Letter from an old man that wanted to tell President Obama about the good old days......
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
Now read what I sent back once I put my personal spin:
Dear President Obama,
My name is RC, approaching 47 on January 22 of next 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 US Military in 1982 and served proudly before, during and after three wars and retiring as a Sergeant First Class from the US Army. Now I live and work in Ft. Benning, GA, it allows to keep alive the memories of 22 years of service to my country.
One of the benefits of my retirement is that I can see the world from a different angle.
So here it goes.
I am amazed, angry and determined not to see my country die before I do, and you have renewed the hope that this great nation will not perished as others have.
Thank you for telling the world that America is NOT what the Bush administration and bunch of war hungry good old boys have been showing the rest of this planet to be.
“We’re no longer a Christian nation" We never were a Christian nation. Otherwise why would President John Adams (The one that signed the Declaration of Independence) signed into law the Treaty of Tripoli. Art. 11. As the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion,—as it has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion, or tranquility, of Mussulmen,—and as the said States never entered into any war or act of hostility against any Mahometan nation, it is declared by the parties that no pretext arising from religious opinions shall ever produce an interruption of the harmony existing between the two countries.”
" America is arrogant" – Are we NOT????? That is the reason we were in Iraq for OVER 7 years already. We could have been done and over in three years but we knew better how to run their own country. The Iraqis were just children that needed adult supervision on how to run their own government. In the last few years we just brought the same type of democracy to Iraq as we have in Venezuela.
I am very proud that you have spoken against the mistakes and stupidity this last president brought to the world. I mention Venezuela before because with that same mean spirited and arrogant stand that you have spoken about, South America has seen MORE Socialist countries now than ever before. Why is South America in a better economical status that North America? Because of the Bush Administration’s arrogance the South American countries started to distance from the economical disaster the Bush administration was taking this nation to.
After 9/11 you said," America hasn't lived up to her ideals." The letter that the old geezer wrote you is a very funny declaration from a man that misses the old days. Do you remember those old days Mr. President? The days when people of your skin color were lynched by just talking to a white woman. The days when “colored folks” couldn’t vote. The days when the US Navy, that he so proudly served, limited the jobs of black sailors to cooks and stewards. I like the way he mentions the idea the no man should be a slave to another and for that reason 500,000 men died in the Civil War, but after 80 years of that war (WWII) ALL the services were still segregated. I guess those were the good old days for that great generation.
Take it from an old soldier that served proudly in the US Army; thank you for your leadership and thank you Mr. President for actually working for all Americans and not for just the ones that voted you into office.
He talks about the memories of his friends that died in WWII, I also have memories of my soldiers being mutilated by IEDs in search of weapons of mass destruction that were the fabrication of the prior administration.
This old geezer even says “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 were absolutely right. I am NOT a Christian, nor a Muslim, nor a Jew. I have many friends from all three denominations. It is very hard for my Muslims friends when an Idiot commits a crime and it is generalized to their single group. They are Americans that happened to be Muslims.
One more thing. I realize you never served in the military and never had to defend your country with your life, Just like President Bush, Vice President Cheney and the bunch of chicken-hawks that got us in Iraq to begin with, but you're the Commander-in-Chief now. Thanks for doing the job the others failed to do. When your battle-hardened field General asks you for 40,000 more troops to complete the mission, give them to him. Even though his credibility was completely shattered after the SPC Tillman fiasco came to light. But if you're not in this fight to win, then get out. That is why you changed strategy from the last administration because we are in Afghanistan to win and not just stay the course. This old geezer also says: “The life of one American soldier is not worth the best political strategy you're thinking of.” Does he have direct contact with the Pentagon and congress and knows something that all of us don’t?
You could be our greatest president because you have the courage to face the challenges that others had not. You will restore the greatness of this nation and its people by leading where others feared to go. You are in the fight of a generation; I am glad and proud I voted for you stand assure that I will again in 2012.
Sincerely,
RC
PS
I remember that old saying “a black man has to be twice as good as a white man to succeed.” Well Mr. President I am counting on it.
posted by Rob @ 2:48 PM
0 comments
