Dear Mr. President,
I know your time in the White House is coming to an end, and I can’t help but imagine that you’re relieved to be on your way out. I, however, am anything but happy to see you go.
I am a young woman trying to make her mark on the world and I must admit that the future of this country and of this world really terrifies me. I’m terrified of living in a world where a self-righteous “man” has control of one of biggest nations in the world, and I’m even more terrified of the people that have allowed him to even have a 50 percent chance of winning this election.
We’ve made great strides during your time as president, but I’m afraid that by allowing such a hateful person to act as one of the biggest role models for our country will only force us back into the darker ages of America where movements weren’t started the second the world heard about an injustice, and where the public barely even heard about the cruelty around it.
While I definitely cannot say that I love Hillary, I can say that I love the fact that women are able to have this opportunity that we’ve been fighting for so long, and I’m terrified of seeing that taken away from us. I’m terrified of having the opportunity to have my voice heard and to speak up about things I see as wrong taken away just because I am “a nasty outspoken woman.”
Your utmost respect and dedication to ensuring that women and girls have the same opportunities as men is something that not only your daughters should be proud of but every woman should be proud of. I for one, cannot thank you enough for this. It is because of you and your family that I have felt as empowered as I do today and as passionate about the world around us as I am.
As an advocate for victims of sexual assault, I’m terrified of a leader writing off this crime as “locker room talk,” when my closest friends have been attacked and grabbed while walking home from the library or a night out. What kind of world do we live in where supporters of such a man are so brainwashed that they write these things off as him just being Donald? Boys won’t just be boys, boys should be men and should be held accountable for their actions.
You taught us better. You raised this country better. You taught a generation of millennials to respect the world that surrounds us and we are stronger for this. I’m so sorry that something happened along the way that brought so much hate into a world you worked tirelessly to improve upon for your children and for us. Thank you for leading your country with the improvement and betterment of young lives in your mind. You’ve given us someone to look up to who in times of distress, always held your guard. You truly acted like a leader and handled criticism with a grace and maturity that many of us had never seen before.
I want to say thank you. We know that you cannot get everything you had set out to do eight years ago accomplished without the approval of others, but you always pushed for what you saw as right. I’m sorry if as a nation we have failed you, but I promise you, you haven’t failed us. Thanks for giving us incredible role models in both you, Michelle, and Mr. Biden. Thank you for making me feel safe, important and empowered during your eight years as president. I’ll miss your wit, your determination and your friendship with Joe. Thank you for making me believe in this country, which never stopped being great. I’ll never forget you. Whether or not the world wants to believe it, you were one of the greatest things to happen to this place.
Sincerely,
One of the millions of people you inspire