Oil States=No alternative energy plans.
Both "Executive Experience"=The type America does not need.
Both extreme conservative= No science in schools.
Please do not let this happen to us ever again.

The Palin VP pick has confirmed to me that Bush, McCain, Palin, and the Republicans wants middle class Americans to revert a “frontier lifestyle”….no job, no home, no education, and no healthcare insurance. We are to live off the land and hunt for our food. Palin is the person who will ensure that we are retrained to do just this.
Obama/Biden 2008

[Gidster]

Only we will still have to pay the State for permission to do so!

[Obama4change]

Michael, GOD has answered your prayer, it appears that Gustav has not done as much damaged as feared and it was downgraded to a Cat 2 before hitting landfall. It is ironic what Rev. Dobson prayed for? What kind of Christians are these that pray for destruction and have malice towards other human beings? Loved your article. Very funny.

[Neoman]

Major spike in electricity in CA, NY over leftist website causing rapid increase in global warming.

[Neoman]

Michael Moores outrageous statements are root cause of people leaving the Democratic party in droves. Thousands switching party affiliation nationwide. In safe Democrat havens, NY, CA, NJ now battleground states. McCain/ Palin coffers overflowing over Moore's comments. Developing.

[KeithCraker]

Uh... no, actually two and sometimes three times as many people showed up in the Democratic primaries to vote than in the Republican. All through the mountain states, once a haven for the Conservatives, the governor's office is held by Democrats, moderates who understand it's not about ideology, but about getting things done. Even Texas, where G. W. Bush was governor, is touted as leaning Republican, not solidly Republican, and may even swing to a "purple" state by the 2012 election.

Dobson's flunky DID call for prayers for rain, Pres. Bush and McCain DID eat cake while New Orleans drowned three years ago, Falwell DID say 9-11 was the fault of the gays, and Robertson DID say Katrina was the fault of abortions. That's outrageous.

[Gabrielle]

Michael, do you know if America has sent help to Haiti yet for the devastattion caused by Gustav already (not counting the dead), I know it's not OUR country, but they' re so close to us and in such desperate need for help....oh I forgot there are so very few pale people there....

It's time to be good Americans ....and foregt about politics ....indeed!!!

Using this tragedy to hide the fact that the r e p** c onven was a disaster by canceling it in the name of philanthropy....give me a break !

How convenient!!!! and sad.

[huffpomom]

Obviously none of us want a hurricane to hit an already devastated area or anywhere for that matter. But I actually wish that the republicans could have had their convention go on as planned. The American people would have seen the complete opposite of what they saw at the DNC. It's such a striking comparison between Al Gore and so many well respected people (who were right and should be our leaders now) raising the roof for Obama vs some of the most hated men in the world cheering on creepy McCain.

[vietveter]

Michael Moore,

I guess you didn't get the 'word'

It is OK if they say it

It is not OK if we say it

[aznurse]

With the shenanagans that we may have encouraged in Georgia, its ironic that the Gustaf is a russian name and it means the staff of God.

[Pupadup4oBama]

Now THAT is scary!

[BookDesigner]

Gustav or Gustaf is Swedish, from the Old Norse roots meaning "staff of the Goths." That it also appears in Russian is due solely to the fact that Swedish vikings went east into what later became Russia, rather than west, like the Danish and Norwegian vikings.

[ShamusNYC]

Mr. Moore - if you're reading this I would ask - BEG - you to do your next movie on the rise of the culture of hate and distortion, focusing on FOX News & their "pundits", Jerome Corsi & Mary Maitilin (honestly, don't care if Carville gets upset), Rush Limbaugh, Ann Coulter, and other people who make me want to throw up violently with the trash and garbage they spew forth.

Please touch on the decline of McC's integrity & his hiring of the Rove team who ruthlessly slandered him & his family in 2002.

Let's prey for NO together, then PLEASE we need to push the education of this matter further and have a lead in to boycotts and fiscal pressure on some of these sources of evil.

For, as Johnny McC told us, when ever we encounter evil we must "defeat it".

[GiannaX]

Bravo, MM!!

YOU are a true blue Maverick. The real deal.

Thanks for all you do...

[AnnieinOR]

Amen, I agree with you Mr. Moore... New Orleans and LA do not deserve to go through this again... punish those that deserve it.