Letter to President Barack Obama

Dear President Obama:

When you were in the running for office I listened to what you had to say, I found all of your promises hard to believe but they seemed full of hope for our future as a Country. Because of all the controversy surrounding that election I actually did some research. Thanks to the Internet I didn’t have to go searching through microfiche in a large Library.

In this you helped me. This was the first time I took an election this seriously. For hours I poured over different articles about you and your opponent. I finally came to the conclusion that I did not wish to vote for you. My decision was more of not what you were promising to do for this Country, but the secrets that appeared you were hiding, and the controversy surrounding you.  I could not in good conscience vote for someone that had SO much controversy, regardless of where it came from. There were too many confusing questions surrounding you. Briefly I will give you a few of those.

1. The question of your birth seems upper most in my mind. The idea that there were those who seemed to want to hide your birth certificate. Also that you didn’t have to show it when elected to the Senate. Why is this?

2. Your choice of friends became my second question, the neighbor very close to you became under fire. He was steeped in controversy.

3. Your religion came under fire next. Now I don’t care who you worship, this Country was founded on diversity. The freedom to worship who we will. Just the idea that one minute you say you are Christian and the next that you are Muslim, the name change speaks this.

4. That you were an Indonesian citizen came next to my mind. How can you be a citizen of one Country and be President of another?

5. You had a channel dedicated to you 24 hours a day for months before the election. TV is very expensive, just where did you get this money? To me, just an average citizen, tells me that someone paid your way into the Oval Office.

These were just a few things that were flying around my head as you were running for election. These were also my reasons for voting in a different direction. So much Controversy cannot be a good thing. It had nothing to do with the Political party. My Dad has been a Democrat all his life, and as such he has imparted his thoughts and ideas into my head.

Once you were elected I decided that as the President of my Country I must support you. You then began to do things that to me, made no sense. I remember seeing you bow to the Japanese ruler. Even I know this isn’t done, why? Because they were defeated in battle. True it was many years ago, but still today when everyone seems to be scrambling to the top any sign of weakness will be used against you.

That you refused to put your hand over your heart during the Pledge of Allegiance to OUR flag, why is that? Are you saying that you don’t respect the Country with which you are representing? This not something I made up, there are photos of you refusing to do this.

Those are just a few things that has me questioning your desire to do well for the Country in which I Love. The controversy continues to surround you. You promised ‘Change’ and in this, yes you have done so, but it is not for the better. We used to be the Country that people flocked to and desired to emulate, because of our freedoms that we enjoy. We are now looked down upon because of our Leader, You. In this ‘dog eat dog’ world we live in, one cannot show any sign of weakness, your behaviors are doing just that. You are creating a Divided United States, when more than ever we need to be United.

Because you are the first ever African American elected to the Presidency this seems to make you feel some sort of entitlement. Getting elected does not give you entitlement, you have to earn these things. The feeling of entitlement seems to be sweeping across our Country, it was here before you were elected. But now that you are showing so much of it, everyone seems to feel they should get a little piece of the pie without earning it.

As we speak our Country is falling apart, becoming more and more divided. Racism, which seemed to be headed in the right direction of being eradicated, is now back in full force. Why is this? Because anyone who says anything regardless of how it is directed or even what it is about, is called a racist. If a person (who happens to be white or any other color, other than black) says anything regarding the comments or actions of another person (who happens to be black) they are making racist comments. When Black people or People of Color (if you prefer) who have gone above and beyond in their educational studies, comments against another Person of Color, they too are referred to as racist. Now this is going beyond ridiculous.

I think that as our President is should be up to you to set examples and in this you are not doing so. By getting involved in local news you seem to be showing partiality ie; The ‘Beer’ summit, the boy in the flying balloon and then the firing of Shirley Sherrod. This seemed to all be done on the spur of the moment, without thought. You do not strike me as an individual who is too deeply swayed by what advisors will tell you to do. It seems as if you are trying to dip your finger in too many pots.

You ask the 'people' to tighten their belts and make more and more sacrifices. Then jet off to yet another Vacation destination which we are forced to watch on the News. Knowing that there is no money for us to even drive to visit relatives, don't you feel that this might be a little inappropriate? I am not one to begrudge ANYONE a vacation when they are earned, but so many?

The stock market drops over 600 points in one day, yet you are telling the people "Don't pay any attention to that". Mr. President, do you NOT understand our Country, the WORLD is run on the stock market? The price of Gold has increased to over $1700 per ounce, this should tell you the investors have no confidence in the dollar.

President Obama, What is your plan for this Country? You have been in office for over 30 months, you continue to place blame on everyone for it's decline. First it was the Bush Administration, now it's the Tea Party's fault that were in such a mess. When will you take responsibility for the mess? You are asking for 4 more years, for what? So you can hand over the keys to the front door?

Being the President of a Country cannot be any easy job, I personally would not want it. But you did want it, now it’s up to you to do the best possible job you can do. If you feel that it is more than you can handle, Please - For the sake of Our Country, step down and let someone else take over. Having never been the head of anything, you were not prepared for this job, no one will think badly of you, should you do so.

Respectfully Submitted,

Susan L. Gillihan

( Authors note: As a concerned citizen of this Country, I have nothing more than my voice. I am sorry if you don't agree with me, but these are my opinions and being a US citizen the First Amendment gives me this right to express myself.)

My Dad, a 'died in the wool' Democrat has now decided that maybe he might have been wrong in voting for this President. With the New Trade Agreement just signed, it seems as though our President doesn't understand if we have no jobs here in our Country how are we going to make purchases? Opening the doors a bit further, for the jobs to slip through is what is being done.