Category Archives: Politics

Letters to George Bush (the elder)

Memories, Politics, teaching, Things, Writing, , ,

In the spring of 1991, probably because it was close to Earth Day or maybe I’d just taught a unit on environmental studies, I had my students write letters to President George Bush requesting he be more concerned about the Earth. It’s actually odd I did this at that time because he’d just announced Proclamation 6274 (Earth Day).

We received a reply, but I may have thrown it away. It was pretty exciting though.

Here are the letters:

Dear Mr. President,

We are Michael and Callie and we are interested in saving the Earth. We would like you to try to stop people from littering. And to make a law to stop people from littering.

Sincerely,
Michael and Callie

Dear Mr. President,

I understand that you have a lot of work to do but anyway I know that you want to be known as the Environmental President and I want to help. The first way is you could try to provide a safe place for animals. The second way is you could set a new law. It could be that you could arrest people who litter. You could also try to stop pollution by banning hairspray and just use mousse. You could also try to ban cigarettes and try to stop anymore oil going into rivers, streams, oceans, and seas. I would be pleased if you wrote back. If you write back can you send some of your ways to help the Earth? Tell Mrs. Bush I said hello.

Sincerely,
Jessica

Dear Mr. President,

I think you should help clean up the environment and air. I think you should shut down the smoke factories for ever and ever. That would be nice to breathe clean air. I get sick when the air has too much smoke in it. I think it is wrong to pollute the air because it destroys animals and plants. When I see dead animals I feel sad

Sincerely,
Dallas

Dear Mr. Presidident,

Can you help stop pollution a little and litter too? Can you help clean the air? Can you help clean the water?

Sincerely,
Daniel

Dear Mr. President,

How is congress? Can you make a law about pollution because the cars make the pollution? Can you make people pick up trash?

Sincerely,
Ian and Mark

Dear President Bush,

How are you? I’m fine. How’s congress? Any new decorations for the oval office? Didn’t think so. Well, I wrote to say you’re a great president. BUT can you help us around here? The environment is getting really polluted and littered and the animals are disappearing. Please help. Pass a law or something. Build animal shelters. But please do something when and if you have the time, and if you come here in person please sit by me and we can talk. We have lunch at 12:05. If you come on Friday they have pizza. This school (unlike others) has great pizza. We sit at the last table with another class. Anyway, write back soon.

Sincerely,
Edward

Dear Mr. President Bush,

I would like you to help the nation get most of the pollution out of it. I would like you to make a home that is safe for animals and make a law to show that the world is in danger.

Yours sincerely,
Sarah

Dear Mr. President,

I wish you would stop the littering. You would not like what you see. Please do a good job. Please do me a favor and make a new law. If someone litters they have to pay a fine.

Sincerly,
Eric

2016: My year in review

People, Places, Politics, Rant, ,

When I was a teenager I would write a last journal entry the last hour before the end of the year. I was usually babysitting, so was awake at that time — and never was out partying because I was not popular enough to party on New Year’s eve.

Here’s my personal review in pictures…

In January we trekked through a blizzard to attend a Burns' Supper
In January we trekked through a blizzard to attend a Burns’ Supper

In February we threw Mom a surprise 80th birthday party
In February we threw Mom a surprise 80th birthday party

and helped Andrew move into his own apartment in DC.
and helped Andrew move into his own apartment in DC.

In March we visited Austin, Texas and obtained a new chum
In March we visited Austin, Texas and obtained a new chum

and we also visited Chris and Sheri in Winston-Salem in March.
and we also visited Chris and Sheri in Winston-Salem in March.

There have been heated discussions on Facebook and elsewhere about why it is not right to call 2016 the “worst year ever”. Dean and Clare both agree that it is wrong to call it that. I don’t agree with them. There have been many worse years in the world than 2016 — with that I will agree. If the Bible is to be believed, the year Noah had to build the ark because God was pissed off at his people enough to drown all but a handful. Then there were the years of the Crusades and the Spanish Inquisition, and the years of plagues and the two world wars, and the Holocaust. Yes indeed, there were many horrible years in the world — much worse than 2016 when a handful of celebrities died and Donald Trump won the U. S. presidential election. So, no, 2016 was not the worst year. But it was my worst year, especially if I tack on the last week few days of 2015.

It was not all bad.

Sure, 2016 had some mighty fine parts. I traveled to some fun places — Austin, Texas; Southern California; Olympia, Washington (twice); Illinois (countless times). I got to hang out with my brother and his family more than usual. I saw my brother marry a wonderful woman.

Despite all the exciting travel and good times with family, I lost two very important people in my life between December 27th, 2015 and August 26th, 2016.

Addendum

One of my favorite people ever, my Aunt Ginny, died December 27, 2015. Her husband, my Uncle Jack called to tell me the news when we were on our way back from our semi-annual post-winter trip to Chincoteague. Then my mom got worse and worse and died in August, three days after I turned 60.

Yes, 2016 was definitely my worst year.

The West Wing — a learning experience

Politics,

A few days ago I watched the final episode of The West Wing. I began watching it several months ago, not expecting to like it, but after a couple of episodes (and definitely after the first season) I was hooked.

I knew about the program when it was on television but, not being particularly interested in politics, I was not interested in The West Wing either. Also I was still boycotting anything featuring Rob Lowe. Also I was probably too busy dealing with the kids and working on a master’s degree — at least when the program started.

I knew a few people who watched The West Wing but still wasn’t interested — ugh, politics. More recently I knew people who loved it and the actors in it. Here is an example:

A certain bird I know online mentioned she loved the TV series, Psych because of Dulé Hill. I’d never heard of Dulé Hill and, while his character in Psych is cute and quirky, didn’t quite get the attraction. Now I do.

Another online friend wrote about being distracted by “…CJ, Toby and Sam, Josh and Donna, Charlie, Leo and the President…” Had I not been watching the series I would have had to ask what in the world she was talking about.

I learned to love most of the characters on The West Wing. I did not love the dark-haired woman who left after the first season though. She almost made me quit watching The West Wing after a few episodes, but the other characters/actors (even Sam/Rob Lowe) made me stick with it.

Now when something happens in the real world — in the current administration, I can usually relate it to something that happened on The West Wing and remember what President Bartlett did or what his staff advised him to do or not to do.

I’ll miss my daily visits with the folks on the series, but it ended at a perfect spot and in a perfect way. Another 8 years with a different administration would have been wrong. Anyway, I can always go back and watch it with my husband — he is still on season 1. Lucky duck.