In honor of President's Day, hundreds if not thousands of you wrote to the rightfully elected President of the United States -- Al Gore -- in care of the proper residence for an elected president: the White House. Many of you sent us copies of the letter, and here are some of your comments:
[Names and cities will be added pending authors' permission.]
"Dear Mr. President,
I am addressing you as such because, by the law of democracy you are our duly elected president.
I voted for you in the 2000 elections because your platform reflected my views. In 2004, I will vote for you because after the events in Florida I feel an intense allegiance to you. In fact, I promise to work hard to ensure a landslide victory for you. "
"Throughout the month of the election, you were open, honest, and fair with the American people. You never once tried to disenfranchise voters; instead, your battle to have every vote counted and every voice heard was of great relief to all democratically minded people everywhere. Your battle was not one for an office, but for an ideal.
Please maintain a public view and be outspoken so they know the legitimate President is watching."
"As a resident of Palm Beach County I watched in horror as your victory here in Florida was stolen by none other than a right-wing coup. I watched in my home town, county and state the ruination of our democracy. I cried that night in horror devoid of any hope until the next day when I heard you had not conceded.
President Gore you are so badly missed and needed to lead us out of this national nightmare. "
"Happy Not My President's Day, Mr. President. Parties and rallies are planned all over the country for you.Ê I hope you throw the biggest party of all and declare you are back in the fight!"
"I would like to wish you a Happy President's Day and extend the best wishes to you and your family. As the people's President, you represent what is the best in this country and I am proud to extend to you my support and thanks for all you have done for America.
Please, always keep the faith and please realize that the majority of this country calls you their President."
"You won this election, not Dubya. History will not be kind to George W. Bush. He is not our president. He did not win. It will all come out in the end. There has been a coup d'etat in America. It's a sad day, this un-presidents day."
"As an American I have always believed that our government was fair and that our democracy was a special gift, one that many have fought and died for. To have a man steal the Presidency from you is unacceptable. ... On this Presidents' Day our forefathers are rolling in their graves. You are a great man, and my hero. I hope and pray that you will be acknowledged as our true President."Ê
"It has been several weeks since you were denied the office you rightfully won in the last election by a Supreme Court decision motivated by partisan preference. .... I would like you to know that my wife and I, and millions of others like us, will not "get over it". We will not ignore the arrogance and audacity of George W. Bush and his allies, and we will not recognize him as the legal and rightful President of the United States. ... The mainstream media would like to believe that time will pass and people will forget the disgrace and shame that began last November, but they are sadly mistaken. We will not forget and we will not be silenced."
"You did a great job as Vice-President under President Clinton. You reduced the size of the government, strengthened the military, helped President Clinton balance the budget for the first time in 30 years, brought unemployment to its lowest level ...... I am proud of you as our leader and I am proud have been among the majority of Americans who voted for you. God bless you President Gore and God bless the United States of America."
"You are a true American hero. Heroes sacrifice their lives for the good of their country, and you sacrificed your life's ambition and rightful claim on the presidency so that the USA could continue to function without mass civil unrest, following the corrupt Supreme Court decision. Be assured, however, that your sacrifice will not be forgotten."
"Godspeed, President Gore!"