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