"My" email "from" President Obama. Sorry if this is a duplicate :)

[phylny]

The White House, Washington

This was in response to my message on whitehouse.gov because I couldn't get through on the phone.

Dear :

Thank you for writing. I understand the feelings of uncertainty many Americans have had lately. But one thing I am certain of is that America remains the greatest nation on earth. What sets us apart is not simply our economic and military power, but also the principles upon which our Union was founded: pluralism and openness, the rule of law, civil liberties, and the self‑evident truth—expanded with each generation—that we are all created equal.

One election does not change who we are as a people. The America I know is clear‑eyed and big‑hearted—full of courage and ingenuity. Although politics can significantly affect our lives, our success has always been rooted in the willingness of our people to look out for one another and help each other through tough times. More than my Presidency, or any Presidency, it is the optimism and hard work of people like you that have changed our country for the better and that will continue to give us the strength we need to persevere.

Progress doesn’t come easily, and it hasn’t always followed a straight line, but I firmly believe that history ultimately moves in the direction of justice, prosperity, freedom, and inclusion—not because it is inevitable, but because people like you speak out and hold our country accountable to our highest ideals. That’s why I hope you continue to stay engaged. And I want you to know Michelle and I will be right there with you.

Again, thank you for writing. Whatever challenges we may face, there is no greater form of patriotism than the belief that America is not yet finished and a brighter future lies ahead.

Sincerely,

Barack Obama


Visit WhiteHouse.gov




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[LisaM]

1. I found this response very depressing.

I've thought about it quite a bit - this letter has been out here before, and I think that I was really most bugged by the "progress doesn't follow a straight line" bit. Of course that's true, but it's hard to have that chirruped at me at a time when I'm only a decade away from retirement and feel like I'm beginning the same fights all over again.

I can't afford to have Social Security and Medicare not go in "a straight line". Housing prices are on the rise. Wages are flat. Pensions are a thing of the past. I'll have to depend on a 401(k), Social Security, and Medicare to have a decent life after work, and to have it not go in a straight line could cause me to live out my post-retirement in misery.

I also didn't like the phrase because Obama's own progress has been in a straight line. He's smart, he's hardworking, he's charismatic, he broke a ceiling of his own to be President - but his own rise has been meteoric, and he didn't twice almost arrive at the gates just to be hurled back. This election hurt me on many levels, and to be assured that progress isn't a straight line when I've already had to live through the Reagan and Bush administrations almost sinks me.

The letter made my heart sink deeper, and I thought it was already at rock bottom.

[phylny]

2. Im really sorry! I didn't intend to make anyone feel badly.

[LisaM]

3. No, no, it's not you.....

I'd read this before. I'd already despaired when I read it the first time, but since then and now, I've had time to better articulate my thoughts on why it disturbed me so much.

[Skittles]

4. the election DID change who we are as people

or at least certainly how I SEE 60,000,000 of them