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Oct 19
nonfiction 9 comments
H Swett's picture
H Swett

To Our Future President (and I’m praying her name will be Hillary)


Dear Future President,
            For some reason, there is a prevalent idea in our country that politics and emotions should be separate. I do not understand this way of thinking. If we separate our emotions from the changes we make in the world, I believe that we run the risk of making decisions that are not fully informed (even if we have all the “facts”). Our initial desire to change something is usually fueled by an emotion, whether it’s hope, anger, fear or love. So why would we argue that you should stop feeling all of a sudden, when you become president? I hope you will be the leader in this revolution and, as president, do what your heart tells you to do.
            I want to challenge you to think about the difficult issues we face through this lens of your emotions. Next time you see a photo of hundreds of refugees crowded into a dinghy – risking their lives for the possibility of a better future – ask yourself what you feel. I imagine you might feel something along the lines of helplessness combined with empathy. Let that drive the changes you initiate and the laws you institute. Make a change in the world to help these refugees so that you no longer feel that helplessness.
            Take climate change as another example. What do you feel when you think that your descendants will likely not have a clean, safe place to live? Does that make you feel scared? Then act from that emotion! Act on that fear, and the changes you make will undoubtedly make a difference.
            When you hear about the children in our country’s cities who have to drop out of high school to earn money for their families, do you feel sad for them? I would encourage you to work to mitigate this issue because of what you feel about it. In doing so, you will make a huge difference in the lives of so many others.
            Please take some time to consider this idea of letting your emotions guide your decisions. Even if you decide that you must balance it with other ways of analyzing challenging issues, your emotions need not be completely absent from your decision making. I know that this sounds cliché, but you have the power to change the world. You literally do. As the President of the United States of America, you are arguably the most powerful person on the planet. Use that power wisely, and please remember to feel empathy for others as you do. Your power can easily cause more harm than good, but I am hopeful that you will use it to do more good than harm.
            Thank you for taking the time to read this letter and consider my thoughts.

Sincerely,
Hailey 
            

 
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Posted: 10.19.16
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About the Author: H Swett
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Discussion

Comments

  1. gliech
    Oct 20, 2016

    H -- I think you nailed the tone in this piece. Your voice is forceful, but not aggressive. You make strong demands in a way that can be well-received. That's really quite a feat. A bit of food for thought: Would you be writing the same piece if the intended audience were Donald Trump? Do you think you would ask the same of someone with a temperament that differs from Hillary Clinton's? If not, how would you alter this piece? I'd like to hear your thoughts on this!

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  1. H Swett
    Oct 21, 2016

    Thank you for your comment. To answer your question, no, I would absolutely not write the same letter to Donald Trump. But, according to all the recent poles, it is far more likely that Hillary Clinton will be our next president, so I wrote this letter with that in mind. Would you suggest that I try to rework the piece so that it would be relevant to both candidates? I do have a separate letter that I wrote to Trump several months ago, and it may be possible to combine them somehow. Thanks again for your feedback!

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  1. gliech
    Oct 21, 2016

    Hey H - I am not suggesting you change it, necessarily. Only, perhaps you should just address it to Hillary if she is the intended audience! I would be interested in reading your Trump letter, too!

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  1. H Swett
    Nov 09, 2016

    I just posted a letter to Trump. It seemed like an appropriate time to do so considering our current knowledge. Let me know what you think. Thanks!

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  1. gliech
    Nov 09, 2016

    Saw it and I thought it was so thoughtful I was nearly moved to tears. Your hope and respectful tone moved me. I put it in the Editor's Room to be considered for publication. Thank you so very much for sharing.

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  1. Angel2005
    Oct 23, 2016

    Meh. It's good. But I just don't like Hilary, or Trump

    Addison Marlies

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  1. Della
    Nov 09, 2016

    If I could love this twice I would.
    Too bad you can't vote twice, either.

    'I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it.' -Nelson Mandela
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  1. H Swett
    Nov 09, 2016

    Thank you so much for your kind comment. It really made my day :)

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  1. Angel2005
    Nov 21, 2016

    trump won

    Addison Marlies

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