Dear Senator
Kaine:
I write to you today with a heavy heart, after another evil and
senseless school shooting, this time in Florida. This incident, for some reason, seems to have tipped a
balance in me – from “prayers and best wishes” to incarnate action. I’ve begun by registering with and
donating to peacefulcommunites.org, which is organizing to repeal the
Second Amendment.
This
is my second step: writing to you
and Senator Warner, as well as to Jennifer McClellan and Lamont Bagby, my State
Senator and Delegate, and to Congressman McEachin. Mr. McEachin is not my congressman, but I don’t want to
waste paper writing to Dave Brat.
I also met Mr. McEachin in 2012 when we were stuck on the third floor of
Walkerton Tavern following President Obama’s rain-soaked speech to a campaign
rally there, while Mr. Obama was changing into dry clothes before he met with
us for a photo op. I delivered the
invocation at the rally, and afterwards apologized to the President for my
prayers for the rain to go away not being more effective. He laughed and replied, “No, it felt
good – it was hot out there!” Oh, do we miss that man . . .
I
write to you imploring you to do everything in your power to enact rational gun
control in this country. I know
you are up against an immovable political majority . . . for the time being. I certainly hope that will change come
fall. Until (and after) then, I
beg you to speak out against the manufacture and ownership of rapidly
reloadable, high magazine capacity firearms, the lack of universal gun
registration, and the sale of firearms to persons with a history of mental
illness. As I indicated above, I
believe the Second Amendment should be repealed, since it was made obsolete by
the establishment of the U.S. Army and police departments. I know, however, that may be a bridge
too far for thoughtful politicians.
I
would also like to be so bold as to suggest some platform planks for the
Democratic Party, beginning with this fall’s campaign and continuing until full
adoption, whenever that may be. I
suspect none of these are new to you, but I offer them nonetheless.
1.
Rational and comprehensive gun control, including
a.
universal
registration and background checks for all sales, public and private.
b.
a ban on the
manufacturing, import, sale, and ownership of rapidly reloadable high magazine
capacity firearms (thus avoiding debate about the term “assault weapon”) to and
by all civilians.
c.
the
destruction of all firearms confiscated because of a crime.
2.
Expansion of Medicare to all citizens, i.e., universal health care. (Not incidentally,
I have been on Medicare for a year now, and it
works.)
3.
A two-year period of mandatory national service
for all able-minded Americans between
the ages of 18 and 25. The default form of service shall be
military; options may include a new Civilian Conservation Corps, National Park
Service, Teach for America, Americorps, Peace Corps, etc. Participants shall receive subsistence
income and room and board. At the
end of the two years participants shall receive two years’ tuition, room, and
board at a public school of vocational or higher education, or the
equivalent. And, of course,
participants shall have the opportunity to continue in their chosen – or
another – form of national service.
Rationale: my father was a veteran of both World Wars. He was the youngest American sailor in WW1 – 15 at war’s end; too old for combat in WW2, he flew with the Coastal Air Patrol in 1942-1943, and then with the Air Transport Command until the end of the war. Every October he chaired a reunion in Rehobeth Beach of his CAP buddies. They ranged from a Vice President of Dupont and Air Force Brigadier General to automobile mechanics and construction heavy equipment operators (my father). That military brought together people of all races, incomes, educations, experiences, regions, and convictions. There is nothing -- nothing – in our national life today that does anything similar. Our volunteer military doesn’t create that kind of experience. Two years of compulsory national service not only would benefit us militarily, help rebuild our infrastructure, transform public education, benefit our natural environment, and strengthen relations with foreign countries, but I believe its positive effects on our national psyche and character would be incalculable.
And, imagine the smoke coming out of GOP ears when Democrats propose what would be, in effect, a national draft on steroids! The children of Trumps and Hiltons having to eat, sleep, shower, and work beside the children of Appalachian coal miners and black Southern farm hands and millworkers: it would be a revolution worthy of our Founders.
Rationale: my father was a veteran of both World Wars. He was the youngest American sailor in WW1 – 15 at war’s end; too old for combat in WW2, he flew with the Coastal Air Patrol in 1942-1943, and then with the Air Transport Command until the end of the war. Every October he chaired a reunion in Rehobeth Beach of his CAP buddies. They ranged from a Vice President of Dupont and Air Force Brigadier General to automobile mechanics and construction heavy equipment operators (my father). That military brought together people of all races, incomes, educations, experiences, regions, and convictions. There is nothing -- nothing – in our national life today that does anything similar. Our volunteer military doesn’t create that kind of experience. Two years of compulsory national service not only would benefit us militarily, help rebuild our infrastructure, transform public education, benefit our natural environment, and strengthen relations with foreign countries, but I believe its positive effects on our national psyche and character would be incalculable.
And, imagine the smoke coming out of GOP ears when Democrats propose what would be, in effect, a national draft on steroids! The children of Trumps and Hiltons having to eat, sleep, shower, and work beside the children of Appalachian coal miners and black Southern farm hands and millworkers: it would be a revolution worthy of our Founders.
4. Legislation creating a living minimum wage, with bi-annual adjustments for inflation.
5. Passage of the Equal Rights Amendment.
6. Restoration of Glass Steagall, or its equivalent.
7. A Constitutional Amendment mandating non-partisan
commissions to determine local, state, and federal election districts.
8. Radical campaign finance reform. I’m
not as versed on this as other issues – but I know the system is terribly,
terribly broken.
9. Energy independence by 2030 by encouraging, requiring, and expanding use of
renewable energy sources.
10. Restoration
and expansion of clean water and clean air legislation.
11. Expansion
of financial and logistical support for public education, including expanded vocational programs for non-academic
students, and expanded arts and music curricula. Study after study have shown that early art and music
education wire the brain for creativity and mathematics. The arts are too important to be reserved
for the privileged.
12. Social
Security solvency by
significantly raising the income cap on FISA contributions (this is an easy,
no-brainer: Jeff Bezos should not be paying the same FISA tax as a high school
principal).
That’s
more than enough: Moses only had
ten.
Senator
Kaine, thank you for all you do, and all you represent, for us here in
Virginia. I am not a native
Virginian – I was born in Baltimore and got here as quickly as I could, to be
in the last all-male entering class at UVA in the fall of 1969. I fell in love with Virginia, and have
given my heart, hands, mind, and body to it ever since. People like you make me proud to be a
Virginian. Please continue to lead
us, by word, example, and deed.
And if there’s any way I can help, please don’t hesitate to ask.
Sincerely,
J.
Brooke Willson
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United
Methodist Clergy, retired