An Open Letter to Barack Obama
Gary Loftis
February 28, 2009
Dear President Obama,
I am writing this letter to explain my concerns about the direction you are leading our nation. Last November, you were elected President of all Americans, not those who voted for you. Now, you are accountable to all of us.
When you took the oath of office, you swore to "faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States." While I am not a legal scholar, I have read the Constitution many times. The Founders wrote it in plain English, I think, for a reason. It was not intended to be a document which generations of lawyers could parse, finding in it what they chose. The Constitution, as written, does two basic things: it prescribes and limits the powers of government. The Bill of Rights specifically delineates those rights of the people over which government may not exercise control.
My wife and I are the people you referred to in a recent speech. We purchased a modest home 20 years ago because we wanted to ensure we could make the payments. The mortgage will be paid off in six months. Over the 40 years we have been married, we have saved and invested conservatively. We are both retired now, and have sufficient income to live comfortably. You now want us to help people who either borrowed more than they could pay or were advanced more than they qualified for keep their homes. The story of the Ant and the Grasshopper comes to mind. Nowhere in the Constitution do I find language empowering the federal government to confiscate private property to distribute it to the general population; your advisors and Congressional cronies must be reading Das Kapital.
The Founders constituted the United States as a democratic republic based on personal liberty and opportunity. Such freedom implies that outcomes will differ based on personal abilities and motivations and individuals´ recognition thereof. Unfortunately, part of our nation believes it is entitled to share in the success of others. Nowhere in the Constitution do I find language empowering the federal government to guarantee equal outcomes, yet you are doing just that by redistributing wealth.
I know you were a disciple of socialist Saul Alinsky; you taught his community organizing precepts in Chicago. While much of academia and many of your supporters view socialism as just another way of organizing an economy, very few of them have any actual experience living in a state-run economy. There is a good reason: socialism has never resulted in prosperity save for the top echelon of politicians. In 1991, I visited France. Three things struck me: first, on every block was an office with "Socialiste" on the door. Second, begging on the street was an accepted career. Finally, I learned that the plethora of prepared food in stores was there because so few French can afford a flat with a kitchen. Our nation became the economic model for the world because individual men and women were free to build businesses and accumulate wealth; why would any thinking person, Mr. President, expect socialism to reinstate our nation´s prosperity?
Mr. President, you were elected to serve all the people of the United States. You are not a king and your margin of victory does not constitute a mandate for radical change. In the campaign, you promised to seek bipartisanship. That means seeking input before policies or legislation are drafted, not browbeating opposition party legislators into supporting poorly-conceived spending bills with no time to research what the bills actually contain. You promised a return of integrity, yet you seem unable to fill your cabinet with people whose integrity is above reproach. You talk about responsibility while spending borrowed money that my great-grandchildren will be required to pay off.
I do not wish you failure, Mr. President, but please be aware that if you continue to ignore those who did not support your election and take our economy down the road to socialism and all that portends, We the People reserve the right to fire you four years hence.
Sincerely
Gary Loftis
© Copyright 2009, Gary Loftis. All Rights Reserved
I am writing this letter to explain my concerns about the direction you are leading our nation. Last November, you were elected President of all Americans, not those who voted for you. Now, you are accountable to all of us.
When you took the oath of office, you swore to "faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States." While I am not a legal scholar, I have read the Constitution many times. The Founders wrote it in plain English, I think, for a reason. It was not intended to be a document which generations of lawyers could parse, finding in it what they chose. The Constitution, as written, does two basic things: it prescribes and limits the powers of government. The Bill of Rights specifically delineates those rights of the people over which government may not exercise control.
My wife and I are the people you referred to in a recent speech. We purchased a modest home 20 years ago because we wanted to ensure we could make the payments. The mortgage will be paid off in six months. Over the 40 years we have been married, we have saved and invested conservatively. We are both retired now, and have sufficient income to live comfortably. You now want us to help people who either borrowed more than they could pay or were advanced more than they qualified for keep their homes. The story of the Ant and the Grasshopper comes to mind. Nowhere in the Constitution do I find language empowering the federal government to confiscate private property to distribute it to the general population; your advisors and Congressional cronies must be reading Das Kapital.
The Founders constituted the United States as a democratic republic based on personal liberty and opportunity. Such freedom implies that outcomes will differ based on personal abilities and motivations and individuals´ recognition thereof. Unfortunately, part of our nation believes it is entitled to share in the success of others. Nowhere in the Constitution do I find language empowering the federal government to guarantee equal outcomes, yet you are doing just that by redistributing wealth.
I know you were a disciple of socialist Saul Alinsky; you taught his community organizing precepts in Chicago. While much of academia and many of your supporters view socialism as just another way of organizing an economy, very few of them have any actual experience living in a state-run economy. There is a good reason: socialism has never resulted in prosperity save for the top echelon of politicians. In 1991, I visited France. Three things struck me: first, on every block was an office with "Socialiste" on the door. Second, begging on the street was an accepted career. Finally, I learned that the plethora of prepared food in stores was there because so few French can afford a flat with a kitchen. Our nation became the economic model for the world because individual men and women were free to build businesses and accumulate wealth; why would any thinking person, Mr. President, expect socialism to reinstate our nation´s prosperity?
Mr. President, you were elected to serve all the people of the United States. You are not a king and your margin of victory does not constitute a mandate for radical change. In the campaign, you promised to seek bipartisanship. That means seeking input before policies or legislation are drafted, not browbeating opposition party legislators into supporting poorly-conceived spending bills with no time to research what the bills actually contain. You promised a return of integrity, yet you seem unable to fill your cabinet with people whose integrity is above reproach. You talk about responsibility while spending borrowed money that my great-grandchildren will be required to pay off.
I do not wish you failure, Mr. President, but please be aware that if you continue to ignore those who did not support your election and take our economy down the road to socialism and all that portends, We the People reserve the right to fire you four years hence.
Sincerely
Gary Loftis
© Copyright 2009, Gary Loftis. All Rights Reserved