I know how caring you are about your wonderful daughters.
You have chosen to send them to wonderful schools, the Lab School at the University of Chicago, and Sidwell Friends in Washington DC.
Sidwell Friends is a Quaker School. As a Quaker myself, I know our approach is to walk gladly across the earth answering that of God in each person we encounter. I am glad your daughters are learning to treat people like that.
It is however the Lab School about which I wish to write you.
It was founded by the great American philosopher and educator John Dewey.
I thought perhaps I should make sure you knew some of his words, specifically these:
What the best and wisest parent wants for his child, that must we want for all the children of the community. Anything less is unlovely, and left unchecked, destroys our democracy.
Somehow it seems as if you must never have encountered these words. After all, you have chosen such wonderful schools for your girls, how is it that the educational policies of your administration do not seek similar schools for all the children of America? How else can we answer that of God in each of them, in their parents, who also want wonderful educations for their children.
that we must want for all the children of the community.
Mr. President, you were elected as a Democrat. In theory that means you are an advocate for Democracy.
So allow me to repeat again the second part of that statement from John Dewey:
Anything less is unlovely, and left unchecked, destroys our democracy.
Please Mr. President, change your educational policies before you destroy our democracy.
Please, Mrs. Obama, persuade him as you persuaded him on the issue of marriage equality.
Anything less than marriage equality was not answering, but denying that of God in our gay and lesbian Americans.
That was not merely unlovely, it was hate-filled.
Please, live up to the words of the founder of the school not merely attended by your children, but which is the alma mater of your Secretary of Education.
What the best and wisest parent wants for his child, that must we want for all the children of the community. Anything less is unlovely, and left unchecked, destroys our democracy.
Peace.