Letter to President Obama
Dear President Obama,
On December 2nd, 2008 I had the honor to become a US Citizen. I had been waiting since 1983, when, as a junior in college in Upstate New York, I decided that I loved this country more than my own. Many friends have asked me why I love this country to the point of forsaking the land of my birth.
The first reason is the people of this country. By and large, you will be hard pressed to find more generous and open men and women anywhere in the world – and I have been in many countries. You need look no further than the faces of the millions of Americans who volunteer every day to help out their fellow citizens, to see this unparalleled generosity. As a foreign student here, I benefitted not only from an excellent education but from the homes thrown open to me during breaks, and friends who discussed openly their beliefs and their hopes.
The second reason is freedom. The freedom to travel in this land, knowing that my travels are limited only by my desire to see more. The freedom to write and speak my mind without fear of recrimination. The freedom and justice to defend my rights through due process. The freedom to be able to pursue a dream.
The final reason for wanting to become an American is because I want to live in a country where the rule of law is respected and where justice works. Here is where you come in, Mr. President. America is blessed by a simple constitution which, in their infinite wisdom, the forefathers of this nation used to sketch the framework of a just, free and fair nation, a beacon of hope to the world. This document has proved timeless and its simplicity and wise in its structure. Ultimately, you are the current guardian of the dreams of those that penned the Constitution. This is a sacred trust. It requires faith & enormous moral strength. Faith that no matter how hard the road, how adverse the conditions, the rule of law must stand steadfast, and must not be bent to suit the moment or suspended to facilitate the solution of a momentary problem. Strength not to be tempted to take the easy way out by changing the rules to suit a temporary need. Once a nation begins to trifle with its very principles, then that nation is lost.
Millions of people before me have given up their homeland and come to America because, essentially, the Constitution promised a country run on law & order, where a person is free to pursue any dream.
To tamper with the Constitution is to tamper with the American dream. I believe deeply that you are a man that does have the necessary faith & fortitude to guard our Constitution, Mr. President. I pray that your time in office and your administration will never change that.
Sincerely,
Bruce A. Healey