By
Dear President Obama,
Congratulations on your Nobel Peace Prize.
We know you said you were just as surprised as the rest of us, but come on; you’re a bit of a rock star to the rest of the world.
However, now that the shock has worn off and the celebratory back-patting is over, it’s time for you to get down to work.
Your statement that this award must be accepted as a call to action is absolutely true. The aura of invincibility is beginning to fade under the crushing weight of all the problems you must now solve.
First up is health care, and now that some of the fervor has died down, it is time to give the country some tough love and force us to take our medicine.
For young people, this is a particularly serious issue because the longer the government takes to fix these problems the worse they will get down the road.
We understand that you’re not getting the support you should from Congress and that it’s hard to make people hear you when they won’t stop calling you a socialist, but try harder.
The truth is that the health care industry is broken and if we don’t take steps to fix it now, it will kill us, literally and figuratively.
Next up is Iraq and Afghanistan. Pulling out of a war is a tricky proposition; you can’t exactly just say, “sorry I blew up your country. Peace out.” But, it’s been six years in Iraq and eight years in Afghanistan and it’s long past time to stop the killing.
These wars have not only cost in lives, they have put our military and their families under unimaginable strain and have caused severe rifts with the rest of the world.
It is time to admit the sad truth that the United States cannot police the world.
The term “graceful exit” may not be possible under these circumstances, but it’s time to try.
Finally, about the economy. While we’re not economists by any stretch of the imagination, it seems as though the problem is getting worse, with the divide between the haves and the have-nots growing larger every day.
We know that it’s impossible to get people to spend money when they’re living paycheck to paycheck, but as learned by the Cash for Clunkers program, people will spend money if they feel like they’re getting something in return.
If you have some spare moments, you may also want to look into fixing the education system.
The budget crisis has caused so many problems that it not only makes the act of going to college uninspiring, it has made the idea unimaginable for so many young people.
You can add to the list immigration, Iran, North Korea, the reconstruction of New Orleans and of course, fixing the college football standings.
So, Mr. President, consider this letter your official call to action. The unconditional idolatry must now come to an end so that the hard work can begin.
The honeymoon is over.
With Regards,
Viewpoints