I have been pretty silent this week and emotionally heavy but I kept getting the urge to somehow find something and this is what came. I hope the hearts of Americans stay open towards working and learning together for reform in so many areas to make this country well again.
Dear Mr. Trump,
We are not well. We are not treating each other well. We are not living well. We are not taking care of ourselves well. The posts that I see and the comments on Facebook are shameful and disheartening. Since when do we take to social media to blame and shame people for posting black squares instead of doing “something”, to beg/plea for the lives of Black people to be protected by those that are armed and out there to protect ALL OF OUR children and our communities, and to mock our president??? Where has human decency gone? Does this not keep you up at night? Does this not feel wrong deep down inside? Does it not make you ponder how or why or what this stems from and how to turn it around? And I beg of you, the way to turn it around is not with angry tweets and using words like thugs?! This may have worked for TV – but you are our President.
I am afraid to even show my 6 year old any of your speeches for I honestly don’t know what I would say, yet I strongly know this is not behavior I want her to model. I read a Brene Brown book and I remember this jist of this quote at the beginning of one of the chapters. When America was first founded – we needed brawn – to build our streets, houses, and infrastructure. Then we needed brains to create technology, automation, efficiency, and to connect globally. Now and for the future of America and the world- we need someone to lead with the heart. We need healing. We need a spiritual revolution. We need hope. We need both mental and physical health restored in our people. I feel that this is not your super power. I am asking for you to consider to step down as our President. I think this would be the exact message that the American people need. This would be the exact message that I would respect. Stand down to bullying. We all have strengths, we all have ways in which we can contribute but you sir – with your words are pushing the knife even deeper and twisting it. I get you are angry – by all means have your stance and your opinion. But a President is there to pull us together, give us hope, and remind us to rise above our prejudice, our circumstance, and to work together to better our nation. We all know that when that knife is removed – that LIFE and BLOOD flow. If that knee had been removed, George Floyd’s breath would have flowed. We need someone who not only has brains but also compassion, humility, and an ability to express emotion. To inspire ALL of us. To force us to dig deep beyond the party lines and get to the human lines. I think it would be best to admit to your deficits in what we need right now and let someone else guide us into our future. I think it would say a lot to the African American population and to those that think it’s okay to hang on to power/control with brute force.
With respect for your efforts & hope for a better tomorrow,
Becky Clifford
