You'll never read this, but that doesn't mean it's not worth writing. Even if I sent it to you, your handlers would make sure it was disposed of along with all the other 'heretical' correspondence that inevitably comes your way. But, regardless of all that, here goes....
You and I could hardly be different people, particularly both being white males born and raised in these United States.
You come from a family of wealth, instant name recognition and considerable power. I come from an anonymous but solid middle class family.
You went to Yale based on family legacy. I could have gone to Yale (maybe) based on academic achievement. That's not to say that I worked particularly hard for that achievement, and in that we perhaps share some similarities, but I'm good at 'book learning' and seemingly you were not.
You tried your hand at being entrepreneurial. I'm not entrepreneurial. You failed miserably and were bailed out by your wealthy family and family friends, but hey, you tried. I've taken a slightly easier path and generally succeeded, and with a much smaller safety net.
Until being forced to by virtue of your role as diplomat-in-chief, you didn't travel much. I love to travel and do so at every opportunity.
I love history and feel that it offers much insight into the world around us, despite people's erroneous need to believe that their world is entirely unique. You make decisions based entirely on instinct. Every problem to you is new, every situation unlike any that has come before.
You speak proudly and passionately about a personal relationship with Jesus. I've never been closer to being a true atheist. I appreciate the teachings of Jesus, along with countless other great historical figures, but my understanding of him is wildly different than the one you seem to have.
You say that ending a life to save another is bad where stem cell research is concerned, but ended the life of every death row inmate in Texas that came across your desk, presumably to save other's lives. I think that using otherwise doomed for disposal embryos to offer hope to countless people is a reasonable solution to a difficult moral issue. I believe that the death penalty is frought with iniquity and should be reserved for the worst of the worst, people who willingly commit genocide and other similar atrocities.
You believe in corporations. I believe in people.
You believe that taxes are an unfair burden on the rich. I believe that crushing poverty is an unfair burden on the poor.
You believe that market capitalism is the answer to all problems. I believe that you have no idea how unfree and unfair our 'free' market system is.
You believe in absolutes. I see gray in nearly everything.
You believe the ends justify the means. I see the value in the means.
You believe in fear. I believe in hope.
You think your nearly always right. I think you're nearly always wrong.
We must certainly agree to disagree, but for now, while you control the destiny of the billions upon billions of living things on this fragile little planet, you need to shape the fuck up.
I imagine a time where you and I are sitting in a room discussing the great issues of the day, my optimism getting the better of me that you might listen to an opposing view. My tone becomes more insistent to the point where every statement I make is punctuated with profanity. I can't understand why things so obvious clearly elude you, why you continue to insist upon staying the course, completely oblivious to the irrationality of that course. I am so frustrated that I feel like slapping you to make you wake up from the drug-induced trance you must clearly be in. Don't you see that nearly everything you are doing is making the world worse?
No, you don't. Or you don't care. Neither option extinguishes my hope, but it certainly dims it.
I remain an optimistic cynic. You remain a cynical opportunist.
In many ways I hope that hell exists and Dante was right, for you will need to be cloned to fill your many spots.
Circle 2 - judgement
Circle 3 - the gluttons
Circle 7 - the war makers
Circle 8 - panderers, flatterers, hypocrites, grafters, evil counselers, sowers of discord, impersonators, false witness
Circle 9 - traitors to country, those who set out to destroy the rightful god
Eternity will be long and unpleasant.
Thanks you for your time.
3 comments:
Beautifully written. When ranting doesn't get the better of you, you have a real knack for getting your head around the intersection of reality and philosophy, and conveying the relationships through words.
I propose you submit this as a freelance editorial to any one of a number of progressive magazines.
My favorite line (though there was bountiful great stuff in there): You think your nearly always right. I think you're nearly always wrong.
Thanks.
Do you think I should submit the Dante's Hell portion or include the
"shape the fuck up part".
I'm not sure most people would be quite as receptive with the use of profanity and my condemning him to an eternity of suffering.
As for the "fuck" part, I think it all depends on who you submit it to-TIME or the City Pages, if you know what I mean.
As for the Dante's Inferno part-boy that was one of my favorite parts. I'd hate to see that gone-besides (even though you may be serious), it appears to be satire.
I might get rid of "Thank you for your time" at the end-not sure if it's necessarily a fitting end for a column.
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