Open Letter to Mindy

Dear Mindy,

A couple of your friends have asked me to write to you concerning the upcoming presidential election. They are concerned that you have not considered all of the issues. Below I have detailed 3 key issues that should demonstrate why you should vote for John Kerry and not George Bush. I hope you will read them and think about them.

Issue #1: Iraq: The reasons for the Iraq invasion have proven false. Sadam was not connected to Bin Laden (even Colin Powell has admitted this). There are no weapons of mass destruction. (Speaking of WMDs, shouldn't we now invade N. Korea?) Bush has turned world support after 9/11 to world distrust by ignoring the UN and going alone. Former allies have nothing to do with us. Now, that we occupy Iraq it seems that we really don't have much of a plan or exit strategy. We have created a power vacuum, where radicals are streaming into the country to fight our troops. We only control a portion of the country and most of the parts that we "control" are not safe for travel unless escorted by heavily armed troops. To say that Iraq is going poorly is an understatement. Unlike Bush, Kerry can admit that the US actually needs the support of the world community.

Issue #2: Individual Rights The Bush Administration has a fairly poor record of treating people like they are people. Here are some examples:

• Bush has held US citizens without contact with the outside and without charges. Clear violations of the Constitution. It has taken the Supreme Court to force the Bush Administration into any action in the Jose Padilla case. Now, Mr. Padilla is far from a nice guy, but he is a citizen and by our laws he has rights that not even the President can ignore.
• The Bush Administration has even worse record in dealing with for foreign citizens in our custody. Several human rights groups have revealed the appalling conditions of the Guantanamo Bay prison camps.
• Do I need to bring up the prison campus in Iraq. See a pattern here?
• The Administration has given itself the ability to spy on our citizens under the PATRIOT ACT. The right to privacy has been seriously weakened.
• The Bush Administration has been on a constant attack against a woman's right to control her body by deciding if she should end a pregnancy. Is it right for George Bush to control a woman's body?
• Bush and friends have also made it clear that under US law Gay and Lesbian citizens are not afforded the same rights as heterosexuals. The government will treat you differently depending on whom you sleep with. Be careful!

Issue #3: The Economy Many people argue that Bush will be better for the economy. I fail to see clear evidence that supports this. To some degree, the Bush tax cuts did boost the economy, but unfortunately, we will have to pay for those cuts eventually. Several economists have criticized these cuts as irresponsible. In 2003, Greenspan had to stop a second round of cuts. Even if we ignore the fact that the richest people in our society benefited most while the poorest could find work, this still doesn't change the fact that we have the largest deficits in years. The deficits are real, and we'll have to deal with them. Either Congress will have raise taxes, which they hate to do, OR they will have to cut spending. In either case, less money will flow into the economy. Bush has gone from major surpluses to huge deficits.

Mindy, these are just three reasons. I have many others, as you can imagine. Of course the conservatives out there will give you reasons why these issues don't matter or why they are wrong. I am just sad that the Bush Administration seems to be better at running political campaigns than running our country. Oh wait, more people voted for Gore in the last election.

Thanks for listening,
Troy

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