AR-News: An Open Letter To John Kerry

[Stu Chaifetz]

Dear Senator Kerry,

As soon as George Bush was declared victor in Florida, and crowned in presidency, a debate ignited and has raged ever since: Did Ralph Nader cost Al Gore the election? 

Let us settle this argument now. Ralph Nader is not responsible for Al Gore losing; it is they who voted for him instead of Gore that are.  This is the heart of the matter and the portentous nature of my letter, for your fate rides on the good will of all these voters. 

In 2000, I ran for Congress as a Green Party candidate from New Jersey's fourth district, so I am more than a casual observer in this issue. Indeed, I am, or should be, a representative of your target audience, yet you have done little to win our good will, and more to the point, you are driving us away in droves.

The first thing you should understand is that you did not win the Democratic primary.  In order to have truly won, you needed to excel in talent, passion and honesty. Had you done so, you would have gained the love of the common man and woman.  

This is not what happened.  Instead, you were given the nod not because a majority of Democrats hold you dear, but because you were the man they thought other people would vote for.  Time and time again we watched voters say that their prime choice was Dean or Kucinich, but they voted for you because of "electability". Republicans do not suffer from such self-hatred as this, which is most likely why they now own the Federal government.  

There is a lesson in this: Those who support Bush love him; a majority who will vote for you will do so because they hate Bush. In a battle over love and hate, love really will conquer all.

In recent weeks, Bush has had a little 'shock and awe' dropped on him with the 9-11 hearings and books by Richard Clarke and Bob Woodward, yet his poll ratings have held while yours whither on the vine. There is a lot of love at work here for Bush. Blind love, enabling love, but love none the less. 

On April 15, you came to my home state for five hours, and left with a $1.6 million in your pocket.  As you have been known to be an excellent investment to your patrons, we can be assured that a few hand written notes were attached to some of those checks, laying out that persons terms for their support, and what they desire in return. I could not afford the $2,000 price tag for the event, so I shall set my terms here.

We already have one pro-war candidate; a second is unnecessary and unwanted.  When I think of your stance, or stances on the war, my imagination cannot help but cut and paste your head onto the body of a five year old boy standing in the middle of a road. You look awkward, confused and certainly un-presidential as you move a little to the left then make a hard right as you try to please everyone.  Compare this to the current president who, adamant in his position, could have some ten thousand corpses stacked in his path and would not even blink an eye as he walked upon them to "stay the course."

You have no hope in your current war-position, save for that which one should never hope for - that an over-whelming number of American soldiers and Iraqi citizens die and George Bush takes the blame for it. Better that you had staked a strong ethical position than leave yourself so trapped.

On the subject of the slaughter of the innocent, tell me, why it is that Democrats feel they must prove their "manliness" by carting guns and shooting small animals? 

Back in December, Vice-President Cheney went on a hunting trip in Pennsylvania and shot 70 farm-raised birds. This caused a great controversy, and certainly was an opportunity for you to show how different you were. Instead, what we saw was your own dark desire to kill. The Washington Post  recorded how you love to hunt, kill and gut animals such as deer, duck and quail. The focus of the article, however, was on doves. 

You probably thought this was a cute way to show how "tough" you were. Here is the very symbol of peace, the dove, and John Kerry not only likes to blow them apart, but eat them as well. 

I am tempted to drift into deep sarcasm about this, but I'd rather leave you with the image of one single airborne dove, her dark eyes set against pillowy white feathers, turned, in a blast of gun shot, into a falling package of crimson gore. And there, waiting for her, is John Kerry, smiling.

One would think that, since you were shot in Vietnam, you would never want to inflict such pain into any other living being. Sadly, we see that you do it not only for pleasure, but for some political gain as well. Bush and Cheney are the preferred of the gun-lover and animal-killer. Once again you chase unwilling votes while losing so many more.

There is so much more to tell, but there is a danger that if I lay too much before you in this letter, that the main points will become diluted.  In conclusion, then, many such as I left the Democratic Party because the values it once stood for were drowned beneath a torrent of corporate money and corruption. We were so sickened by what we saw that we sought elsewhere to fight the good political fight.

There have been endless appeals to Ralph Nader not to run for president, but the pleas are focused on the wrong target. In reality it is we, the former Democrats, the Green and Independent who are being asked to come home to the party fold. Very well, I agree. But it is with vengeance that we return.  I do not want George Bush to win the forthcoming election, but neither shall I sell you my vote as cheaply as the Anybody But Bush crowd have. 

Your corporate sponsors freely make demands of you, so it is only fair that we do the same.We seek a beneficent country with leaders who care more for the common good than personal profit. We demand honesty, integrity. a willingness to fight for full civil rights for all, and a clear defense of the weak and innocent. We will settle for nothing less than an honorable candidate willing to work toward all these goals, and on election day we shall either vote our conscience or not at all.

Senator Kerry, victory or defeat is lain at your feet. Al Gore veered away from us and we returned the favor. If you fail and George Bush serves a second term, do not blame Ralph Nader, for sole responsibility will carried but the man you see reflected in the gleaming metal barrel of your gun.  

Stuart Chaifetz
HonorAndNonViolence at hnva.net
www.HonorAndNonViolence.com