Letter to President Against the Troop Escalation in Afghanistan

Dear Mr President,

I want to thank you for all the hard work you are doing to reverse the damages of the previous administration.

Today I write you on the gravest policy decision you will ever make - the decision to escalate a senseless war or to put an end to this madness.

I am sure you realize that everyone who has perpetrated war in or on Afghanistan has miserably failed. Why would we be different? We stand on the edge of financial and environmental collapse. Are you going to place us into moral collapse? The casualties of American soldiers and innocent civilians must weigh heavily on your soul. Please do not let the military force you sell your soul.

Kennedy stood up against the generals in Viet Nam controversy. We would not have gone into that war had he lived. Now is the time for your courage. McChrystal is not our leader - you are.

As long as we kill others, we are not free. Freedom exists when we can stop looking over our shoulders because we know that we have created more friends than enemies. The more we fight, the more enemies we have. Let's end this cycle. Let's become a country built on real jobs, not military dollars. Let's give up the need for war and oil as the foundation of our economy.

Mr. President, please serve the people not the military.

I worked long hours to support you and to get you elected. Now I expect you to work long hours to support the American people and myself.

Respectfully, Anne Sermons Gillis