Letter from Michael Moore to those who voted for Bush

[Generic Other]

To All My Fellow Americans Who Voted for George W. Bush:

On this, the fourth anniversary of 9/11, I'm just curious, how does it feel?

How does it feel to know that the man you elected to lead us after we were attacked went ahead and put a guy in charge of FEMA whose main qualification was that he ran horse shows?

That's right. Horse shows.

I really want to know -- and I ask you this in all sincerity and with all due respect -- how do you feel about the utter contempt Mr. Bush has shown for your safety? C'mon, give me just a moment of honesty. Don't start ranting on about how this disaster in New Orleans was the fault of one of the poorest cities in America. Put aside your hatred of Democrats and liberals and anyone with the last name of Clinton. Just look me in the eye and tell me our President did the right thing after 9/11 by naming a horse show runner as the top man to protect us in case of an emergency or catastrophe.

I want you to put aside your self-affixed label of Republican/conservative/born-again/capitalist/ditto-head/right-winger and just talk to me as an American, on the common ground we both call America.

Are we safer now than before 9/11? When you learn that behind the horse show runner, the #2 and #3 men in charge of emergency preparedness have zero experience in emergency preparedness, do you think we are safer?

When you look at Michael Chertoff, the head of Homeland Security, a man with little experience in national security, do you feel secure?

When men who never served in the military and have never seen young men die in battle send our young people off to war, do you think they know how to conduct a war? Do they know what it means to have your legs blown off for a threat that was never there?

Do you really believe that turning over important government services to private corporations has resulted in better services for the people?

Why do you hate our federal government so much? You have voted for politicians for the past 25 years whose main goal has been to de-fund the federal government. Do you think that cutting federal programs like FEMA and the Army Corps of Engineers has been good or bad for America? GOOD OR BAD?

With the nation's debt at an all-time high, do you think tax cuts for the rich are still a good idea? Will you give yours back so hundreds of thousands of homeless in New Orleans can have a home?

Do you believe in Jesus? Really? Didn't he say that we would be judged by how we treat the least among us? Hurricane Katrina came in and blew off the facade that we were a nation with liberty and justice for all. The wind howled and the water rose and what was revealed was that the poor in America shall be left to suffer and die while the President of the United States fiddles and tells them to eat cake.

That's not a joke. The day the hurricane hit and the levees broke, Mr. Bush, John McCain and their rich pals were stuffing themselves with cake. A full day after the levees broke (the same levees whose repair funding he had cut), Mr. Bush was playing a guitar some country singer gave him. All this while New Orleans sank under water.

It would take ANOTHER day before the President would do a flyover in his jumbo jet, peeking out the widow at the misery 2500 feet below him as he flew back to his second home in DC. It would then be TWO MORE DAYS before a trickle of federal aid and troops would arrive. This was no seven minutes in a sitting trance while children read "My Pet Goat" to him. This was FOUR DAYS of doing nothing other than saying "Brownie (FEMA director Michael Brown), you're doing a heck of a job!"

My Republican friends, does it bother you that we are the laughing stock of the world?

And on this sacred day of remembrance, do you think we honor or shame those who died on 9/11/01? If we learned nothing and find ourselves today every bit as vulnerable and unprepared as we were on that bright sunny morning, then did the 3,000 die in vain?

Our vulnerability is not just about dealing with terrorists or natural disasters. We are vulnerable and unsafe because we allow one in eight Americans to live in horrible poverty. We accept an education system where one in six children never graduate and most of those who do can't string a coherent sentence together. The middle class can't pay the mortgage or the hospital bills and 45 million have no health coverage whatsoever.

Are we safe? Do you really feel safe? You can only move so far out and build so many gated communities before the fruit of what you've sown will be crashing through your walls and demanding retribution. Do you really want to wait until that happens? Or is it your hope that if they are left alone long enough to soil themselves and shoot themselves and drown in the filth that fills the street that maybe the problem will somehow go away?

I know you know better. You gave the country and the world a man who wasn't up for the job and all he does is hire people who aren't up for the job. You did this to us, to the world, to the people of New Orleans. Please fix it. Bush is yours. And you know, for our peace and safety and security, this has to be fixed. What do you propose?

I have an idea, and it isn't a horse show.

Yours,
Michael Moore
www.michaelmoore.com
[e-mail]

[Inspired]

1. I wonder how it feels, too.

We always knew this president was a disaster. He's not my president, but to those who claim him....how does it feel?

[JohnnyBoots]

10. Sad thing is we are all in the same boat...like

doing a project and picking up the slack for those in the group who don't care...and still getting a bad grade.

[dddem]

2. As a Democrat, I can't stand the guy.

But as I said to a friend the other day, I think if I were a Republican, I would hate him even more. He certainly doesn't uphold republican principles, and although he makes America look bad, I think he makes Republicans look like complete assholes.

[Iris]

9. I think Americans make themselves look bad.

People like Michael Moore just point out what should be obvious.

[dddem]

11. Oops!

Let me qualify my statement - when I said I can't stand the guy, I meant bush - Michael Moore I love!

[titoresque]

13. that makes more sense eom

[titoresque]

12. why do you think

he makes America look bad?

[TwilightZone]

14. Never mind

Sorry, missed your correction.

[AverageJoe]

3. Good letter

My in-laws are old school Republicans (as opposed to fascist neo-conservative republicans). They truly are good people. My father in law is a minister. He is a sincere man, not a fire and brimstone nut, and he holds the religious right in complete disdain. My mother in law is an elementary school teacher who is passionate about helping each child to learn and grow. I've seen them help the disadvantaged and I've never seen them ask for praise or even call attention to themselves in any way. They understand about being their brother's keeper. Truly, they are good people.

But they are also ignorant people, in large part because they are heavy consumers of the MSM. My mother in law is a voracious newspaper reader and my father in law loves to watch the news. Of course, the papers she reads have no stories critical of the Beast. Of course, the news he watches is FOX.

So, these good people have no idea about what is going on in the name of the party they have belonged to since long before the reagan crowd came in and started it onto the road to the dangerous freak show that it has become. I'm not excusing them, mind you, just trying to understand and to explain. They are Beast voters, but I don't think they would be if they knew better.

I never talk politics with them, and I don't intend to now. Please don't tell me that it's my duty to bring them up to speed. That may be true, but the dynamics of my family mean that such a message from me would cause nothing but pain and resentment rippling out for a long time.

What I hope, though, is that Katrina will finally break through the fog and open their eyes to what their votes are supporting. When these good, blind people finally understand the horror they have helped to bring about, I will know the tide has shifted. It's not happened yet, but maybe it will. Maybe soon. I really hope so.

[greekspeak]

4. Michael Moore...the man with the jack-slap for RW America

RWight now, Rwing AmeriKKKa needs a good, hard slap across the face. They are kinda getting it from a few brave congress critters, and a handful of the press who have seen first hand America's shoddy facade. We can sit and spew and rant and rave until we are blue in the face. We can write letters until our wrists lock up, call offices until we are hoarse, moan to each other until we cry for our powerlessness. But Michael Moore has the gift--nay the responsibility now--to get up in public and do what he does best to make change happen. Cindy Sheehan is in this same boat. Different ways of being heard, but effective nonetheless. We need more and more people who can and will be heard over the din of the spin.

[Imagevision]

5. Fahrenheit 9-11 needs to be re-released for the disillusioned

After 4 years later and billins spent we aren't safer.

http://downingstreetmemo.com/

[GetTheRightVote]

6. All I can say to Micheal Moore is thank you, hugs & kisses go out to you

After going to New Orleans to help with supplies, food, and drinks, I am angry not for myself but for those who suffered because of the slow response of our government. The ranger on the silver horse did not ride in to save they day instead he played a guitar and ignore the least of us. They knew the storm was about to hit, * signed a letter of intent to save New Orleans but did nothing to help. They kept out those who would help while other Americans suffered and died. It is not for me I cry but for those who believed in this country and learned a lesson few will, that they were not worth saving even though they paid their taxes.

It is about class for sure, yet it is about color as well, it is about people thinking that they are better then others on so many levels while living in a country based on equality for all. So who among us still believes in it ? Oh foolish citizens of this United States of Americans lay down your self rightoues notions or watch your neighber died in your name while he or she believes they were born into a nation of people who play fair.

:mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:

[niallmac]

7. Michael Moore doen't make America look bad.

An intolerance of criticism and looking at our problems thru Readers Digest colored glasses make us a laughing stock for the world.
People may not like his personality or in your face style but I don't see
how he hurts America by telling the truth about our hypocritical value system.
As the shrink says: "First you have to admit you have a problem."
I am so grateful for his work.

[I Have A Dream]

8. I love this man! Michael Moore - a true patriot. n/t

[DemonFighterLives]

15. Thanks to Michael for getting it out there

Many Americans were duped and it is alright for them to now get on the bandwagon and fire this terrible impersonator.

[Prodemsouth]

16. About the lefties that don't like Moore.

Occasionally I will see a post here by a defeatist elitist citing essays-(usually long winded) criticizing Moore. If you will notice most Moore critics on the left come from Journalism or write in obscure and popular left leaning magazines. They are almost always writers.
The reason they don't like Moore: Moore represents a significant shift in the left's communication forums. Actually he represents viability of our ideas in popular culture. F911- Number one at the box office. Think about that for a minute. A left leaning documentary was number one at the box office in the US!!
The writers some from socialist or far left oriented magazines believe the audience for left leaning opinion is very limited. They have been trained to reject expansion in any form. They would be happy if left wing communication remained in the Library, magazines or obscure book stores. Those are the places they are most comfortable because it is an area they are most familiar. They fear failure or have not been successful in moving into the left's new media. They are dismayed to see the left moving into popular media forums: commercial radio, Television, and Movies. Moore represents a threat to left wing journals/mags with long winded essays. I am not talking about all left leaning publications, The Nation and Mother Jones seem to be doing very well and have adapted into the new left media. But others see a new generation of progressives moving away from their forums and it is threating to them. Some of it is just plain old professional jealousy- Moore is very successful they are of very limited success.

[Inland]

17. "Put aside your hatred of democrats and liberals....."

Yeah, that'll happen.