An Open Letter to President Obama

[Richard]

This came from one of my former faculty members, now retired, former Chair of our English Dept and a staunch "yellow dog" Democrat of long standing.

Richard

There comes a time to admit mistakes:

An Open Letter to President Obama,

I am a seventy-one year old retired teacher from Dallas, Texas. I was one of your greatest supporters when you first ran for the presidency. Now I look back at your words of hope for the future and your promises to get us out of the war and end corruption in government, and I feel betrayed.

Your record shows that your words are just that. Words. I see now that you are owned and managed by those with their own agendas: personal power, greed, and desire to control resources here and in other parts of the world.

During your presidency, I have seen corruption in the financial sector continue to go unpunished, while rising interest rates on student loans penalize kids trying to pay for the training necessary to make a living wage. I have seen our national government grow to include a huge “security” sector we are told we need. I have seen government secrecy increase, and individual freedoms erode at a rapid pace, while you defend these changes as necessary to our security and personal wellbeing.

Your health plan has resulted in hikes in individual insurance rates with no apparent end in sight, while persons who have entered the country illegally still receive benefits they have done nothing to earn.

When I voted for you, I was snowed by your apparent intelligence and sincerity. I see now that your promises were empty. The enlightened and more equitable society you promised to work toward was nothing more than an eloquent snare to gain the support of idealistic voters like me. As the drones drop bombs across the world and spy on citizens here, I hear George Orwell whispering, “War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength.”

A Disillusioned Citizen