I was alerted to an article in the Tulsa World regarding Oklahoma Senator Jim Inhofe's comments about the Obama birth certificate controversy, and his legitimacy as President. I was irked enough to sit and write an email to his office. Here's what I wound up with:
Dear Mr. Inhofe:
Just to get this out of the way: I'm a Democrat, and as such, I must admit I'm glad to see my party have control of our government for the first time in a long time. Government is cyclical, and I believe it's time to see the pendulum swing in the other direction for a few years.
With all that being said, however, I very much recognize the need for a strong opposition party. I don't want anyone--even those who I would consider "my own"--to have complete, unfettered control of anything. It's important for both sides to have someone standing there to call the other out on their excesses. The concept of America is too important for anything less, which brings me to the point of this message.
I'm sure it's not news to you that the Republican party is at a crossroads right now. From an outsider's perspective, it seems to have lost its way, and no longer appears to be the loyal opposition that is needed to form a balanced government. Something needs to change here, and I fear your comments in the Tulsa World regarding President Obama's birth certificate are only reinforcing a (currently) poor image of the Republican party, not to mention Oklahoma in general.
You used the phrase "benefit of the doubt" regarding his certification, and indicated that you personally feel that the issue should continue to be investigated. My question, then, would be this: do you feel that the people who are pursuing this issue are helping your party (not to mention your country), or are they hurting it instead?
Certainly a man such as yourself, who has been in politics for a long time, can spot a liability such as these "birthers" from a fair distance. I can't imagine they represent more than a small portion of Oklahoma's potential votes. So why continue to support or encourage them?
You are doing your party--my "loyal opposition"--no favors with your stance on this issue. These sorts of discussions are only going to continue to drive political moderates (which are most of the country) away from the Big Tent. And then, where else can they go? Distractions such as this (and there have been many others) are divisive by nature--demanding that all who hear them choose a side. The trouble here is that the division is occurring within your own party. Questioning a sitting President's legitimacy for holding office is not a plank to build a party on, and it's my hope you'll recognize this.
I would like to add that I do very much appreciate the quotes in the article that indicate you want to steer the focus onto more important issues. It's my wish that this comes to pass. We've got a lot on our plate at the moment for Dem and Rep alike, and to guarantee the future of this great experiment in democracy, it's my fervent hope that we can step away from the dramas and the sideshows and get our hands dirty doing the hard work of building our future, together, as one unified nation.
Sincerely,
Bret Mix
Glenpool, Oklahoma
Dear Mr. Inhofe:
Just to get this out of the way: I'm a Democrat, and as such, I must admit I'm glad to see my party have control of our government for the first time in a long time. Government is cyclical, and I believe it's time to see the pendulum swing in the other direction for a few years.
With all that being said, however, I very much recognize the need for a strong opposition party. I don't want anyone--even those who I would consider "my own"--to have complete, unfettered control of anything. It's important for both sides to have someone standing there to call the other out on their excesses. The concept of America is too important for anything less, which brings me to the point of this message.
I'm sure it's not news to you that the Republican party is at a crossroads right now. From an outsider's perspective, it seems to have lost its way, and no longer appears to be the loyal opposition that is needed to form a balanced government. Something needs to change here, and I fear your comments in the Tulsa World regarding President Obama's birth certificate are only reinforcing a (currently) poor image of the Republican party, not to mention Oklahoma in general.
You used the phrase "benefit of the doubt" regarding his certification, and indicated that you personally feel that the issue should continue to be investigated. My question, then, would be this: do you feel that the people who are pursuing this issue are helping your party (not to mention your country), or are they hurting it instead?
Certainly a man such as yourself, who has been in politics for a long time, can spot a liability such as these "birthers" from a fair distance. I can't imagine they represent more than a small portion of Oklahoma's potential votes. So why continue to support or encourage them?
You are doing your party--my "loyal opposition"--no favors with your stance on this issue. These sorts of discussions are only going to continue to drive political moderates (which are most of the country) away from the Big Tent. And then, where else can they go? Distractions such as this (and there have been many others) are divisive by nature--demanding that all who hear them choose a side. The trouble here is that the division is occurring within your own party. Questioning a sitting President's legitimacy for holding office is not a plank to build a party on, and it's my hope you'll recognize this.
I would like to add that I do very much appreciate the quotes in the article that indicate you want to steer the focus onto more important issues. It's my wish that this comes to pass. We've got a lot on our plate at the moment for Dem and Rep alike, and to guarantee the future of this great experiment in democracy, it's my fervent hope that we can step away from the dramas and the sideshows and get our hands dirty doing the hard work of building our future, together, as one unified nation.
Sincerely,
Bret Mix
Glenpool, Oklahoma
