Dear President Obama

As you begin your Presidency, I would ask you to keep these few things in mind for the next four years.

Firstly, please remember the history of this country. Some of the earliest colonies were founded by people who wished to leave behind a government who was attempting to dictate how they must worship. Religious freedom is a principle that is being threatened by the encroachment of doctrine. Organizations funded by government monies discriminate against people who are not of the “proper” religious orientation, and spiritual agendas are being pursued by some in office who have begun to cross a line in mixing their political and spiritual beliefs.

Secondly, please remember that a large percentage of your constituency is fighting to retain the long-fought right to control what occurs within their own bodies. Whatever a person’s beliefs are, it is not in the public interest to remove the possibility for the means to prevent an unwanted pregnancy, or the ability to obtain a safe medical procedure for those who would choose to pursue that option. Those who believe they have a right to deny a woman’s choice should not be allowed to practice in a field where they can act on their beliefs.

Thirdly, I would ask that you work towards the possibility that all who love would be able to express that love regardless of their gender. Allow marriage to stand only for two people’s love and choice, and not be defined by prejudice and intolerance.

You begin your term at a time when so much is wrong. It is not humanly possible, I believe, to fix what has been broken in four years, or even eight, but I hope that the hope that you have inspired can give you the strength to begin to repair the damage that has been done to this country, in bringing the balance back to our system of checks and balances, and will stay with you even when public opinion changes, which it will when things do not magically change for the better overnight. I truly admire anyone who would wish to shoulder this great responsibility, and believe that you are our best chance to mend, at least in part, the issues that plague our nation.