The Liberal Patriot

A Letter I'd Never Thought I'd Bother To Write

Wednesday, December 14, 2005

President George W. Bush
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington D.C. 20500

Dear Mr. President,

I am a Liberal. I am New Yorker. I am a volunteer firefighter. I consider my self a patriot. I am
not a pacifist. I have always felt a great affection for America, respect for your office and awe of
the Constitution that created both of them. I was on the pile early on the morning of September
12, 2001. It was the day before my birthday, which I spent there, digging with my brother
firefighters.

Doubtlessly you have received many letter from Liberal’s excoriating you and filled with invective.
It is not for that purpose that I write you today. Frankly I never thought I would. Honestly, if we
knew each other I’d rather expect you not to like me much, since I’m sure we’d disagree on most
matters.

I write you today because this evening I watched the eighth and final episode of Ken Burn’s
brilliant documentary on New York on PBS. The episode was about the World Trade Center from
conception to demise. It was called “The Center of the World”.

Mr. President I was born in Manhattan. It is a part of who I am. I feel proud to be able to say
I’m from New York, it’s a special place to America and the World..

Sir, I can’t watch film about the WTC without feeling both anger and veneration at the incredible
audacity, hubris and guts of the towering men who envisioned and built it; Nelson and David
Rockefeller, Minoru Yamasaki, Austin Toobin, Guy Tuzzoli and the many brilliant engineers and
ordinary tradesmen that carried it out . Visions and drive like theirs makes America great. It is on
awesome prescient organizations like theirs, The Port Authority, CalTrans, the Bureau of
Reclamation, The US Army Corps of Engineers and others that we should expend the US Treasury
on. How much more great and inspiring would our country be if we had spent trillions on works
and visions like theirs, all across our land if we had; instead of trillions in the latter part of the last
century instead of so many wars and arms?

I’m sorry in advance sir, but I also watch films like “The Center of the World” and CBS’s gut
wrenching story of the WTC a couple of years ago and think G-d darn it Mr. President why don’t we
have Osama Bin-Laden’s head on a pike in Liberty Plaza, NYC. I’m against the death penalty but
honestly I’d not find it hard to not give pause to my conviction if I was able to bring it you. Why
haven’t we done so?

I’d say the hell with diplomatic concerns, a few months worth of stinkin’ Arab crude, up your’s
Musharraf, were coming after the bastard. Mr. President, why? It’s so hard for guy like me accept
that with all our power, cockiness and conviction that we haven’t at least frog marched Bin-Laden
up the steps of Foley Square. Thanks for listening and I hope this little note got to your desk amid
the thousands I know you get every day.

I Wish You and Your Family Safety and Joy as I Would Anyone for Christmas and the New Year,

signed: J. G. Schwam

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