2011-06-03 draft of Obama letter

About

This is a rough draft of a letter/petition I was considering creating. This is only slightly cleaned up from how I originally typed it into IRC.

text

Dear President Obama,

We are the people who supported you in 2008. We bought the t-shirts, put on the bumper-stickers, argued with our conservative friends and neighbors, defended you in countless arguments, and even actively campaigned for you as volunteers.

As they like to say online, "all your base are belong to us" -- because WE are your base.

In the years since you took office, we have seen many of our hopes -- indeed, many things that you promised us, and on the basis of which we voted for and supported you -- betrayed.

Still, we recognize that in the reality of politics, compromises must be made. Trades must be negotiated. Sometimes you must do terrible things to prevent even more terrible things from happening.

We do not understand many of the compromises we have seen you make.

Nonetheless, we are still willing to support you, if you will throw us this one bone:

On July 4, 2011, you will free Bradley Manning, give him a full Presidential pardon, and pin a fucking medal on him for his service to our country -- specifically including his leakage of classified information to Wikileaks.

If you do not do this, we are through with you.

We will keep the "GOT HOPE?" bumperstickers, but underneath them will go another one saying: WELL, SO MUCH FOR THAT.

As those who supported you and got you into office, we bear responsibility for your actions. It is on us to admit that we were wrong, and to prevent you from continuing your actions.

Unlike those who supported Bush, we are able to do this. We can admit mistakes.

Unlike you, we are willing to evaluate the past, assign blame where it is due, and take corrective measures.

We are open to further discussion of this matter if you wish to attempt to change our minds. Until there is free and open dialogue on this matter, however, our decision stands.

Yours sincerely,