letter to the president....

[Sheldon]

BTY I checked it out n it is legit... Harold Estes

Dear President Obama,

My name is Harold Estes, approaching 95 on December 13 of this year. People meeting me for the first time don't believe my age because I remain wrinkle free and pretty much mentally alert.

I enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1934 and served proudly before, during and after WW II retiring as a Master Chief Bos'n Mate. Now I live in a "rest home" located on the western end of Pearl Harbor, allowing me to keep alive the memories of 23 years of service to my country.

One of the benefits of my age, perhaps the only one, is to speak my mind, blunt and direct even to the head man.

So here goes.

I am amazed, angry and determined not to see my country die before I do, but you seem hell bent not to grant me that wish.

I can't figure out what country you are the president of.
You fly around the world telling our friends and enemies despicable lies like:
" We're no longer a Christian nation"
" America is arrogant" - (Your wife even
announced to the world,"America is mean-
spirited. " Please tell her to try preaching
that nonsense to 23 generations of our
war dead buried all over the globe who
died for no other reason than to free a
whole lot of strangers from tyranny and
hopelessness.)
I'd say shame on the both of you, but I don't think you like America, nor do I see an ounce of gratefulness in anything you do, for the obvious gifts this country has given you. To be without shame or gratefulness is a dangerous thing for a man sitting in the White House.

After 9/11 you said," America hasn't lived up to her ideals."

Which ones did you mean? Was it the notion of personal liberty that 11,000 farmers and shopkeepers died for to win independence from the British? Or maybe the ideal that no man should be a slave to another man, that 500,000 men died for in the Civil War? I hope you didn't mean the ideal 470,000 fathers, brothers, husbands, and a lot of fellas I knew personally died for in WWII, because we felt real strongly about not letting any nation push us around, because we stand for freedom.

I don't think you mean the ideal that says equality is better than discrimination. You know the one that a whole lot of white people understood when they helped to get you elected.

Take a little advice from a very old geezer, young man.

Shape up and start acting like an American. If you don't, I'll do what I can to see you get shipped out of that fancy rental on Pennsylvania Avenue. You were elected to lead not to bow, apologize and kiss the hands of murderers and corrupt leaders who still treat their people like slaves.

And just who do you think you are telling the American people not to jump to conclusions and condemn that Muslim major who killed 13 of his fellow soldiers and wounded dozens more. You mean you don't want us to do what you did when that white cop used force to subdue that black college professor in Massachusetts, who was putting up a fight? You don't mind offending the police calling them stupid but you don't want us to offend Muslim fanatics by calling them what they are, terrorists.

One more thing. I realize you never served in the military and never had to defend your country with your life, but you're the Commander-in-Chief now, son. Do your job. When your battle-hardened field General asks you for 40,000 more troops to complete the mission, give them to him. But if you're not in this fight to win, then get out. The life of one American soldier is not worth the best political strategy you're thinking of.

You could be our greatest president because you face the greatest challenge ever presented to any president.
You're not going to restore American greatness by bringing back our bloated economy. That's not our greatest threat. Losing the heart and soul of who we are as Americans is our big fight now.
And I sure as hell don't want to think my president is the enemy in this final battle.

Sincerely,
Harold B. Estes

[danmcgee]

You go Harold.

[choppergabor]

Amen to every single word!

[LARRYEBOYER]

To bad that ****-head pres won't read that letter!

[Passin' Thru]

I just read that the Prez now sez we gonna SPEND our way to prosperity!
Don't worry folks, wez in good hands!

[Russ Hobbs]

If I wasn't stuck with a house I couldn't sell for less than half what it was worth last year, I'd pick up and move to Australia so I could bug Birdy.

[Sir Real]

By point:

All respect & gratitude to Harold & the hundreds of thousands of others who have defended our country. Nothing we can do can be enough.

We are not a Christian nation. Never have been, better not ever be. We are a nation whose populace is mostly Christian, but that's not the same thing.

America is not Arrogant. We are pretty self-confident, though.

America is about as far from "Mean spirited" as it is possible to get. We give billions in aid & have huge orginizations whose sole purpose is to help others. We gain some internationa political capital from that, to be sure, but we'd do it anyway, as evidenced by the fact that we keep doing it even while the world hates us. I'm not a big Barack fan, but I'm even less of a Michelle fan.

Lacking shame or gratefulness is pretty much par for the course for a president. I think the last president we had that had either of those traits was Carter, and he was about the least effective president we've had in a century.

Well, maybe Bush Sr.

America hasn't come close to living up to her ideals since 9/11. We've invaded a sovereign nation that had done nothing to us, we've largely suspended the personal protection aspects ot our Constitution, we've engaged in torture to a terrifying extent (personal bias: I think alowing, let alone directing, ANY torture is terrifying), we've imprisoned people without charges, we've targeted people because of what they believe, how they look or how they dress, we've engaged in warrantless wiretaps, and we've let security risks off the hook since they supported those in power. We're supposed to operate under "Innocent until proven guilty" process, and our rights should be extended to EVERYONE, not just members of one race or followers of one or two faiths.

Harold's list of the greatness & sacrifices are spot on. They are also history. We need to get back to that, but we aren't there now.

The Muslim Major was a Muslim extremist. He was a bad guy. He didn't start out that way, but that's what he became. If "Muslim" equals "Muslim Extremist" then "Christian" equals "Klansman".

The Harvard Professor was a racist jerk, and Obama's kid-glove handling of him, and his statements regarding the police, were outrageous, and show a frightening bias.

Finally, when the battle hardened generals ask for 40,000 more troops, you give them to him, IF you, as the leader of the country and the commander-in-chief, decide that America should be in the fight at all. The President decides if we should be in the fight, and, since it's not a "war" in Afghanistan, he decides if we shouldn't. If he decides in favor, then yes, he should get out of the way and let the professionals take over. If he decides we shouldn't be there, he should work with the professionals to figure out how to get out with the least problem for us, first, and the friendly government, second.

Oh, and Russ? Emigrating to Australia is not easy. I've looked into it. They have rules in place to make sure immigrants might actually be PRODUCTIVE. Go figure. New Zealand is even tougher

[Rotor Rooter]

Perhaps Obama's election, or to be more specific, the use of the Internet that resulted in him being elected, is a harbinger of America eventually BECOMING the world's first true democracy.

The Internet may become the conduit for Direct Democracy.

[j bird]

you can't let a democracy rule, there's to many ignorant people out there.

[Passin' Thru]

Originally Posted by j bird

you can't let a democracy rule, there's to many ignorant people out there.

I agree with that! As best I understand it, the US was never intended to be a democracy, but rather a Republic. Big difference!

[Rotor Rooter]

Originally Posted by j bird

you can't let a democracy rule, there's to many ignorant people out there.

OK! We''ve got to eliminate that problem.

How about reviving Eugenics?


Dave
Just killing time until time kills me.

[j bird]

Eugenics got my vote

[Terry]

Originally Posted by Sir Real

By point:

All respect & gratitude to Harold & the hundreds of thousands of others who have defended our country. Nothing we can do can be enough.

We are not a Christian nation. Never have been, better not ever be. We are a nation whose populace is mostly Christian, but that's not the same thing.

America is not Arrogant. We are pretty self-confident, though.

America is about as far from "Mean spirited" as it is possible to get. We give billions in aid & have huge orginizations whose sole purpose is to help others. We gain some internationa political capital from that, to be sure, but we'd do it anyway, as evidenced by the fact that we keep doing it even while the world hates us. I'm not a big Barack fan, but I'm even less of a Michelle fan.

Lacking shame or gratefulness is pretty much par for the course for a president. I think the last president we had that had either of those traits was Carter, and he was about the least effective president we've had in a century.

Well, maybe Bush Sr.

America hasn't come close to living up to her ideals since 9/11. We've invaded a sovereign nation that had done nothing to us, we've largely suspended the personal protection aspects ot our Constitution, we've engaged in torture to a terrifying extent (personal bias: I think alowing, let alone directing, ANY torture is terrifying), we've imprisoned people without charges, we've targeted people because of what they believe, how they look or how they dress, we've engaged in warrantless wiretaps, and we've let security risks off the hook since they supported those in power. We're supposed to operate under "Innocent until proven guilty" process, and our rights should be extended to EVERYONE, not just members of one race or followers of one or two faiths.

Harold's list of the greatness & sacrifices are spot on. They are also history. We need to get back to that, but we aren't there now.

The Muslim Major was a Muslim extremist. He was a bad guy. He didn't start out that way, but that's what he became. If "Muslim" equals "Muslim Extremist" then "Christian" equals "Klansman".

The Harvard Professor was a racist jerk, and Obama's kid-glove handling of him, and his statements regarding the police, were outrageous, and show a frightening bias.

Finally, when the battle hardened generals ask for 40,000 more troops, you give them to him, IF you, as the leader of the country and the commander-in-chief, decide that America should be in the fight at all. The President decides if we should be in the fight, and, since it's not a "war" in Afghanistan, he decides if we shouldn't. If he decides in favor, then yes, he should get out of the way and let the professionals take over. If he decides we shouldn't be there, he should work with the professionals to figure out how to get out with the least problem for us, first, and the friendly government, second.

Oh, and Russ? Emigrating to Australia is not easy. I've looked into it. They have rules in place to make sure immigrants might actually be PRODUCTIVE. Go figure. New Zealand is even tougher

I would like to suggest to you that our language has suffered much over the years. The very definition of the word, nation, is that it is a people group. Nation does not define a government or a block of land in its proper sense. You said it well Sir Real, America is made up of mostly "Christians", therefore, by definition America is a "Christian" nation.

America does not have a "Christian" government in that "Christians" knew it to be antithetical to their faith; so what they did, was set up a government to be as unobtrusive, a necessary evil to regulate and punish wrong doing, as it could be over the hearts and minds of the nation.

Unfortunately, Christendom, is not well defined; and much of it runs after the same salvation by "works" faith as those who do not hold Christ as their government. Our offices of government are now occupied by such people in the majority. They began to consider the law as being no longer a tool for regulation and punishment only . . . the American ideal; but now a tool of forced behavioral modification for increased profitability, much as one would run a dairy.

Anyone can point to communism, and show its shortcomings; but few realize the horror of capitalistic socialism as George Soros and the Democrat Party are bent upon forcing upon the World, just as Henry Ford and Adolph Hitler were bent upon doing in the early part of last Century.

That said; isn't it written already?

[Sir Real]

You're right about the imprecision of the language, of course. My primary concern is that by saying that America is a Christian nation, the strong implication is that if you're not a Christian, you're not an American. This is incorrect. Having Christians in office is a good thing. Having non-Christians in office is also a good thing.

Having fewer people in office is best of all.

[Resasi]

That people seems to be a thoughtful letter, from a simple, senior, who is a patriot, written from the heart.

Stripped of the gooey political correctness that so clogs our lives, it contains nothing but the logical desires of a citizen who wants nothing more than the basic elements of decency, good leadership, and pride in the country that he is a part of, from his President and Commander-In-Chief.

A nation that so many have already made the ultimate sacrifice for.

I applaud him.