I know you’re busy right now, what with the remarkably close election only two days old. You’re celebrating, maybe also heaving a sigh of relief. You’re feeling a little overwhelmed by your current circumstances (at least I hope you are, in that way we feel awe and a bit insignificant at the sight of a snow-capped mountain).
 
It’s a big job you’ve got. There’s the daunting responsibility of pulling the country together — you must do this, given how divided we’ve become. You’ve got pressing national security, international policy, domestic policy issues to address, implement, or resolve. There’s the job, be it largely symbolic or a true measure of justice, of finding Osama bin Laden. You’ve got your work cut out for you when you turn your attention to countries whose citizens or guests raise terrorists. After all, it will be up to you to work with those countries to lay a foundation that will encourage new generations toward a direction of peace and respect for the dignity of their fellow humans. Indeed, there is far more that you have on your “to do” list than there is space to list here.
 
But here’s the thing. You’ve got help. Just look around. We can help, we the American people. The heartening election turnout should be a good indication that we the people know how important these coming years are to the future of America and the world. If I may be so bold, help us to help you.
 
You are the leader. You set the tone. You call us to our best American selves. You encourage, inspire, invigorate, and call us to account. Your policy can give us the confidence to go out and, in classic American fashion, “make something of ourselves.” Your ideas shape our lives, so your ideas had better reflect a deep understanding of the American personality at the start of a new century. Your ideas should take into account the ways in which our nation has grown and struggled to define and embody the ideals set out in our constitution. Your ideas would reflect our standpoint in history; in the grand scheme of things, barely a millisecond has passed since the Civil Rights Act in 1964, and only slightly more since the 19th Amendment in 1920 granted women the right to vote. In the Colonial era, it was not uncommon for children to be put to death; today, we tussle with whether or not juveniles should be subject to execution. We are young. We are moral neophytes, if you consider morality from the perspective of progress (the perspective adopted by Supreme Court has in a number of decisions). This means that your ideas should be as morally sophisticated as possible when dealing with issues such as same-sex marriage and stem-cell research.
 
It’s a tough line to straddle. You’ve got to lead, but you’ve got to listen to the voice of the people. I say, in order for you to be able to hear what we’ve got to say, we the people must be articulate; we must be as astute about our citizenship and the issues before us as we expect you to be. You’re not a proxy for our own responsibility to think for ourselves, and you should remind us of this at every turn. So, as you catch your breath in the coming days, consider this request: cultivate the garden of the American citizenry, and we will grow full and robust.
 
Sincerely,
Mia Wood

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