Dear Mr. President,
When you speak before Congress and the American People tonight about Healthcare Reform, remember, Stand Strong. We the People are behind you. It is time for solutions and it is time for you, our President, to move forward with a solution, this solution includes a Public Option.
I know there are those out there that are disrespecting you and attempting to undermine you and your office. Don't listen to them. They are only trying to change the subject, to take you off track, and stop the Public Option. You can never change their minds. My message to those disrespecting you: Stop Disrespecting Our President!
Mr. President, I know the motivation for their disrespect, and it is not a pretty picture.
I am a grandmother. I love old movies. One of my favorites is "In the Heat of the Night." That was one of the first movies that showed a minority standing up for himself.
There were other "minority" type movies at the time that illustrated a yearning for equality. I loved "To Sir with Love", "West Side Story", "Flower Drum Song" and "Guess Who's coming to Dinner." But "In the Heat of the Night" was the first movie that showed us, on screen, that equality, true equality was actually possible.
My favorite line in the movie was "!They Call Me Mr. Tibbs." My favorite scene was the scene where the rich good ole boy looked down on Tibbs for daring to ask him questions, slapping him, calling him "boy." Then Tibbs, immediately reacted - no hesitation, with a slap back. Equality! A beautiful thing. It was made only a few years after the Civil Rights Act passed and no minority believed we would see such actions in a national motion picture.
Minorities do not want to be superior nor inferior to anyone. All we have ever wanted was true equality. Work hard, do a good job, earn a good salary, raise a nice family, equal opportunity and equal treatment for all. That is what the Civil Rights Act was all about. "I have a dream....."
That is why it is so upsetting to see you, Mr. President, treated so disrespectfully by the right wing extremists. Every day we see the Birthers, Deathers, Teabaggers demonizing you. We see Beck call you a racist. We see signs depicting you as Hitler, a Nazi, the Joker, with vile names underneath. Now we have a lunatic pastor praying for your death, this amidst countless death threats and assassination attempts.
Tonight, Mr. President, as you speak before Congress and before the nation. My advice to you is to stay strong! You are the President, my President, OUR President! You are the President of the greatest country in the World! We the People, the true Patriotic Americans are behind you! We support you! Don't take any guff from the looneys out there! We are with you Mr. President!
In the meantime, I think I will replay this movie clip in my mind, only in my replay, the good ole boy will be Glenn Beck and Mr. Tibbs will be Mr. President!
Stand Strong Mr. President!