Prerequisite:

"If any man wish to write in a clear style, let him be first clear in his thoughts; and if any would write in a noble style, let him first possess a noble soul." - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Start in the Center

"If you don't believe in yourself, how can you expect anyone else to do it?" - Lord David

Letter to the President

Really. It is. I get emails from barrckobama.com from time to time, as many of his election supporters do, I imagine. Today's message was encouragement to contact my local government administrators about Health Care Reform. Instead, I responded. In fact, I sent this through the White House web site and printed out a hard copy, which I signed and mailed to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. That's the White House, for all you chatroom twitter junkies. The actual physical address.... I hope he reads it. I hope somebody does. Because we're getting run over like the villagers after a coup, down here. We don't even seem to matter anymore, and they don't even try to hide it. Anyway, here it is. Dear Mister President: While I applaud your efforts towards unilateral health care reform, I suggest you take a closer look at what is happening in Louisiana, particularly New Orleans. Our Governor is closing the only juvenile mental health care facility in New Orleans, as junvenile violent crime skyrockets off the charts. Our Superintendent of Police, Warren Riley, is on an extended trip to Australia on 'police business' while almost a quarter of a million dollars in cash has been looted from Police Evidence under his supervision. Murder rates make us the Murder Capital of America, yet he is unable to keep track of his own evidence, or be aware that these things must reported to State Officials. He claims ignorance of the law, and no serious investigation is under way. Five NOPD officers conspired to dangerously beat a city RTA worker, only because he is black, further conspiring to plant a stolen weapon on him, and coerce a civilian in to filing a false report. The District Attorney's daughter, also a N.O. Prosecutor, is dating one of these officers, was on the scene, and said nothing. Only the civilian came forward, causing formal charges to be filed against the NOPD officers in question. Mayor C. Ray Nagin has urged US citizens to commit fraud on their 2010 census reports, so that the City of New Orleans can "get more money" as a result of their false claims to living here. He, too, is under federal investigation. Sir; I live in a city run by a corrupt and racist regime, looting the city coffers and even police evidence lockers, stealing city vehicles for their own use, and hiring each other under shallow corporate disguises to attain rich city contracts that then go unfulfilled. When I see signs that this deplorable and feudal System by Regime is brought to a close, I will consider turning my attention to the problems of National Health Care you mention. Until that time, I put it to you that we have been excluded from The American Dream you hold in such high regard, and been left to founder like a small Third World nation, tossed about on the whim and profit of racketeers. Best Regards, Lord David New Orleans