January 30, 2009
Dear President Obama,
First of all, I would like to congratulate you on becoming the President of the United States of America. Change has already begun with your election.
I am writing to you concerning issues we, as a country, are facing today. We are in the middle of a war and now must also fix the economy which has gone downhill in the last decade. Millions have lost their jobs and will continue to do so if we do not start fixing this problem soon. I think this is one of the biggest issues today along with the war in Iraq, the war on terror, and education.
The wars that are now going on are not doing anything to help us and we claim we are trying to help Iraq? Most don’t want us there. We are so worried about money, the government wants more in taxes, yet we have spent almost 600 billion dollars on Iraq! We need to focus on doing what is best for our country but also try to help other countries only if they want our help. That itself will help in the war against terror, providing other countries with more trust in the United States and peace between us. Every little effort we make can lead to solving bigger issues. You must do what you think is right and what you think will make the people happy at the same time though the majority opinions of people now may be the minority in the future. The majority of people wanted the US in Iraq when the war started, but that majority is now a minority. The majority of voting citizens wanted to elect George Bush the President of the United State eight years ago. That number is now a minority as well. Sometimes citizens don’t know what’s best and just because the majority of people have the same opinion, that does not mean that it’s the right decision for the United States. One way we can change this is to inform citizens of all sides of a problem and all the possible consequences. Planning is essential. If we think through all of our plans and all the possible consequences that come with them, then we will not even have to worry about problems that poor planning can create. Poor planning has been a major problem during the last presidency.
Being a sophomore in high school, the biggest issue I have affecting me is education. I am in school now so I can grow up to be a great adult citizen so education is extremely important to me. What kids learn in school leads to the future of this country. The future president of the United States is now in school, learning about our country, learning from experiences that may affect the world 20 years from now. School is very important and needs to focused on with great care but No Child Left Behind is not the way to do it. We, students, are not learning to say the least. We are memorizing mere facts that may not even help us when we become adults. We need to learn how to apply what we learn to our lives. I, myself, can write a redox reaction equation and predict products given reactants in a chemical equation yet I have the slightest idea how to apply for insurance or pay taxes. I don’t even know how to write a resume. No Child Left Behind has led to classes based on standardized tests and written facts. It limits the knowledge that each individual teacher can provide his or her students. It leads to students, those with great talents, to learn below their potential. If a student were asked why they are learning a about a subject, most likely their answer would be that they need to pass a test at the end of the year. If the student does not pass the test along with his class mates, then their school loses funds that lead to students learning even less in the years that follow. Students need to know why they are learning and how it will help them in the future. Maybe if students knew what they were learning and wanted to learn about interesting subjects, beyond basic facts and curriculum, then students would be excited to learn and go to school. If we enjoy school, then there is no reason we would not do well. We want to learn but we don’t want to memorize useless information. Schools are preparing their students for jobs that do not even exist yet. It’s very important for kids to learn as much as possible about all kinds of subjects, not just the facts. Nintendo, itself, spends more money on research and development than the U.S. Federal Government spends on research and innovation in education.
Your presidency will be one of the most important in history. A lot is expected from you after the last presidency and simple steps can help you achieve what you’ve been promising in your speeches. What you accomplish will help make or break our country in the long run. We all know that it will not be easy to fix what has already been done to the economy and the people, but the next year is crucial in beginning the process of building the United States of America into the country that it is able to be. I am proud to live in such a wonderful place and unbelievably lucky to have the opportunities that I have. It would be a shame to see it go in the next few years. I am looking forward to a positive year and I hope to see some changes for the better.
Sincerely,
Dania Jazouli
