Friday, June 6, 2014

Dear President Obama: Stop it.

Mr. President,

This past week, in defense of a questionable (ok, mind-bogglingly illegal) prisoner transfer, you mentioned the letters you get from military parents asking you to make sure their children are safe. While I doubt the veracity of that claim - I know quite a few military parents, and they generally have more faith in their soldiers than in their politicians - I'll give you the benefit of the doubt.

I am a former soldier. I am the daughter of a soldier (Operation Enduring Freedom), the niece of a soldier (Vietnam), and the granddaughter of soldiers (World War II). I am also a parent of children who are too young yet to be soldiers. But I do feel that there are a few things I must ask of you, since you are clearly taking requests.

In reality, it all boils down to one simple thing: please stop helping me.

Please stop helping me get "better healthcare." In the four years since I left the military, I have paid out of pocket for all of my family's healthcare needs. Under your new healthcare plan, I will pay more in premiums over the course of one year than I paid in the last four years with no insurance at all - and that's before I even get started chipping away at the deductible.

Please stop helping my kids get a "better education." I don't care if you do think that Che Guevera was a hero, the Boston Tea Party was an act of terrorism, and that the Warren Court didn't go far enough. I prefer my history straight and unencumbered by the baggage of  a political agenda. While you're at it, please stop helping with higher education as well.

Please stop helping my kids get "better nutrition." I realize this is more your wife's doing than yours, but since I've already started, I might as well keep going. I may not be a nutritionist (but unless I am mistaken, neither is the First Lady) but since the dawn of man, mothers have successfully nourished children without the "benefit" of government mandate. I intend to continue that tradition, thanks.

Please stop trying to keep my children safe. If your method - banning all guns - worked, then a petite woman like myself would not be taking a risk walking through downtown Chicago at night. Since that is not the case, I think I would prefer to retain the right and ability to defend myself - with firearms if necessary.

But most importantly, please stop interfering in the lives and careers of our men and women in uniform. Stop pretending that you care about them beyond their potential to be your political props. Stop meddling in affairs that are better handled by people who have the training and ability to organize something more tactical than political rallies and bake sales. I'm sorry. Healthy snack sales.

Thank you for your consideration. I expect you will give these matters the attention they deserve once you finish covering your ass. Good luck with that, by the way.

5 comments:

  1. There are several factual inaccuracies in this post. Among them: President Obama has never expressed any interest in banning all guns and never called the Boston Tea Party an act of terrorism.

    But, like him or not, he is the Commander in Chief. For him to stop "interfering" in the careers of men and women in uniform would be a breach of his duties under Section 2 of the Constitution -- an odd thing for any American, much less one from a military family, to ask him to do.

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  2. The reference to the Boston Tea Party comes from Common Core approved textbooks - which the President is definitely pushing. As for banning all guns, based on his record as Illinois Senator and the statements he has made as President, he does not have to say the words "BAN ALL THE GUNS" for us to know that is likely his endgame.

    Also: yes, he is the Commander in Chief. When I say "stop interfering," I do not mean "let the troops run roughshod over the world with no direction." I mean that if your highest level of experience involves coordinating fundraisers for womens' health, perhaps you should consult the military experts before you charge headfirst into a situation you don't understand.

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  3. Please name one military situation that you know President Obama has charged into without consulting a military or national security expert. There simply isn't one.

    On top of which, the man has been president for more than five years now -- his experience is a little beyond coordinating fundraisers.

    On the other points:

    If President Obama's endgame is to ban all guns then why has he never once expressed support for that (not even as a senator)? Why has he never proposed that? You can have it as your opinion that, deep inside President Obama's mind, he wants to ban all guns. But your post gives the impression that he's taken action to make that happen, which is factually incorrect. You are asking him to "please stop" banning all guns when he's never started!

    Common Core is a program states are free to join (or not). Personally, I think it is a terrible idea. But it's clearly possible to support the CC concept without agreeing with every single aspect of every single lesson.

    (Also, FYI, common core does include an article *from the British point-of-view* calling the Boston Tea Part an act of terrorism. But that's very different than teaching it as factually so. In the same way, a history textbook that includes passages from Mein Kampf is not teaching kids aryan supremacy. History is full of point of view, and I think we can agree that we want our students to be able to distinguish between what's point of view and what's fact.)

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  4. This President has made it necessary for us to either cede ground or fight for it again in Iraq. Tell me again about his military capabilities, please.

    Also, every action this President has taken in regards to guns is to further restrict our 2nd Amendment rights - which is not only a violation of the Constitution ("shall not be infringed," remember?) but steps toward an all out ban. You can only take so many steps on the road from New York to California before one can safely assume that you are heading West.

    I have a fairly good understanding of Common Core and what it entails. I also know what the federal government is doing in an effort to extort the states into compliance with the program. I understand teaching kids that there are many points of view, but first you have to be willing to teach them to think for themselves - and that is something that is sadly missing from most current curricula.

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  5. So, on Iraq, you don't like the President's policies. But you were incorrect to say that he doesn't consult with military experts.

    On guns, you don't like Obama's efforts to restrict the 2nd amendment. But you were incorrect to imply that he's expressed support for banning all guns.

    On the Common Core, you don't like that either. But it simply isn't right that President Obama has said anything equating the the Boston Tea Party to terrorism.

    I actually agree with at least some of your opinions. (And, totally agree on teaching kids to think for themselves!)

    But there's opinion and then there's fact. And on the facts, it isn't a good idea to be so unconcerned with accuracy as you seem to be on this blog.

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