Dear President Obama,

It was Edward Abbey who first said that, "growth for the sake of growth is the ideology of a cancer cell." Well, the cancer is growing. We all know our planet is dying, but nobody wants to talk about it. Why is that? It seems to me that we are blindly following a path that we know for certain will lead to collapse. It is certainly true that ideas like this that threaten growth and our standard of living and all of the comforts of modern America and that is a concern to many people. But what about our prolonged sustenance on this planet? Why can't we let these ideas flow through public airwaves and make a collective decision to change? Whats more important: our economy and standard of life, or, continual prosperity on this planet as we know it?

I propose that we radically rework and rethink the way we live on this planet. It seems to me that any reasonable truthful person would agree with this sentiment. It sucks, I know. That's why, I think, people are so afraid to entertain these thoughts in their head. That is why, I think, politicians routinely dodge these questions and place blind faith on the global economy. It would really be a drag to digress from our materialistic consumer culture and face facts. But isn't that the responsible thing to do? Why can't we at least have the discussion? All we are fed around us are messages that tell us to have faith in the markets, to keep buying 20 presents for our kids for Christmas, and to manage our unhappiness with Big Macs, new shoes, and Zoloft.

I think it would be beneficial to make airwaves more public. It is undemocratic and unAmerican to have private companies hold their own interests ahead of the collective consciousnesses of the people. Rather than having many voices, we have but one: consume. It is only logical, too, that these corporations hold their own private interests ahead of other needs. Corporations at their center do not have a heart, they do not breath the air, nor understand human needs. They are instead driven by greed, by capitalizing off of others' misfortunes, by the almighty dollar sign. These heartless fictitious things are controlling our government's policies, our nation's airwaves, and our personalities. Why can't we at least open this discussion up and talk candidly about it? Why can't commercials be challenged with more Public Service Announcements? By controlling the airwaves, we are submissive to 7 major companies and their prerogatives, rather than the voices of the people of America, and their concerns.

Freedom is a value that we as Americans trophy. It is our mantra, our way of life, our shining light. Freedom was achieved in 1776 when we signed the Declaration of Independence. Freedom from Britain! Freedom from overarching rule and private interests! We must take back freedom here in the United States. We must elicit the voice of the people. We must think of our responsibility to this world as leaders.

Change is what we all want. Sentiment without action is the bane of the human soul. Let's take back our country.

Thanks,
Peter Buckley