Obama, Now That You Work for Me (A
Letter to the President-Elect)
By Chuck Norris
11/11/2008
Dear President-elect Obama:
First, congratulations on your victory. The historical magnitude of your
presidential win is nothing short of stupendous and a colossal
fulfillment of the American dream (an achievement embedded long ago in
the equality clauses of the Declaration of Independence).
It's likely no big surprise that I
don't see eye to eye with you politically. Actually, I stand in stark
opposition to most of your politics. Still, I realize that we must learn
to work together if we are to see our country get back on track. After
Election Day, I asked myself, "How can I work for our new president to
help better America ?" Then a thought occurred to me. The
first question that should be answered is: How will you work for me?
After all, "We the People" of the United States employ you, correct?
So here are a few ways
You might begin to gain the respect of
those who oppose you and to show that your campaign pledges to bridge
the divides were not empty promises to get you into office. And these
requests I make are based upon the inaugural oath you will make Jan. 20,
"I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the office of
president of the United States and will, to the best of my ability,
preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States." No
doubt these won't be my only requests through the years, but they serve
as a good beginning:
Use and cite the Constitution. If that
constitutional oath ("preserve, protect and defend") is the central duty
of your job description, then I assume we will be hearing often from you
about exactly how you are doing just that. There is no replacement for
strict adherence, application and defense of the Constitution. And it's
high time that presidents quit reciting the presidential oath tritely
and then abandoning its tenets when they enter the Oval Office. You
should be quoting from the Constitution publicly as often as a preacher
quotes the Bible to his congregation -- at least weekly. If you take
this oath and challenge seriously, you will limit the powers of federal
government, reduce taxes (for everyone), encourage the freedom of
religion and expression (even in the public square), and stand up for
such things as our right to bear arms. The American public and the
government have lost their grip on the content and role of the
Constitution, but if you daily choose, you can help to re-educate and
model its usage for them.
Protect American life. Thomas
Jefferson wrote in 1809, "The care of human life and happiness, and not
their destruction, is the first and only legitimate object of good
government." Those are powerful and enlightening words. Of course, such
a role was created and secured in the very fabric of our nation -- in
the Declaration of Independence. The commitment to protect life
should serve as the basis for all you do, even as a foundation for your
national defense strategy. I'm sure the first of your secret briefings
this past week on our global security threats have opened your eyes to
the extensive onslaught of our enemies. Don't allow your pride,
partisanship, personal bias or political abilities to jeopardize the
safety of Americans lives. As commander in chief, you are called to
preserve American life. Quite frankly, that is why I'm surprised that a
man such as you, who professes to fight for minorities, would not
recognize the clear value of a human life in a womb. Federal law should
not decree the sacrifice of one human life for the preference of
another. Both lives should be protected. Otherwise, what do Jefferson 's
1809 words mean? As president, you are called to protect (not destroy)
human life; it is the "first and only legitimate object of good
government."
Lead more from the center. It's been
pointed out by countless pundits, and your track record is clear: You
have one of the most liberal records in the Senate. You've had the
liberty of voting and fighting for an agenda "from the left" as you've
tried to persuade state and federal lawmakers to do the same. But if you
continue to lead our country down a more liberal road, you will follow
the peril of Bill Clinton, who stepped into office and initially tried
to lift the ban on gays in the military and extend abortion rights, only
to prompt the creation of a more balanced and strong Republican Congress
in the 1990s. Don't underestimate the resurrecting power of the
conservative voice. You observed in last week's election how three
states across this union voted to protect marriage in their
constitutions (the 28th, 29th and 30th states to do so -- California ,
Arizona and Florida).
We will be watching who you choose to
be in your Cabinet. We will discern how you lead Pelosi and Reid. We
will be observing those you select as candidates for Supreme Court
justices. The election is over. No more promises. No more words.
You might work well in a team, but this time, you don't have
congressional members to hide behind. You're on your own -- leading the
pack -- and the whole country is watching.
I, especially, am watching.
So make sure you lead more from the
center.
One of your 300 million bosses,
Chuck Norris
