Our One Hundredth (and Final) Letter to President Trump

18 December 2017 

President Trump

The White House

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue

Washington DC 20500 

Dear President Trump, 

This is the last letter I will be writing to you.  When you were elected, my family and I decided to try to engage in the democratic process by writing you letters.  This is our one hundredth letter.  Though it took quite a while, we finally began getting replies from your staff.  IIt is clear to us fromt he nature of those responses, which thank us for our support for your policies on various issues, that your staff are not even acknowledging when we respectfully disagree with your policies.  While we have tried our best to engage in civil discourse, they have not been letters of support.

My family and I are Christian.  Since taking office, you have evidenced clearly a disregard for the people that God put on the earth, particularly those that are poor and vulnerable.  You have evidenced a lack of respect for women that has set a horrible example for the rest of the world.  You have made fun of the handicapped.  You have expressed scorn for the press as a whole and shown that the truth does not matter to you.  There is nothing in your behavior or policies that we can reconcile with an awareness of (let alone conformity to) Christian values (nor the values of any other faith that I am familiar with).

You have taken steps that will do great harm to the environment and leave my children and their children a world far more polluted than it was when you took office.  You have consistently showed that you care only for those with money and more specifically, only for yourself and your fame. You have behaved badly toward our trusted allies and have shown an unreasonable amount of trust for Vladimir Putin who has given every indication that such trust is misplaced.

Frankly, we have come to realize that writing you letters is nothing more than a waste of our time.  And so, we are going to stop now.  Instead we will write letters to other legislators who have minds that might consider the ideas and arguments that are important to us. Hopefully they will be able to oppose your initiatives.

We hold no particular ill will toward you.  It is simply clear to us that you have a lot of work to do at becoming a virtuous human being before you attempt to be president.  If we could offer any parting advice to you, it would be this.  You need to start listening to other people, particularly those that disagree with you.  Doing so may be the only way to change the way history will remember you, which, if things continue in the direction they are, will likely be as an ineffective leader who care more about himself than the people in the democracy that he was elected to lead.

Regards,

Bill Boerman-Cornell

Our Eighth Grader Writes President Trump About Climate Change

President Trump

The White House

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue

Washington DC 20500

9 December 2017

Dear President Donald Trump,  

I recently read an article about your stance on climate change, and how you do not believe in it. As a young person who will have to deal with the effects of climate change and figure out ways to prevent it to cause further damage so that there is hope for future generations, I am writing to inform you that climate change is real, and it is something that you need to address.

    There is an incredible amount of scientific proof that climate change is real, and it is dangerous. For example, I read on climate.nasa.gov that that satellites orbiting Earth have allowed scientists, through that data, to see the signs of a changing climate. “The planet’s average surface temperature has risen about two degrees Fahrenheit since the late 19th century, a change driven largely by increased carbon dioxide and other human-made emissions into the atmosphere. Most of the warming occurred in the past thirty-five years.” (climate.nasa.gov)

    Are you still not convinced, President Trump? Well, here’s some more evidence. Ice sheets are shrinking. Antarctica lost about thirty-six cubic miles of ice between 2002 and 2005. Glaciers are retreating all around the world. Based on satellite observations, snow cover is decreasing. Seas are rising. Global sea level rose about eight inches in the last one hundred years, and they are rising more rapidly. Extreme weather events are occurring, such as intense rainfall in America, the hurricanes we had this season, and the California wildfires.

 Why is it important that you address climate change now, President Trump? What will happen if you don’t take action? Well, temperatures will keep rising. There will be more heat waves. Hurricanes will become more powerful and more intense. The Arctic will become ice-free. Ocean levels will rise putting people in danger.

Climate change is real, and it does need to be addressed. Climate change is not “a hoax.” By not doing something as the President of the United States, you are putting yourself, and future generations, at risk.

It’s time to get off twitter and do something. Now.

 

Sincerely,

F,,

Eighth Grader

 

 

P. S.,  If you remain skeptical, please check out climate.nasa.gov for more information on climate change, global warming, their causes and effects, evidence, and frequently asked questions regarding those topics.

 

President Trump, What legacy will you leave?

President Trump

The White House

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue

Washington DC, 20500

23 October 2017

 Dear President Trump, 

How do you imagine history will remember you?  Your policies so far have done little, though they have attempted to cut funding for the agencies that protect our clear water and air, cut health care from those Americans who need it most, cut taxes to those who have the most to give (and need the tax cuts the least), and have failed to offer aid and refuge to those fleeing war and oppression.

 Your off-the-cuff comments have offended women, athletes, members of your own party, the media, veterans, American citizens in Puerto Rico, the disabled, and many countries that have been America’s allies for decades.

All this noise (Twitter and otherwise) has increased the level of anger and misunderstanding between the left and the right, polarized important issues we should be working on, and gotten you in the headlines on a daily basis.  It has increased your infamy (though not your popularity which continues to drop according the Gallup approval polls)

But what about history?  Popularity comes and goes on a daily basis.  There are countless examples from Hollywood, the business world, sports, and politics that show how low once-famous people can dip.  Infamy is slower, but much the same.  History, however, takes the long view.  President Bush will be remembered for his response to 9-11.  President Obama will be remembered for his initiatives on Health Care and his restoration of America to a place of respect internationally (culminating in his winning of the Nobel Peace Prize.)

 What will you be remembered for, if anything?  A wall that never got built?  Deregulation that polluted our country so that later generations had to spend all their resources to clean it up?  Yet another tax cut to the rich? 

Consider the legacy you wish to leave when you are gone.   

Regards,

Bill Boerman-Cornell

Another Mass Shooting, Mr. President. What Are You Going To Do About It?

President Trump

The White House

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue

Washington DC 20500

7 October 2017 

Dear President Trump, 

One week ago, on October 1, 2017, in Las Vegas, a lone gunman killed 58 people and injured 489 people with an AK 47, an assault weapon designed for war.   

Since I was born in 1966, 948 people have been killed in 131 events in which a lone gunman or pair of gunmen willed four or more people.  The gunmen in these separate events each used an average of 3 weapons per shooting.  The oldest victim was 98 years old.  The youngest was an 8 month old baby whose mother tried to shield her.  The mother was killed too. 

51 years of deaths from mass shootings have taken parents, friends, sons, daughters and others away from those who loved them.   

You are the president of the United States.  These are American citizens dying.   

What are you going to do about it? 

Regards, 

Bill Boerman-Cornell

Sometimes we don't know why we do this letter writing thing. Sometimes we do.

25 September 2017 

President Trump

The White House

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue

Washington DC 20500 

Dear President Trump: 

It has been a while since I have last written to you.  Frankly, it is getting harder and harder to write to you.  I would like to be able to engage in civil discourse with you, but I am becoming more and more convinced that is not possible. 

I realize that you haven’t read any of the 90 or so letters we have sent (though someone has – we got two nice form-letter replies, and one generic letter about health care.  We appreciate that).  So it really shouldn’t matter to me, but it does.  I need to know that, in theory, I could send you a letter and you could read it, and it might make a difference. 

But, Sir, in the last couple of weeks, you have threatened and provoked a madman with nuclear weapons, used vulgarities to address sports players who are exercising their right to free speech, and have alienated members of your own party.  I am sure that you must have advisors who have counselled you against each one of these actions.  Clearly you do not listen to them.  Why would I think you would listen to me.  I am not a fool.  I know you will not listen to me. 

So why do I keep engaging in this futile task of writing letters to someone who I know won’t read them, and who I am sure, if he did read them, would ignore them anyway. 

The answer to that questions is important.  You have been elected president of this democracy.  It is your job to listen to me, Mr. President, because I, along with the rest of the American people, am your boss.  If you choose not to do your job, that is your business – but I am going to keep doing my job. 

So in that spirit, Sir, I have this advice for you to improve your job performance.  Start acting like a wise ruler who cares for his people.  Stop acting like a petulant child, a bully, and a hothead.  Start thinking before you speak and considering before you act.  Stop tweeting your every thought and acting as though those people who like you are the only people who matter.  Start serving this country.  Stop treating it like it exists to serve you. 

If you keep insulting your boss, mocking your coworkers, and making the institution you run look bad, you may not have your job for much longer.  

Sincerely,

 

Bill Boerman-Cornell

Trump responds again!

A day or two after we got the first response from President Trump (or whoever responds to his mail), we got a second response.  This one was addressed to our daughter.  I assume whoever is answering the letters is finally catching up. 

Here is the letter that K. originally sent the president:

President Trump

The White House

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue

Washington DC 20500

27 March 2017

Dear President Trump,  

 This week, the health plan put forth by you and the Republicans of Congress failed. While I am sure this was disappointing to you, it made me happy that the plan failed.  It was not a good plan.  

I read in several articles about an Urban Institute study and a case study on the state of Massachusetts that said that, at a minimum, 27,000 people would die due to the enactment of the new health care law. That is unacceptable. Knowingly enacting a law that will likely cause U. S. citizens to die is intolerable.  Instead the bill should ensure that all Americans have access to good health care.  

I don't know whether this means that you will leave the Affordable Care Act alone for the foreseeable future or will attempt again to replace it, but I wanted to encourage you to understand e that the lack of support behind this bill means that if you ever present another one, it should be tangibly better than the current Affordable Care Act that is currently ensuring health insurance for more Americans, not fewer, across our country. 

Sincerely,

 
K.



Here is the letter from the President (I am retyping it as I can't get BlogSpot to load the scan I made.)

(seal)

The White House

Washington

August 18, 2017

 

Ms. K. Boerman-Cornell

South Holland, Illinois

 

 

Dear K.,

 

 

Thank you for taking the time to express your views regarding healthcare policy. 

 

Healthcare is a large and complex part of the economy that affects every person and family in America.  Due to Obamacare, our healthcare system is imploding.  That is why we must repeal and replace Obamacare with reforms that expand choice, increase access, lower costs, and, at the same times, encourage quality healthcare and innovation.

 

Since my first day as President, we have been working to save Americans from Obamacares's failures.  On my first day in office, I signed an executive order to minimize Obamacare's regulatory burdens and to give the states greater flexibility and authority to create a more open healthcare market.  My Administration has worked ever since, and will continue to work, with Congress to enact permanent reforms that will finally address the needs of our healthcare system.

 

My Administration will work to replace Obamacare with a system that meets several critical objectives.  Obamacare's replacement should ensure that Americans with pre-existing conditions have access to coverage.  Additionally, it should provide a stable transition for those currently enrolled in Obamacare's health exchanges and Medicaid expansion.  And it should use tax credits and expanded Health Savings Accounts to help Americans purchase healthcare coverage of their own chosing.

 

Thank you again for your suggestions.  Please visit the White House website at www.whitehouse.gov to read more about my health care policy.  As President, I am committed to providing Americans with more affordable health insurance, access to more choices, and quality care.

 

 Sincerely,

 

(signature)

 

 

And here is K.'s reply to President Trump:

 

President Trump

The White House

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue

Washington DC  20500

2 September 2017

Dear President Trump, 

Thank you for your August 18 response to my letter of March 29. I appreciate you taking the opportunity to encourage civil discourse between citizens and yourself by sending me (and many others, I assume) a response. Back in March, I wrote to you about health care. I would just like to reiterate to you that any health care plans you make to help out our country must include the entire country, and must allow every citizen of the United States to receive health care coverage, regardless of race, social class, geographic location, and so on. Thank you again for replying, and I look forward to more civil discourse with you in the months to come. 

Regards,

K.

 



Trump Responds!

After writing and mailing to President Trump 90 letters since January, we have received our first response.  As near as we can figure, this is in response to the letter we sent on January 20.  Here is the text of the letter we think he was responding to:

The White House.
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW.
Washington, DC 20500.

20 January 2017

Dear President Trump:

As of today you are serving as our president.  In a monarchy or a dictatorship, we might say that you were the ruler of the people.  The United States, however, is a democracy, which means that you work for the people of this nation.  You have taken a step out of the position of being the boss of everything, and into a position where you are a public servant.  In short, Sir, that means that you now work for me and all the other citizens of this country.

You ran for office on a strategy of inducing fear of terrorists, and transferring that fear to all those who were different – either because of the color of their skin or their country of origin.  Unfortunately, while that strategy has gotten you into office, it has also divided our nation, sewn seeds of distrust and fear, and increased racial tension.

So let me address you as your boss.  Now that you are in office, it is time to put the fear-mongering behind you and treat those who live in this nation – who are under your care -- with the dignity that every human deserves.  This is the sobering responsibility of the office you have undertaken.  I pray you will rise to it, sir.

Respectfully,

Bill Boerman-Cornell

Here is President Trump's responese
BlogSpot is not letting me upload the scan that I made of it so here is the text of the reply:

(seal)

The White House

Washington

Thank you for your thoughtful suggestions on how to address important issues facing our Nation.  I am honored to work on behalf of all Americans to grow our economy, protect our citizens, and strengthen American leadership around the world.

When America is united, there is no challenge too great.  Together we will prosper, and we will get the job done.

(signature) 

Finally, here is the letter that I wrote this morning in response to his reply:

President Trump

The White House

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue

Washington DC  20500

30 August 2017

Dear President Trump:



Thank you for your reply to the letter that I wrote you on the day of your inauguration. Even though it was a form letter, I appreciate your acknowledgement of the letter I had sent.

You say in your letter that you are honored to work on behalf of all Americans.   I am glad to hear that.  As I had mentioned in my letter, the president is supposed to work for the people of this nation and not the other way around.  That includes the two-thirds of Americans who are not part of your base, and many of those Americans think you have turned a deaf ear to their concerns about global climate change, domestic racist hate groups, public education, and our relations to other countries.

I also appreciate that you said in your letter that, "When America is united, no challenge is too great."  I believe that is true as well, but insulting the press, not taking a clear stance on hate groups like the KKK, making immigrants into scapegoats and objects of fear, and looking more to the needs of Wall Street than the concerns of main street -- all this has not unified the country, it has driven it further and further into extremist camps. 

I am old enough to remember a time when democrats and republicans could find huge areas of agreement and work together.  Both parties want a robust economy, clean water and air, good schools for our children, and peaceful interactions with the other nations of the world.  Surely you could build on that rather than using twitter to drive a wedge between the parties.

I hope you can hear your own words and work as a public servant to all citizens of this country.  I also hope you can work toward bringing groups of Americans together for the public good rather than driving them apart.

Regards,

Bill Boerman-Cornell

Those who support hate will lose,

25 August 2017

President Donald Trump

The White House

1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

Washington D.C. 20500

Dear President Trump, 

Last night, someone broke into my friend David’s church in Oak Park, Illinois.  They painted swastikas and wrote the N word on the walls of the nursery school room. 

Today, David and other members of his congregation cleaned up the racist graffiti, they prayed for the person who created it.  Someone dropped off flowers.  Someone else brought 200 “Hate has no home here” posters.  David’s friends asked him when they will get to meet his new girlfriend.  Everyone got ready for the doughnut sale the church has on Saturday mornings.  There is a prayer vigil scheduled for the church lawn tomorrow.  In short, racism did not win this skirmish, love and forgiveness did.  David quoted the verse from the Bible about how the light shines in the darkness and the darkness does not overcome it.

After your failure to condemn the white supremacist terrorists who attacked in Charlottesville, I wrote you a letter to tell you what I am sure many people told you, that this is not a conflict with good people on both sides.  Evil actions against people based on their skin color, culture, or religion, are just that, evil actions. 

Hearing about David’s church though, reminded me of something else you should know.  Dr. King famously said that the arc of the universe is long, and it bends toward justice.  Not only is there a good side and a bad side to this conflict, Sir, but there is a winning side and a losing side.  The side of good and justice will triumph.

You are fond of saying that you are a winner.  If you side with white supremacists and terrorists, you are joining the team that will eventually lose.  Perhaps you should consider that. 

Regards,

William Boerman-Cornell

Hate is evil regardless of who perpetuates it.

21 August 2017 

President Donald Trump

The White House

1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

Washington D.C. 20500 

Dear President Trump, 

It is certainly admirable to try to see all sides of a conflict.  But when one side undertakes violence against another side based solely on race, culture, or religious beliefs, the side that is employing that violence is morally in the wrong.  Period.  This is true whether we are talking about the evil of the ISIS sponsored terrorist attacks against innocents in Spain last week or the white supremacist instigated terrorist attacks against innocents in Charlottesville the week before.  There are not two defensible positions in these conflicts.  The side employing violence against innocents is wrong and evil.  Period.

 Regards,

William Boerman-Cornell

President Trump, that is not how you talk to kids.

 

President Trump

The White House

1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

Washington DC 20500

3 August 2017

 Dear President Trump,

Recently I read the transcript of your talk with the Boy Scouts.  As a former boy scout myself, I was embarrassed by some of the things you said and wanted to ask you to be more careful in the future.

The Boy Scouts are an organization that, at its best, provides an opportunity for kids to get together, learn about camping and the outdoors, learn about other skills, tasks, and careers through the merit badge system, and gives kids an opportunity to learn how to serve their community (a service project is a big part of the requirements of becoming an eagle scout.)  While it would be valuable to share with them some insights about democracy and how they could make a difference for their country, a speech to the boy scouts should be about them, not about you.  Bragging about your election victory turns the focus away from the kids, which is the point. 

The story about William Leavitt might be a good one for the board room (though it seems in poor taste there too) but to tell a story that hints at debauchery on a yacht when talking to young impressionable kids would be a poor choice for anyone – but for the president of the United States it seems like a remarkably bad idea.  The president is a role model, like it or not, and idealizing behavior that is by your own admission at the time, not appropriate to tell the boy scouts is falling short of what you are supposed to be.

Finally, taunting former President Obama and encouraging boy scouts to boo him is despicable, no matter how you feel about his policies.  Throughout our country’s nearly 250 years of history there have been many presidents that have not gotten along, but because even the worst of them have had at least an ounce of class, once the election is over, they have not spoken ill publicly of their predecessors.  To do what you did revealed the depth of your lack of wisdom.  I suggest you apologize to the former president. 

You clearly are not cut out for this work.  I urge you to consider resigning.

 

Regards, 

 

Bill Boerman-Cornell

President Trump, It is time to pay attention to citizens.

President Trump

The White House

1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

Washington DC 20500

27 July 2017 

Dear President Trump, 

It has been a couple of weeks since I wrote you last.  I had to take a break.  This project has been discouraging for several reasons.

First, when I suggested to my family that we write you letters, I did not expect that we would write 90 letters without a single response.  Not even a form letter.  My daughter wrote one letter to former President Obama a little over two months ago and she got a reply recently.  It was a form letter to be sure, but it was a reply.  We have heard nothing from you.  Sir, you have a responsibility to the American People, not just your base, and that includes the children of this country.  At least acknowledge their interest in the democratic process by responding to your mail. 

Second, every time I hear you speak you seem to be in the process of doing something that will hurt people. Whether it is attacking the former president during a Boy Scout rally (not a good way to encourage civil discourse), banning transgender soldiers from serving in the military, or badmouthing people that you appointed, you seem to be focused on hurting people.  The office of President gives you the opportunity to build programs, relationships, and to encourage average people by acknowledging their successes.  I urge you to use that part of the office to lift up someone of the good things that are happening.  

Third, you seem to be attacking specifically some of the very things that make our country great.  You continually attack the free press, the public education system, the courts, and even your own party.  You have also continually lied about what you have said, what you have known, and what you have done.  You said you didn’t meet with Vladimir Putin, but then admitted that you did.  You told the LGBTQ community that you would protect them, then abruptly kicked them out of the military.  I find it very hard to trust you. 

Finally, in your actions and words, you have not behaved as the president should.  You have continued to insult the appearance of those you do not like, including women.  You have focused all your attention on yourself rather than the people that you serve.   

And so honestly, I do not know why I am still writing you.  Once again, I urge you to listen to your advisors.   If you find you cannot do that, I urge you to resign the office of president before a lot of people get hurt as a result of your lack of concern for the people you are supposed to be serving.

Regards,

 Bill Boerman-Cornell

Tweet no More, President Trump

1110 E. 168th Place

South Holland, Il 60473

 

 President Trump

The White House

1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

Washington DC 20500

 

Dear President Trump,

 

In this letter, I will echo the sentiments of many letters that my family had sent before, but I will reiterate the message in hopes that, this time, it will reach your desk. 

Please get off of twitter, or have a chain of command to make sure that you will not tweet something you will regret later. 

The latest incident showing that this is a problem happened only yesterday, when, among other things, you insulted a woman who had made fun of you by saying that she was "bleeding badly from a face-lift," when you saw her around New Years. 

This is a personal use of your power and influence that is entirely inappropriate to the office you now hold. It is unacceptable. It must stop. 

Sincerely, 

 

K. 

President Trump, thanks for reversing your position on the Dreamer Act

Hello, Everyone.

We are nearing our 100th letter to President Trump.  This has been an exercise in civil discourse from the very beginning, but it has also been hard since we suspect that on one in the administration is reading our letters -- and a one-way correspondence is hard to keep up.  The original idea was also to participate in democracy by expressing ourselves and letting the president know what we think -- but again, if no one in the White House is reading our letters we aren't exactly participating in democracy at all.

We are trying to decide what to do after letter 100.  We have talked about maybe redirecting our efforts to congresspeople and senators since they are more likely to read and respond.  We have some other ideas as well.

So we are going to take some time off to figure this out before we write our way through ten more letters or so and hit 100.  We'll be back at the beginning of July.  Thanks for your interest and support.

--Our Family

(Oh, and today's letter is below).

President Trump

The White House

1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

Washington DC 20500

16 June 2017 

Dear President Trump, 

On the campaign trail, you frequently spoke of yourself as a winner (and of others as losers).  I was thinking of that when I was reading yesterday and ran across this quote from Benjamin Barber:  “I’ don’t divide the world into the weak and the strong or the successes and failures…. I divide the world into the learners and non-learners.”  (quoted in Dweck, 2016, p. 160. 

Since you have taken office I have been opposed to nearly all of your policies, some of which I have viewed as potentially catastrophic for our nation and the world.  Through your presidency so far, I have, perhaps unfairly, viewed you as someone who is a non-learner.  I based that in part on your rejections of science, your tendency to rely on bullying and denial when confronted with criticism, and your dismissal of anyone who disagrees with you. 

Then I read in this morning’s New York Times that your administration has decided to allow the children of illegal immigrants (sometimes called the Dreamers) to stay in this country.  This tells me that I have perhaps unfairly dismissed you.  This action gives me hope. 

There are roughly 800,000 people affected by this decision.  Most of them are kids who have grown up in this country – often children of parents who fled oppression or unsafe conditions in central and South America.  These children, in many cases, speak only English, and America is the only home they have known.  To deport them to a country they have never seen, where they are not a citizen, where they have no place to live, and where they do not speak the language is, by definition, to endanger them.   

I am heartened that you had the conviction to make the right and good decision to retain the DACA act, even though doing so may make you unpopular with some members of your conservative base.  Thank you.

Regards, 

Bill Boerman-Cornell

Birthday Suggestions for President Trump

President Trump

The White House

1600 Pennsylvania Ave

Washington DC  20500

Dear President Donald Trump,

Happy Birthday!

I remember that when my sister and I were little, sometimes we would make gifts for the relatives and friends that attended our birthday parties. We felt as though it was a way to express our gratefulness for their love to us, their presence in our lives, and the thoughtful gifts they gave us on our birthday. It was a way for us to show them that we were thankful.

President Trump, I think that, to celebrate your birthday, you should do something similar. You should “give back” in some way. Show God that you’re grateful for his love and care for another year. I don’t know exactly what form that should take, and I think that that’s’ your job now.

You recently suggested that the Republican HealthCare bill was too mean and would hurt people.  This is a good example of how you can use your position as president to look out for people who really need the help that government can give them – so they have a chance to be healthy and strong and they can try to make their dreams come true.

You might also start replying to some of the mail people send you.  I am in middle school and my family has sent you almost a hundred letters offering advice and telling you what we care about.  We have gotten no replies.  That is okay for us – but if little kids write to the president, you ought to answer their letters as a way of encouraging them to participate in democracy.  Just saying.

Sincerely,

F

Trust, Popularity, and Earning Respect

 

President Trump

The White House

1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

Washington D.C.

12 June 2017 

Dear President Trump, 

It is perhaps presumptuous for me, a regular citizen, to give advice to the president.  It is a hard job you have and I readily acknowledge that.  On the other hand, our country was founded on the principle that the chief executive is a citizen, no more, no less.  So please allow me to offer you some suggestions.

Sir, according to today’s Gallup poll, nearly two thirds of the American people disapprove of your actions as president.  While there are certainly plenty of policy reasons for this, I believe that much of it comes down to a matter of not being able to trust you.  And I think much of the reason that they do not trust you is that you are not being honest, particularly with yourself.

This morning you held an open cabinet meeting in which you asked every cabinet member to tell the reporters present how great you are.  However, because they are your cabinet, appointed by you and beholden to you for their jobs, this is not a particularly convincing tactic.  Last week, James Comey testified about his meetings with you.  While I am not sure that he is completely trustworthy either, when you immediately tell the American people that his testimony was false without conceding that some of it may have had some truth in it, it makes you seem on the defensive and less trustworthy.

Sir, everyone makes mistakes, and almost everyone who has held office has admitted to making mistakes – starting with George Washington (read his final address and you will see he leads off with that theme).  You seem incapable of conceding that you too are fallible.  Your repeated claims that you are the best at everything, that your efforts have been record-breaking, and that everything is going wonderfully – all that rings hollow when considered in light of what you have actually accomplished and failed to accomplish.

You have failed to appoint people to fill a great many positions in your administration.  You have failed in your attempted travel ban, which was found unconstitutional on the grounds of discriminating against a particular religion.  You have failed to propose any significant new legislation – including a replacement to the health care system you wish to get rid of.  You have had a series of foreign policy mishaps, most recently alienating our NATO allies by demanding they unilaterally increase their payments,  In fact, most of what you have done has been cutting protections, regulations, and laws designed to protect the American people. 

Now actually, since you are only near the beginning of your presidency, it is not like anyone would have expected you to have accomplished that much --  but by refusing to acknowledge that you might not be perfect, you are setting yourself up for failure.  Hubris brings about its own demise.  Humility would serve you much better.

One of the best ways to turn that situation around might be to start listening to what the American people have to say – not only those who are devotees of Fox News, and not just those who you know will flatter you -- but everyone.  Listen to the concerns that Americans have for clean water and air, for the risk of climate change, for health care issues, for the rising tide of racist incidents, and for other issues.  Then take those concerns seriously, admit that the problems are complex, and try to do something about them that will benefit all Americans. 

If you did that, you might discover the difference between popularity and respect.  Please consider these words.

Regards,

Bill Boerman-Cornell

 

Multitasking the letter to President Trump

President Trump

The White House

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue

Washington DC 20500

June 6, 2017

Dear President Trump,

Judging by the fact that we have received no response to any of our letters thus far, I am assuming that answering the questions, thoughts, hopes, and pleas of the American people who elected you and have elected to write to you personally is not something that you find to be of major importance at this time. Maybe you figure you have better things to do. Maybe you think that you can better serve the American people by making speeches and setting the public agenda than by reading individual letters. However, I know that our government is a government that is very fond of paperwork and categorization, and therefore I am almost certain that every day, or perhaps every week, your receive tallies listing the subjects people are writing to the president about. With that in mind, I speak directly to you, mail room workers of the White House. Please count this letter as:

A letter angrily denouncing President Trump’s decision to withdraw America from the Paris Agreement regarding climate change.

A letter asking President Trump to delete his personal twitter account, or at least to consider how his tweets will affect the people they concern before he posts them.

A letter demanding that President Trump remove himself from anything remotely concerning the investigation into the links between his campaign and Russia.

A letter challenging President Trump to treat all Americans with respect, even those who have disagreed with him at some point.

A letter asking President Trump to abandon his attempts to reinstate his travel ban.

I realize that this is asking you to count this letter in six different categories, but I would rather not waste stamps on letters that will never get replied to, and so I am trying to be efficient and accomplish multiple tasks at once.

Sincerely,

K. 

Making America Great Again Means Helping Refugees

President Trump

The White House

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue

Washington DC 20500

5 June 2017 

Dear President Trump, 

A the best moments in its history, the United States of America has made a difference in the world.  We fought in World War II to defeat Hitler and his campaign of genocide, an after the war was over, we opened our doors to a flood of displaced widows, orphans, and families who had nowhere to go.  After World War Two, when Berlin was cut off from the rest of the world by the Russians, we airlifted food and supplies on a massive scale.

When earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes, and other natural disasters strike anywhere on the globe, America has usually not be slow to lend a hand.  In the face of a massive AIDS epidemic in Africa, the United States pitched in and saved hundreds of thousands of lives and families.  I believe it is our responsibility to provide such aid, since we have been given so much as a nation. 

Though we do not do so for this reason, rescuing and helping out other nations in the face of famine, disease, war, and natural disasters earns us goo will throughout the globe.  Many experts argue it is our strongest weapon in fighting extremist groups – making their recruiting efforts much more difficult.  We also know that refugee camps, where young men sit around with no prospects or possibilities and nothing to do, are breeding grounds for such extremist groups. 

Mr. President, wars in the Middle East, Africa, and Central and South America have left record numbers or refugee families without homes.  America must step up, as we have many times before in our history, and make room for such people to live in our country.  Of course we should run them through background checks (we already do so) – but we should make such checks efficient and transparent.  We need to give people a place to call home. 

Sir, I am lucky enough to have never been homeless.  That is a great gift.  I am sure you have never experienced such a thing either.  But perhaps you can imagine what it must be like to have to huddle with your family in an unsecure shack, with no possibility of meaningful work and no chance to change your situation.  Our country can help make a difference for people such as these.  It is our responsibility, Sir.  Please work toward that end.   

Regards, 

William Boerman-Cornell

Middle Schooler offers President Trump Advice on Admitting When One is Wrong.

President Trump

The White House

1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

Washington DC

29 May 2017 

Dear President Trump,  

1 Corinthians 1:10 says, “I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought.”  

Our world, and specifically our country is full of divisions. We are far from “perfectly united.” Our political beliefs, religions, and races are just a few of the things that divide us. We also don’t agree with each other. When we think that our own opinions are “right,” we can be pretty nasty and not open-minded to others’ ideas.    

I was thinking a little bit about what our world would be without divisions and disagreements. To say it would be different would be a vast understatement. Sin divides us.    

So, President Trump, why does this apply to you? Well, you have made some mistakes recently, some more significant than others. In the days you’ve been in office, you have spilled top-secret information, accused former President Obama of tapping your phone wires, and signed an Energy Independence Executive Order that will probably prevent the US from honoring its commitments to reduce carbon emissions.  The verse above tells us to be united with each other.  I don’t think that means that everyone has to be exactly the same, but that we need to listen to each other and be willing to compromise.  I think part of that is admitting that you may not be completely right all the time.

It’s hard to admit your own faults and weaknesses. It’s hard to confess that you are wrong. It’s incredibly hard. But it’s what’s right. I’m writing this letter to you, President Trump, to ask you to admit that you have made some mistakes. I am also writing this letter to ask you to do what you can to work towards eliminating divisions from our country.   

My family has written a letter to you almost every day since you were elected, and we have heard no responses or seen any changes. Please, President Trump, read my letter and think about what I’m trying to tell you. Thank you.

Sincerely, 

 

F.

President Trump, Please Represent Us Well to the Rest of the World

 

President Trump

The White House

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue

Washington DC 20500

May 21, 2017 

Dear President Trump,  

Right now you are on a trip to the Middle East. I hope it is going well for you, and that as you negotiate you are remembering not only the interests of the American people but also the interests of people who have no democratically elected leaders to speak up for them on their behalf.            

As you move through countries with different prevalent cultures, traditions, and religion than the United States, I encourage you to be sensitive to the customs of your hosts, just as other foreign leaders are when they come to America and visit the White House.            

The world’s eyes are trained upon you on your first foreign journey, Mr. Trump. Please represent us well. 

Sincerely, 

 

K.