Letter to President Bush

Ellen Thomas
P.O. Box 27217
Washington, D.C., USA 20038
(202) 462-0757

September 27, 1988

George Bush
Presidential Campaign Headquarters
c/o Old Executive Office Building
Washington, D.C.

Dear Mr. Bush:

I offer my assistance in spreading your ideas regarding arms negotiations, education, and the homeless poor. In order to do this, though, I need a copy of your position statement. Would you please ask your staff to send it to me as soon as possible?

Although Reagan should be lauded for the INF Treaty, it could be argued that it was intended as a soporific; nuclear testing continues, and military contractors continue to profit (obscenely) while government policy continues to be merciless to the poor. People are going to prison who shouldn't be. People are prosecuted for having no home. Trillions of dollars are to be sunk into dangerous new military toys while soup lines lengthen and the violence born of hopelessness expands.

I'm also concerned about the options open to our children. For example, my daughter, son, and son-in-law are now serving in the Navy, which they entered because they couldn't afford college. None of them wants to be put in the position of killing or being killed. Yet Reagan sanctioned the sales of arms to both Iran and Iraq and sent our kids into the Persian Gulf to be targets. My son-in-law tells a tale of standing watch on his frigate (equipped with decoy devices to make it "sound" like an aircraft carrier or battleship) when an unidentified speedboat approached, and his fear that he might have to decide to shoot. No one should be put in that position.

"Thou shalt not kill," we're instructed. No one has the right to threaten our children's souls.


I believe the next President should, DOMESTICALLY: 1. stop nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons research, production, and testing;

2. reduce military spending; USE TAX DOLLARS SAVED to improve the quality of life for all citizens, e.g.:

3. actively promote military contractors' conversion from weaponry to environmentally-protective peace industries (through research competitions, re-education, plant retooling, and other positive inducements);

4. provide free education to all who show desire to learn;

5. induce property owners to "use it or lose it," i.e., to convert boarded-up buildings to homes for the homeless;

6. reduce police-state tactics of harassment.

GLOBALLY the next President should engage in summits and promote scientific/industrial dialogues with the goals to: 1. ban all nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons;

2. outlaw the sales of ALL weapons from one country to another;

3. convert military contractors to environmentally- protective peace/service industries dedicated, in part, to researching, developing, and using clean energy, and reversing global pollution.

4. convert armies, navies, air forces, etc., to International Peace Corps (with youth sewing terms as friendly "peace hostages" armed only with tools to help, and learn from, their global neighbors).

I pray that you agree with these ideas. Again, please send me your position statements so I may more clearly understand.

Your friend,

Ellen Thomas