Letter #129... Dear Mr. President... "It's My Party and I'll Cry if I Want too..."

Dear Mr. President:

Your Gadfly Granny is 66 today!

“It’s my party and I’ll cry if I want too…” Today is my 66^th Birthday and I’m so happy to be ‘vertical and ventilating’ because every day above ground is a great day. So what is there to cry about, you ask? Plenty.

Not for myself because I’m has happy as a pig in mud, but for the millions of people who have lost their jobs, lost their homes, lost their health coverage, and yes… lost their hope. I cry for the children all over the world that go to bed hungry, or live in such miserable conditions that there is no future for them. I cry for our men and women overseas that will not be home for Christmas, and for those that may not make it home at all.

I know these are things you cry about also, because I know you are a good and decent man. I know that you feel the pain of the people that write you gut wrenching letters… most of which you don’t see because there are just too many, but you know about them all the same. I also know there is very little you can do about most of the misery people are experiencing during these trying days, and I know how much you would love it to be otherwise.

I know that 70 years ago today, after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, this country was forever changed. What have we learned over the last 70 years? Not much it seems. We’re still at war, we’re still faced with economic hardships not experienced since the depression, and this country is struggling for it’s very survival.

What is different is that we’re also fighting each other, and that is a monumental tragedy. Our common enemy is ourselves. During WWII this country pulled together for the common good of the people, the country, and the world, but not anymore. We fight over nuances now… like who’s paying a higher percentage in taxes, the middle class or the rich? Who creates jobs, the wealthy corporations, or the small business owner? Does life begin at conception, or when a heartbeat can be detected? Which of the current crop of candidates is the real ‘family values’ candidate? How many divorces are acceptable before a candidate becomes unacceptable… like any of this minutia is even remotely important in the larger scheme of things.

What is important, is that we need to find a way to stop this ridiculous bickering and focus on what really matters… feeding people, housing people, employing people, educating our children, ending the wars once and for all and bringing our people home. And until that happens… it’s my party and I’ll cry if I want too.

Most Respectfully,

Marcia Reimers

Your Gadfly Granny