A veteran of the United States Marines wrote a letter to Obama and videotaped it.
Here’s my transcription of his letter. Note that ellipses (…) represent words that are inaudible/indecipherable.
“Mr. Obama,
I’m not going to address you as President or the Commander In Chief. You don’t deserve it. I fail to see in any way that you have earned it.
I am a citizen of the United States of America. More importantly, I am born and raised and a current resident of Chattanooga, Tennessee…. I am proud to say that I’m a United States Marine…. I work six days a week at a blue collar job to provide for my wife and two sons, which doesn’t leave much time to do anything else. But, this is important, so I made the time.
July 16, 2015, three days ago, I lost four Marine brothers in a terrorist attack at Chattanooga. Yesterday, we lost one more military brother. The people of this nation and the people of Chattanooga in particular, are grieving the deaths of five fallen heroes.
The day of the attack, you delivered a statement and you don’t even have the decency to stand up. You talked on the Charleston issue standing up. You talked on the Boston Bombing standing up. Baltimore, standing. Mike Brown, standing. Greece, standing. Washington Naval Yard shooting, standing. Whitney frickin’ Houston, you stood up. Four Marines gunned down and killed, followed by a sailor . . . all on American soil, while on duty, but unarmed, defenseless, and you sit, slumped down in a chair and ramble through some poorly-scripted apology that seems as sincere as ‘If you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor.’
We have a saying in the Marine Corps at the end of your service. You’re told: ‘Don’t drop your pack.’ Mr. Obama, you never put your pack on.”
The Marine vet then stands up, moves away from the camera, and continues to address the camera while standing at attention (2:52 mark):
“Since this is no longer a private message, Mr. Obama, I’d like to take a minute to send my deepest and sincerest condolences to the families of those killed in the attacks. And not a day has gone by that I haven’t cried for my fallen brothers….”
He then names the five who were killed:
“United States Marine Corps, Gunnery Sergeant Thomas Sullivan, age 40, two tours in Iraq, earned two Purple Hearts…, United States Marine, Staff Sergeant David Wyatt, age 37…, United States Marine Corps, Sgt. Carson Holmquist, age 27, two tours in Afghanistan…, United States Marine Corps, Lance Corporal Skip Wells, age 21…. United States Navy, Petty Officer Randall Smith, age 26….”
Returning to sit before the camera (4:44 mark), the vet continues:
“Now, back to you, Mr. Obama.
It seems to me, and apparently I’m not alone, that you have done more damage to this country than anyone. A once proud nation that stood for liberty, justice, and freedom is now in chaos. These people are fighting each other; there’s rioting in the streets; history is being censored by political correctness. There’s actually debates about or not to destroy protected national monuments. Those monuments were made long before you 2008 entrance into our leadership. They explain the journey of Americans’ travels. They celebrate the men and women that gave so much, including their lives, and fought for our freedoms and liberties that you’re so quick to dissolve, which actually makes sense. You don’t want us remembering that people once rose up and fought for our freedoms from an over-controlling government. And while you were busy taking away those freedoms and liberties one by one, I never thought there’d be a day that Americans would fear paying their respects to fallen heroes whose only fault was showing up for work that day.
Kids aren’t required to stand and say the Pledge of Allegiance because it may offend them. Reality check. They are sitting down because God offends them. They are sitting down because you say it doesn’t matter.
Our government is picking and choosing for us whose history is worth remembering. Our Founding Fathers knew this day would come again. So they left us, the People, the power to overcome with knowledge as they once did. Our Founders came together and overthrew a government that thought that they were almighty. Mr. Obama, you are a tyrant and nothing more.
We have no trust in police and military training within the civilian population. Freedom of the press is disregarded and media is forbidden, so nobody can see what’s happening. It doesn’t work like that. The American people’s taxes pay for things that we don’t want and never asked for. We weren’t poor supporting our families and paying our bills. And yearly, you take more and more away from us. The United States, thanks to your benevolence, with our money, is estimated to owe 21.694 trillion dollars by the end of this fiscal year, September 3rd. That’s from usgovernmentdebt.us, if you want to look it up. When you came into office in 2008, we owed $9 trillion. So decisions made by you and your buddies, my sons and all the way to my great grandchildren will be born into debt, thank you.
You take weekly vacations and golf trips. All Americans have to work late years or try to die to retire. We’re forced to pay for outrageously expensive crap healthcare or face fines, yet you and your minions are exempt. Our veterans who fought for this country and follow your every order, need your help, and you’re letting them die because of paperwork, wait list, and gun-free zones. Our kids are eating cardboard that my dog wouldn’t eat, while yours are being catered to by fancy chefs and eat like royalty. You must be so proud of what this country has become under your rule, your majesty.
We the People have asked for answers and information, the truth, and for our voices to be heard. All attempts have been pushed to the side, swept under the rug, or diverted to some new controversy, while we’re supposed to be the most transparent administration!
No more. No more back room deals and secret documents, bills that can’t be read before voting up. We’re no longer asking for answers, we are demanding them. We are no longer asking you to take action, we demand it. We are no longer asking for your attention, we will be listened to. Remember this, if nothing else: You work for us, not the other way round. We see the smoke cast down by Washington. We demand the transparency that you promised us.
So, Mr. Obama, step up, and do what a president is supposed to do — strive to improve the lives of the American people and the military that defends you. Do what’s best for us, not your bottom line, not your personal agenda. Or get out of the way. Soon, the time will come when Americans — not just white, not just black, not brown, not just Christian or atheist, gay or straight — all of us, we will unite and we’ll take back our country and restore our liberties. So either step up or step down. You want our respect? Earn it. Because all you have right now is our resentment.
We the People demand a response to this video. And this time, let’s try standing up.
My family and I fully understand the consequences of making this video, but we feel that this needs to be said. It needs to be heard, and it needs to be addressed.
May God bless the United States of America, and prayers to Chattanooga, all the families and friends of those lost and all the victims associated. My family is here for you, and if there is anything that we can do, please let us know.”
Help make this go viral!
H/t FOTM’s Brian
See also:
- Who was Muhammad Youssef Abdulazeez, killer of 4 Marines in Chattanooga
- A day after Muslim killed 4 Marines in Chattanooga, Empire State Building lights up in green to honor end of Ramadan
~Éowyn
