A letter to the 47th POTUS
By Onnie Stone
Dear future president,
Congratulations, your campaign tactics worked better than your opponents, so you were able to secure just enough electoral votes to win the presidency. You are now ‘the most powerful person on Earth.’ For the next several years, our country is in your hands.
As a young citizen of the United States, I have a few requests for you:
- Be a person for the people; always consider yourself last. I know, I know–you have your own interests to pursue, and you have certainly made promises to get to the position you are in. But please realize the legacy of the President. Please realize the far-reaching scope of your influence and the precedents which you are setting for future statesmen. Consider this with every problem set before you, and never make a single decision lightly. This is the responsibility you fought for, after all.
- Do not ignore science. In this next chapter of your career, you will be faced with many challenges laid out by scientists. These issues are certain to affect the economy (as most things are). When you deal with these issues, do not tune out scientists for simply saying what you do not want to hear. They know what they are talking about. You do not. The president is far from an expert in science, so spare our country the embarrassment of pretending as though you are. You have experts to rely on; rely on them.
- Do not divide our country any further. You may have already contributed to the devastating division of our people; I am begging you to stop. A divided country is weak, and its people suffer. Sure, it is easy to say some rhetoric and call it a day, but this can only go on for so long. America’s youth are already distrustful of your position, and you will make that worse through division. As the leader of the United States, it is your job to unify, to strengthen.
The power and influence of the United States is incredible, so our president must be able to wield that power. Please consider my requests as you mark your presidency. You have got a lot of work cut out for you–don’t screw it up.
