The Letter

Dear President Reagan,

When Hitler was taking power in Europe, Jews fled from Poland, Austria, and Germany to look for a better life in the U.S. These men, women, and children who came by boat on the St. Louis were turned away because their religion was not the same as those who hold high office. Most of these Jews would eventually die in Europe during the Holocaust. My name is Ned Weeks and I live with someone who has what you call “gay related immune deficiency”. This disease cripples the body in ways that you nor I have never seen before and you are letting this happen in your own country. Like the Coast Guard who turned away the Jews seeking refuge and hope, you and your administration turned your backs on people who need your help.

For decades blacks have been fighting to get equal rights as whites. For decades women have been fighting to be on the same playing field as men. They have done everything within their power to get the rights that they want. What more could gays do to get the rights that we deserve as a group of people in a country that is about freedom. I find you to be a poor example of how the president should act and how they should handle issues that threaten a group of people in this country. The main job of the executive and legislative branch is to help the issues of those living in the county so our lives are better. Your job is hard, and as a writer not everyone will like what you do. But there is something deplorable about turning your backs on your fellow countrymen because they have a disease that seems to attack people like us. Have you no shame? Do something, anything that could make our situation better because if you don’t soon it will get a lot worse for everyone. The United States is a country that everyone looks up to for its leadership and initiative to help others. How can you lead a country like this when you lack initiative to help your own people. America does not abandon, it helps. Why abandon your people now?

Ned Weeks