Thank you for pulling the plug on flag@whitehouse.gov!

Dear Mr. President,

Yes!! Thank you for shutting down this monitoring of rumors. I was happy to read this in the morning news:
"Following a furor over how the data would be used, the White House has shut down an electronic tip box — flag@whitehouse.gov — that was set up to receive information on “fishy” claims about President Barack Obama’s health plan. Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0809/26188.html#ixzz0OXVdHcQW"

We, Americans, are not looking for perfection, we are looking for an administration willing to listen to us the people who are part of this nation. We know we make mistakes, it's the humanness of us all and when we recognize our mistakes and rectify them we become even more loved by others. I am grateful that your administration is listening to the people and rectifying your mistakes. This will endear you to the people.

Yesterday I was talking to a man in his fifties, it didn't go so well. He is a devout democrat, truly devout and I was telling him that I have been emailing you. I am not quite sure where or why the conversation went south but south it went.

I asked him about this collecting of rumors that could be sent to flag@whitehouse.gov. I wasn't clear if he really knew about this but he adamantly agreed with it. He thought it an excellent idea.

He called me self-righteous and honestly I can't even remember why I was given that label. The conversation became confusing to me. I had warned him I am not smart enough for a rousing debate of the Ivy league sort. I didn't need to warn him I don't think there was any Ivy league debate going on between the two of us. I deal in simple, common thoughts and ways on a issue that makes more sense to the person next door than the person in the dorm.

He wondered what I thought about the Health Care Reform and I commented that I thought the Administration needed to give it time. He said it needed to be pushed through or it will never happen. I said that I didn't know enough about it and I needed more clear information. He didn't seem to hear that. By his reactions I could tell he thought I was preposterous for wanting more information. I believe he translated my caution about the speed of pushing the bill as a total disagreement with the bill.

He also made it perfectly clear how ridiculous it was for me to have our state representative come, pre-election, to my house to talk about the state of affairs. The state representative is a republican and a Christian. I think that combination for him is nauseating. I had not remembered telling him about the state representative's visits but clearly he was tracking the political events in our home.

I told him he was putting me in a box and this began what I call the monkey act. He mimicked everything that I said and before I understood how far he was going to take this we were into a mirror, mimic scene. "Caps For Sale" have you and your daughters read this? That's all I could think of when he repeated everything I said.

It went like this:

"You are putting me in a box, " I said.

"You are putting me in a box," he replied.

"I can't believe this."

"I can't believe this."

"Wow."

"Wow."

Thankfully two of my friends came to the door. They wanted to help clean up after our daughter's wedding this weekend. As you can see there's not a whole lot of wisdom that went back and forth between the fifty year old man and myself. I thanked him for coming and said goodbye.

I love a debate. I enjoy talking with people who have opposing views. I revel in diversity,I have never surrounded myself with people of the same views. When I am with people who are all alike I am bored and the word that comes to my mind is "milk toast." But this was no debate, this kind of banter doesn't even come close to a debate.

All this to say, I desire for our nation to be filled with people of opposing views who are willing to talk and listen, talk and listen, talk and listen. Wisdom is listening, thinking, processing, calculating, not reacting without thinking, nor rushing headlong into a decision without calculating.

Mr. President, I believe I am seeing wisdom come out of your administration. This is not surprising to me. I know you are more than capable. You have been gifted by the Gifter, this in and of itself marks you a remarkable man. I ask you to raise the bar and encourage us to be civil and cordial with one another as we discuss our views.

You showed us how we can come together after hurtful words. In your backyard you had Sgt. Crowley and Mr. Gates come over for a beer. Thank you for that! As a president you can encourage people to think and not rush into passing bills before they are truly understood.
We look to you for clear leadership! Lead with wisdom. Just make sure it's wisdom from the right source.

Sincerely,
Mrs. Burkholder

Have we asked the Canadians about our Health Care Bill?

Dear Mr. President,

If your weekend was as splendid as mine you are truly facing the week with all the joy and hope and contentment that I have. This weekend my daughter's heart was finally satisfied with marrying the man she knew to be hers since she was sixteen.

Life is full of contrasts. This weekend my mother could not attend the wedding, she was watching via webcam operated by my brother because her heart was in need of bypass surgery and the traveling, potential excitement, possible stress was too much to risk. Two hearts, one content and beyond beyond and one sad, sick in need of help.

The surgeon called my mother on Sunday to see how my mother was doing to comfort her the day before the surgery. Health care in America.

Mr. President, please read this

"The pitch for change at the conference is to start with a presentation from Dr. Robert Ouellet, the current president of the CMA (Canadian Medical Association), who has said there's a critical need to make Canada's health-care system patient-centred. He will present details from his fact-finding trip to Europe in January, where he met with health groups in England, Denmark, Belgium, Netherlands and France.

His thoughts on the issue are already clear. Ouellet has been saying since his return that "a health-care revolution has passed us by," that it's possible to make wait lists disappear while maintaining universal coverage and "that competition should be welcomed, not feared."
(http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5jbjzPEY0Y3bvRD335rGu_Z3KXoQw)

The Canadians want their health-care system patient-centered. Hmmm, now this is fascinating. We have what they want and we want they have.

This is what I have observed in my life. At critical points, turns, crossroads, obstacles it is crucial to stop, look, and listen. Wisdom will guide us if we ask for wisdom. Mr. President, I am not convinced that your aides, your "wise men" of your administration, are the wise men you want and need.

You would not believe the bad rap you and your administration are receiving over your desire to recieve "fishy info." Not good. Truly what were you folks thinking, or not thinking. Where are your bright men and women? Honestly, this couldn't get any more un-american.

Why don't you all take a real (pun intended) fishing trip. Catch the fish you can eat, throw back the ones you can't and make a good meal at the end of the day. There's nothing fishy about this. Inactivate that email address, put the retrievers of "fishy information" to better, more dignified work. You must live up to what you were created for, good deeds.

Blessing on your day, Mr. President. Let me know what I can do to help, just remember I do have opinions.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Burkholder

Put your ear to the ground, hear the rumble.

Dear Mr. President,

Mr. President, good morning. I am hoping your weekend was restful. I can not imagine how a president juggles all the tasks facing him every day. You have the country looking to you for fine quality leadership and then you have two little girls looking to you for clear fatherly leadership. You are in my prayers.

Not only do your children need for you to lead them, my children need for you to lead this nation with wisdom. My grandchildren just by being born face debt right off the bat. Your grandchildren do as well. How can our country turn that around? Do you realize we can? Do you believe that the American people are capable of this?


We want you, Mr. President, to believe in the American people. The leaders that are successful are the ones who want to empower. You are surrounded by people who are capable of leading our nation out of debt and into freedom. However, though they surround you I don't believe they are in close proximity to you.


Look at what Nancy Pelosi and Steny Hoyer have to say, this just has to be the most outlandish thing.

"However, it is now evident that an ugly campaign is underway not merely to misrepresent the health insurance reform legislation, but to disrupt public meetings and prevent members of Congress and constituents from conducting a civil dialogue. These tactics have included hanging in effigy one Democratic member of Congress in Maryland and protesters holding a sign displaying a tombstone with the name of another congressman in Texas, where protesters also shouted "Just say no!" drowning out those who wanted to hold a substantive discussion." http://blogs.usatoday.com/oped/2009/08/unamerican-attacks-cant-derail-health-care-debate-.html



Mr. President, you have to do something about them, Nancy and Steny, not the protesters. The people surrounding you are not encouraging differences of opinion. An "ugly campaign " is how they describe the protest. Now the effigy is taking it a bit too far but you need to listen, listen to the protests, listen to the protesters. What are they saying? How can you answer them? What information have you not clearly expressed? Do not allow your administration to quell the crowd because they disagree or are providing "fishy" information.

So many of my friends are talking about this request of "fishy" information from your administration and honestly we are guffawing. There is no better word to describe our disbelief that you have allowed your administration to request the American people to tattle. Someone said that they are discovering that this is illegal. You might want to check that out?

Please, Mr. President, seek for wisdom, look for it in the common places. The "common" man has immeasurable capabilities for the sole reason that he is created by the one who calls Himself, "I AM." Mr. President, you are in such an amazing position afforded with phenomenal opportunities. How can I help you accomplish them?



Have a good day and remember to not take for granted your family!

Blessings,

Mrs. Burkholder