What will you build?

The White House

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue

Washington D.C. 20500

14 February 2017 

Dear President Donald Trump,  

Since you have taken office, you have issued a lot of executive orders.  These have mostly involved undoing initiatives or cancelling rules or laws.  You have also spoken about building walls and travel bans and keeping refugees out of the country. 

But this is all tearing down what came before and shutting out what is outside. While I am strongly opposed to all of this, that is not what I want to ask you about. 

My question is, what are you going to build?  What new things do you want to start?  How are you thinking you are going to make things better for average Americans?  What will you do that will promote justice and fight against ignorance, poverty and disease?  How are you going to make it so those who are sick can get medical help; so those who are hungry or homeless can get access to food, shelter, and jobs; so that everybody has a shot at a good education and a meaningful job; and so that people of this country can live without fear of injustice? 

Tearing down and shutting out – those things are easy.  Building up, helping the weak and the poor, making it so everybody gets a chance – those things are difficult, but worth working toward. 

Sincerely,  

Bill Boerman-Cornell