You're Fired Postcard Campaign

President Trump

The White House

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue

Washington, DC 20500

15 March 2017  

Dear President Trump, 

My friend Marv contacted me to tell me about a campaign to write you postcards telling you that you are fired.  I am not writing you a postcard like that.  I suspect when you get all those postcards you (or your assistants) will throw them all away – or perhaps they will make you angry.  I can understand both those impulses.  I would like to suggest, though, a different response. I would suggest that those postcards should, on some level, make you happy, and then they should make you reconsider some things. 

You are, as you know, the president of a democracy.  The greatest thing about this country is not its military might, not its Gross National Product, not how we are ranked nationally in various categories.  The best thing about this country is that it is governed by the people.  The people who are sending you postcards telling you that you are fired are entitled to speak their minds.  They have freedom of speech.  And when they tell you you are fired, they need not fear, as in a dictatorship, that they will be targeted, arrested, imprisoned, injured or killed.  That is a great thing.  

It might also be wise, though, to recognize that a majority of the population – 55% according to the current Gallup Presidential approval rating -- are not happy with the choices you have made.  I cannot speak for all of them, but i can tell you what bothers me.  I am upset that you are turning away refugees who are fleeing our enemies and have nowhere else to go.  I am angered that you are rolling back environmental protections that keep us safe from toxins and pollutants.  I am frustrated that you are likely to sign a bill that will take health care away from millions of people who need it.  I am disappointed that the decisions you are making seem to benefit the rich and corporations more than they do the average American.   I think you need to listen to those who object to these decisions and rethink them.

But I am happy that I live in a country where I can write the president and tell him how I feel.  I just wish I could be certain that you are listening. 

Regards, 

Bill Boerman-Cornell

Middle School Advice on Conquering Xenophobia

President Trump

The White House

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue

Washington, DC 20500

14 March 2017  

Dear President Trump,   

Earlier this evening, I was looking through the dictionary for a word, and I came across the word “xenophobia.” The exact definition of xenophobia is “(noun) intense or irrational dislike or fear of​ people from other countries.” In other words, it’s the fear of foreigners or people who are not from the country that you live in.   

When I read the word xenophobia, I immediately thought of you, President Trump. Not only are you planning on building a wall between the US and Mexico (and trying to make Mexico pay for it), but you seem determined to keep all Muslims from several countries out of America. Your recent revision of your travel ban, in spite of its fancy rhetoric, remains focused on keeping all Muslims out.  

Fear is a powerful force.  I worry that fear is the root of all of the extreme measures that you’re taking? I worry that what is driving you is a phobia.  

We all have things that we are afraid of. For example, I have a fear of spiders. But, unless we put forth effort into being brave and conquering our fears, we will never get rid of them. I have a suggestion for you, President Trump.  

I will promise to work hard on conquering my fear of spiders, if you work hard on conquering your fear of people who are not Americans.  Almost all of the people who want to come to America are just looking for a better life.  There’s really nothing to be afraid of. 

 

Regards,  

 

F

40th Letter to President Trump (so far zero replies)

President Trump

The White House

1600 Pennsylvania Ave

Washington DC 20500

13 March 2017 

Dear President Trump,  

I have heard that you have spent a great deal of time in your Florida mansion since taking office. I am trying to be as understanding as possible about this, sir, but honestly, it makes me angry. I have tried to tell myself that you were unprepared for the amount of work that has accompanied your transition into the office you now hold, but you repeatedly reassured voters that you were capable and up for the job. I have tried to tell myself that presidents deserve time off regardless, and this true, but the fact that you are taking breaks so early in your presidency worries me. Additionally, I am angered at the double standard that your vacations display, since you have mocked former President Barack Obama for playing golf while in office. Now, sir, you are doing the same thing. Finally, for you to flaunt your riches while denying refugees who have lost everything and immigrants who have been thoroughly vetted the opportunity from entering this country for the chance at a better life, seems to me the height of callousness and hypocrisy.                                                                                  

As one of the people who foots the bill for your vacations, may I ask that you vacation less and work more for all of the American people?  Perhaps with that extra work time you might listen to what the Americans have been saying to you about serious issues like how deregulation will make our environment an even more toxic place, and how racial insensitivity is dividing our nation.  You might also be able to respond to what some of us are saying to you.  My family began a letter writing project when you were inaugurated.  This is the fortieth letter we have written to you.  We have received no responses to any of our letters, no form letters, acknowledgments, nor any other indication that you care what the American people have to say. 

My apologies if my tone seems insensitive.  I am angry and frustrated with the way you are treating the office of President of the United States.  It is my hope that you will reform your attitude and take you responsibilities to all Americans seriously.  

Sincerely,

 

K.

You Can't Just Make Stuff Up.

President Trump

The White House

1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

Washington DC  20500

9 March 2017

 Dear President  Trump,  

When I was in high school I got involved in my freshman year in the high school debate team.  Now I am a 50 year old man but the lessons that I learned on the debate team still stick with me.  It was one of the ost valuable experiences I ever had. 

One of the things I learned early on is that, if you are going to make an argument, you owe it to those who will argue against you to present evidence to support your points.   No matter how much you may dislike the other team, if you wish to win over the judge, you need to provide evidence to prove your points against them.  If you do not do so, you cannot win those particular points, and, most likely, if you do not win those particular points, you lose the debate.   

I realize that, since coming to office, you have made several accusations, among them that President Obama tapped your phone lines, that the crowds at your inauguration were larger than reported, and that no one in your campaign spoke with the Russians during the campaign.  I also realize that there seem to be many people in the United States who are willing to accept what you say without requiring that you show evidence. These people, however, are not in the majority.  In fact, they are nowhere close. 

 According to the non-partisan Gallup Approval Rating Poll, you are, as of today, at a 41% approval rating.  If you look at the average approval ratings of the last 9 presidents in the March following their inaugurations, the next closest to you is Bill Clinton, who still averaged 10 points higher than you.  In fact, Barak Obama, Jimmy Carter, Richard Nixon, John Kennedy, and Dwight Eisenhower all averaged over 30 points higher in March than you are.  I do not say this to make you feel bad but to underscore the importance of gaining the trust of the American people.  You will only be able to do that by being straight with us, and that means not making assertions without providing evidence to back them up. 

Sir, the American people are not stupid.  Please show us the respect we are due.

 

Regards,

 

William Boerman-Cornell

On Respecting Women

President Trump

The White House

1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

Washington D.C. 20500

March 8, 2017 

Dear President Trump,

Do you know what today is?  Of course you do…..International Women’s Day!   A day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women past, present, and future.

Today would also have been my father’s 86^th birthday were he still alive today.  He had five daughters besides his one son.  My father never once made us feel that we were anything less than amazing by virtue of being daughters rather than sons. Yet sadly, millions upon millions of people worldwide seem to think it is acceptable to treat women poorly with low pay, abuse, and disrespect.  Isn’t that terrible? 

According to the United Nations, a study in 2012 found that 92 per cent of women reported having experienced some form of sexual violence in public spaces in their lifetime, and 88 per cent of women reported having experienced some form of verbal sexual harassment (including unwelcome comments of a sexual nature, whistling, leering or making obscene gestures) in their lifetime.  

Can you fathom that? About 9 out of every 10 women on Earth has felt denigrated, maligned, unsafe in the presence of others.  I’m sure you would agree that that is not tolerable.  You would not want to add to those numbers. 

I’m sure you also want to show that you too honor, respect, and support women’s causes in our nation and world.  Feel free to tweet positive, supportive messages using  #WomensDay or #DiadelaMujer or # JourneedesFemmes—those last two would probably really impress international audiences. 

Furthermore, I think you should consider using the POTUS handle instead of your personal one.  Wouldn’t that really, really send a tremendous message to all other nations that you, the President, recognize the equality and importance of women in a world that does not always treat women as equal and important? 

And then, after this once-a-year day is past, you will want to think of other ways to honor all women with your words and actions every ordinary day. 

Sincerely, 

A. Boerman-Cornell

More Advice for President Trump from Middle School

Once again, our middle school daughter offers President Trump advice based on what she is learning in middle school. 

 

President Trump

The White House

1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

Washington DC  20500

7 March 2017 

Dear President Donald Trump,  

I heard a few days ago that you, on Twitter, accused former President Barack Obama of “tapping my wires at the Trump Tower.” I found that accusation both interesting and perplexing. It led me to a few thoughts and words of advice.  

First of all, I personally, whenever someone does something mean to me, I like to talk to them about it face-to-face, not text them, email them, run to social media, or even call them. Maybe you, President Trump, should consider doing the same. If someone tells you that President Obama was tapping your wires, maybe you should ask him politely about it, instead of accusing him on Twitter based on what someone else said to you.  If you have real evidence, it would still be a great idea to have a conversation with him.   

Also, sometimes, it is good to sit down and think things through. If you don’t have evidence that he tapped your wires, then it might not be the best idea to jump to conclusions immediately and accuse him about it on Twitter. Even if you do have evidence to back up yourself up, thinking twice before acting would be a wise course of action to take. I have found that when I take a moment to contemplate my actions before carrying them through, I end up acting more responsibly. Perhaps that is true for you, too.

Regards,

    

F.

Enough with the Twitter, Already

President Trump

The White House

1600 Pennsylvania Ave

Washington DC  20500 
6 March 2017

Dear President Trump, 

I just wanted to write a short letter to give you some friendly advice this week, It's something that has served me well in life: If you are passionate about something and want to accomplish it, you should focus wholeheartedly on it. 

I pretty much agree with less than 5% of what you have been doing so far, and for my personal political opinions it would be better for me to keep quiet, but I believe that you deserve the respect of my honest advice, and I feel sorry that so many people are still treating you and your presidency as a joke. You are our president, and I hope that people will treat you with the respect that they deserve as well.  

I think one of the reasons that people don't take you seriously is the way your twitter allows people access to your thoughts-- or at least the ones you choose to share. For instance, this morning from 6:49am to 7:02am, you accused former President Barack Obama of wiretapping you. Without extensively getting into the responsibility of a leader to carefully measure accusations and ensure that proof is available to back up those accusations, I will move onto the next tweet you sent, at 8:19am, in which you discussed your opinion on why Arnold Schwarzenegger was fired from your former television show.  

When you switch focus this quickly, it gives the American people the impression that you cannot focus on one thing for an extended period of time. Please try to focus wholeheartedly on the things that you care about, and that the American people care about. If that is hard to do, it might be wisest to just stay off your Twitter account.     

Sincerely,

 

K.