To whom it may concern:
An open letter to all the people who voted for Bush and/or Republican congresspeople, to everyone who voted for a third party/independent candidate (and therefore cast a de facto vote for Bush), and to anyone who just didn't vote:
I don't hate you. I don't want you to die or immigrate, and I don't intend to immigrate just to get away from you. I acknowledge that you probably weighed each candidate's position on all issues and voted for the person you felt most capable of leading the country, and probably did not react in knee-jerk fashion to such buzz-words as "liberal" and such propaganda as "can't take a position," but rather looked at the facts behind the claims--at least as much as your Democratic counterparts did. I respect your right to vote for whom you wish even though I don't agree with you; that is still a freedom we have in our country, and I wouldn't deny it to anyone.
The fact is, you won. You created a majority, and you got the president and congresspeople that you wanted. Democracy works that way sometimes. You have four years, give or take, to enjoy your victory.
That being said, I don't think it's unfair to demand one thing: If, at the end of the next four years
--our economy has sunk to new lows
--massive numbers of jobs have been sent overseas and you--or people you know--are out of work
--we're still embroiled in Iraq and referring to it as "the next Vietnam"
--huge numbers of our young men and women have died on foreign soil
--even larger numbers of Iraqi men, women, and children have been killed
--North Korea has grown into a global threat
--our environment has gone, pardon the expression, to hell
--Social Security has gone with it
--your parents and grandparents are suffering from chronic conditions that they can't relieve with existing medication because they can't afford it
--your kids are getting less and less of an education every year
--and you have fewer civil rights than you did four years ago today, I expect you to remember--you voted for them. You elected them. You put your faith in them. You were warned. Take responsibility for what you've done, and then come see us. We'll try to help you get it back on track. Hopefully it won't be too late.
Sincerely,
me
I don't hate you. I don't want you to die or immigrate, and I don't intend to immigrate just to get away from you. I acknowledge that you probably weighed each candidate's position on all issues and voted for the person you felt most capable of leading the country, and probably did not react in knee-jerk fashion to such buzz-words as "liberal" and such propaganda as "can't take a position," but rather looked at the facts behind the claims--at least as much as your Democratic counterparts did. I respect your right to vote for whom you wish even though I don't agree with you; that is still a freedom we have in our country, and I wouldn't deny it to anyone.
The fact is, you won. You created a majority, and you got the president and congresspeople that you wanted. Democracy works that way sometimes. You have four years, give or take, to enjoy your victory.
That being said, I don't think it's unfair to demand one thing: If, at the end of the next four years
--our economy has sunk to new lows
--massive numbers of jobs have been sent overseas and you--or people you know--are out of work
--we're still embroiled in Iraq and referring to it as "the next Vietnam"
--huge numbers of our young men and women have died on foreign soil
--even larger numbers of Iraqi men, women, and children have been killed
--North Korea has grown into a global threat
--our environment has gone, pardon the expression, to hell
--Social Security has gone with it
--your parents and grandparents are suffering from chronic conditions that they can't relieve with existing medication because they can't afford it
--your kids are getting less and less of an education every year
--and you have fewer civil rights than you did four years ago today, I expect you to remember--you voted for them. You elected them. You put your faith in them. You were warned. Take responsibility for what you've done, and then come see us. We'll try to help you get it back on track. Hopefully it won't be too late.
Sincerely,
me