An Open Letter To The President

posted at 10:40 am on August 7, 2009 by Doctor Zero
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Dear Mr. President,

The purpose of this letter is to urge you to call off the violent attacks perpetrated by organized groups of your supporters over the last few days, which were instigated by members of your Administration and leaders of your party. We demand your immediate and unconditional public condemnation of the violence perpetrated against opponents of your policies at town hall meetings. We also demand your acknowledgement that opponents of your policies have the right to make their voices heard, and ask tough questions about your proposals.

This should be accompanied by a public commitment by every member of the Democrat Party, to make ample space available for dissenters at town hall meetings, which should be conducted frequently during the congressional recess, in large venues. Your party also owes an apology for the insults delivered by congressional leaders against American citizens who have expressed disagreement with your policy agenda. Democrat senator Blanche Lincoln referred to protesting citizens as “un-American.” Democrat senator Barbara Boxer dismissed citizens exercising their free speech rights as paid operatives of sinister corporations, based solely on their appearance, and her disagreement with the content of their speech. Democrat senator Harry Reid made similar insinuations, stating the concerns of American citizens are invalid because they are “astroturfers,” mindless drones taking orders from “talk show hosts, Internet rumor mongers, and insurance rackets.”

Democrat Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi went so far as to call these citizens Nazis, and claim they were carrying swastikas. Deputy White House Chief of Staff Jim Messina spoke of “punching back twice as hard” against citizens who “hit” Democrat senators with tough questions at town hall meetings. Limited clarifications and cowardly walk-backs are not sufficient redress for these vicious insults. Nothing but a full apology from your party to the American people will be adequate. Such an apology will also be an important step in reducing the atmosphere of tension and anger your party has deliberately cultivated.

We are certain you understand the desire of citizens to ask hard questions about massive government programs, designed to nationalize industries such as health insurance. These citizens are not only concerned about skyrocketing budget deficits, and the economic impact of restructuring the relationship between Americans and their government… they are justifiably concerned about their health, and the health of their elderly parents, and young children. Your health care proposals will affect their very survival. Government expansion of such magnitude – unprecedented in American history – must be debated in the most solemn manner, for as long as necessary to consider every aspect of the proposals, and their long-term ramifications. Simple common sense shows us that it would be absurd to ram something so huge and complicated through Congress with minimal debate. This is the behavior of a swindler, not a statesman – and it is an insult to democracy, which relies upon the informed consent of voters. Informed consent cannot exist without time for reason and deliberation, along with accurate information, freely provided.

Measures such as restricting town hall access to hand-picked groups of supporters, or canceling them altogether, do not create an atmosphere of informed deliberation. Targeting the vast majority of Americans who have expressed disagreement with your plans, by setting up White House tip lines and email addresses to coordinate political – and, increasingly, physical – attacks does not show the proper respect for their opinions, and their right to express them. Americans do not cast their ballots every four years to elect a dictator, and challenges to a President’s agenda do not constitute “un-American” behavior.

We understand this is a difficult time for you and your party. Persuading people is much more difficult than defeating them. The more your agenda requires defeating large segments of the American public, instead of persuading them, the more it is doomed to failure. You could begin a renewed effort at persuasion by using one of your frequent TV appearances to explain exactly how your health care proposals are justified by the United States Constitution, which you have sworn to uphold and obey. Such an explanation would be very informative for a public that has not received the best education about the Constitution from the government school system.

Another step on the road to persuasion would be publishing every single page of your health care plan, with absolutely no white spaces or sections to be filled in later, then attending a televised town hall in which random citizens are allowed to quiz you about the plan. We are certain you would be able to field such questions without the aid of notes, teleprompters, or coaching from your political handlers, since you would never disgrace your office by submitting “historic” legislation you don’t understand perfectly, in every detail. Democrat senators could hold similar meetings to demonstrate their intimate knowledge of the bill. In fact, we demand it… for every major spending bill Congress considers.

First and foremost, Mr. President, you must act forcefully to end the violence you have inspired. Call a press conference, along with Democrat congressional leaders, and the leadership of the SEIU and AFL-CIO. Denounce the violence and make a public commitment to free and robust debate, which will continue as long as the American people feel it is necessary. Apologize for the rhetoric your party has thoughtlessly deployed. Acknowledge that all Americans are your constituents, including those who didn’t vote for you, and renew your vow of respect and fealty to all of us.

(Signature of American citizen appears below. Politicians of all parties who wish to be elected in 2010, please make your signature extra large.)

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