Dear President Barack Obama,

I worked for you and I put my money out there for you.   Although I paid for 3 tickets, I missed your speech in Charlottesville, because my son's football award ceremony was changed to the night you were here (his original ceremony was rained out).  I really regret that, but only the weather part!  I did manage to see Michelle when she came here with Lilly Ledbetter and Jill Biden, and I had a great time - it was so inspiring.

I heard your speech at Notre Dame, and regardless of all the other things that people might say, the main thing I heard was that you aren't afraid to discuss things that people disagree about - vehemently.  I was impressed with what you said, and am glad you said it.  The pundits predicted that you would avoid the subject, but you did not.  Good for you!

OK.  Now I am warming up to some things that matter a lot to me.  There are many of them, but I will limit myself to three, which I think our country's reputation and future depend on:

1. Don't Ask Don't Tell.  You know this is wrong, and yet under your watch as Commander In Chief, you have allowed at least two talented people get thrown away professionally.  This is a loss for them, which is beyond terrible, but is also a loss for our country.  Not only do we lose their talents and gifts, we also lose yet another "chip" in our stature as a country that holds that all people are equal.  You could fix this.  Who cares if 28% of the electorate hate homosexuals?  They have no business being in charge of our policies.  It is up to you.  Do the right thing.

2. Torture.  I know you don't want to go on a witch hunt, but the fact is, that our country has been damaged severely by this clearly approved policy.  Jonathan Turley said it best:  "We don't need a Truth Commission."  We know the truth.  We need to investigate and, if warranted, charge those who are guilty of crimes. If we "look forward" instead of doing what is right, how are we different from the sheriffs of the old South who let 'the good ole boys ' get away with cruelty and worse during the 60's?

Pictures?  If we do what is right, those pictures will only show that our country does the right thing.  You are a Constitutional Scholar.  Surely you don't believe that those who dismissed the rule of law of our country should just go on with their lives so that we can all "look forward, rather than back."  We survived Nixon.  It is up to you to decide if we will survive Bush/Cheney.

3. Universal, Single-Payer Health Care:  I know you did not run on this, but just realize that the only way we can truly reform our health care is to spend every health care dollar on health care!  Not on advertising, stockholders, paper, employees in every medical office who spend all day wading through the morass which is INSURANCE!   And not saving money by denying needed care, or refusing to cover those who are actually, um...sick!

If you pass UNIVERSAL SINGLE-PAYER HEALTH CARE,  it will guarantee a Democratic electorate for the next 50 years.  The republicans know this, because they see what happened in England.  Please, don't fall for their scare tactics, and please understand that whatever the insurance company and hospitals withhold from campaign contributions will be dwarfed by the grassroots who will support the Democrats who stood up for all of us. 

Please, Please don't let us down!