Contact the White House to show your support for health care reform and the public option

Here is the letter I sent through the White House's online comment form, earlier today. It's a bit sappy, (well very), and it's certainly no masterpiece of rhetorical writing. But I think volume is what matters most. Send a quick note to show your support! Feel free to borrow/adapt bits of this when writing your own letter of support.

Contact the White House to show your support for health care reform
and the public option: http://www.whitehouse.gov/CONTACT/

Folks on Twitter are also pushing a call-in for Monday 8/17, 9 AM.
White House comments line: 202-456-1111

Please read President Obama's 8/15 op-ed piece in the New York Times:
"Why We Need Health Care Reform"

And if you don't understand why this is so urgent, please read this 8/16 AP article at NPR: "White House Appears Ready to Drop 'Public Option'"

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Dear President Obama----

Hi, my name is Wahida. I'm 26, and I'm about to start grad school---an MFA in Creative Writing. I'm proud to call you my President.

I appreciate all the hard work you've been doing, trying to revamp our broken health care system in order to ensure that all Americans have access to health care. I'm writing to ask you: Please, please don't give up now!

I know there are many out there who are doing all they can to stop the public option from happening. But I think that there are more of us who believe that quality health care is a fundamental right. Maybe we haven't been yelling as loudly as the other side---maybe it's time for that to change. We can be vocal too, and that's why I'm writing to you for the first time since the election.

I voted for you because I believe in you and I believe in what you stand for. I know you want this to happen, and I know it must be frustrating to deal with the often spiteful tactics employed by those who oppose health care reform.

But during the election, you asked us not to give up, and we didn't. I made phone bank calls for your campaign, and volunteered for voter registration. I made room in my student budget to donate money to your campaign. I attended rallies and shared information. I spoke out against the lies that were being spread. Most of all, I believed in you and your campaign. I believed that you would bring change to our nation.

I know you're just a man, and I don't expect you to be able to magically fix everything that's wrong with this country. I'm impressed with how much you've done already, and I'm so grateful for the work you do. You've made some decisions I didn't agree with, but I also know you're not in a position where you can just do everything your own way.

Even when I don't agree with one of your decisions, I respect you, and I believe that you have the best interests of the United States and all her people at heart. I can't tell you how much it means to me to be able to feel that way.

But I do think you can make great strides towards fixing our broken health care system. I know you don't want to give up the public option. We don't want you to give it up, either. If you let this go, those who are afraid of change in this nation will think that yelling is all it takes to get their way.

My grandfather is a decorated veteran of World War II. About two years ago, he had a stroke, and suffered a form of linguistic aphasia. Even with veteran's benefits, the care and rehabilitation he needed wasn't completely covered. After spending their whole lives working hard and living simply in order to provide for their children and help provide for their grandchildren, my grandparents---patriotic Democrats, children of immigrants who came to this country with nothing---have gone bankrupt.

The public option is what's right, and it's what's right for this nation. I read your New York Times editorial. You said it best:

"In the end, this isn’t about politics. This is about people’s lives and livelihoods. This is about people’s businesses. This is about America’s future, and whether we will be able to look back years from now and say that this was the moment when we made the changes we needed, and gave our children a better life. I believe we can, and I believe we will."

I believe too. Please don't give up, President Obama.

Sincerely, with all my best wishes and support---

Wahida O.