Eugene Weekly : Letters to Obama : 1.22.2009

 

More Letters to Obama

We’ve asked our readers to send us their hopes, their dreams, their admonitions for a new president. This is a continuation of last week’s coverstory.

 

I’LL VOTE IN 2012

Hello, my name is Jeremy Solano, I am 15 years old, I live in Eugene and I go to Winston Churchill High School. My English class has been asked to write you a letter telling you what we want changed in the U.S., but I do not want to say something you have already heard. What I do want to say is that I am so proud of America and I am honored that you are my president, and that if there will be change you will definitely be the one to lead us there.

The night you became president-elect my family and I were so happy that there were no words, only tears of joy that our world was about to change for the better. I don’t cry very easily but seeing you and your beautiful family and hearing your amazing speech that night showed me that change is possible and that brought tears to my eyes, Thank you!

You already know the many things that need changing and I believe that you will do what you feel is best for this country. I will be behind you as my president the whole time you are in office and four years from now I will be old enough to vote and I know I will vote for you!

Jeremy Solano, Eugene

THE PATH TO UNITY

I’m 15 years old and I think this country could use a little help. When I hear that this country’s unemployment rate is 7.2 percent and that there are 2,000-plus homeless people in Lane County alone, I can’t help but think, “What went wrong?”

I think you should work towards getting more people involved with getting violent gangs off the streets and with getting law enforcement to worry about bigger things than pot, such as murder and rape. No one person can change something big, but a leader can show many the path to change and unity.

No matter what people say about race or religion, it doesn’t matter, the only thing race means is your family came from a certain country. All religion means is you believe a certain higher power exists. Deep down we are not black or white, we are not Christian or Jewish, we are all human beings, and as Martin Luther King Jr. said, “We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.” 

I have high hopes for what we can accomplish and for a brighter future. You are our leader, so please show us the path.

 Nathan Ammann, Eugene

HOME FROM WAR

Hello, my name is Kevin and I have been a big fan of yours ever since you ran for the Democratic nominee. I am also a big fan of what your going to do for this country, I just had a few questions though.

My first question is, how are you going to bring our troops back home? I have heard a plan that will take about one and a half years to withdraw everybody, but when they come back home, most of them might have lost their jobs while they were overseas. I was also wondering how they be welcomed when they come home? Will people hate them for going to a pointless war or will they be accepted and thanked by everybody else?

And I just had a few suggestions that might help our economy: One thing you could do is that you could proceed to bailout every company that’s in trouble by having them file for bankruptcy Chapter 11, which allows a company to remain in business; and if that doesn’t work you could bail that company out. 

Kevin Martin, Eugene