Month 3, Day 2: Fan Mail

Busy day tomorrow. I sat down at the computer but couldn’t think of anyone to write to. I wrote to Obama on Saturday, and Harry Reid on Sunday, and John Kerry & Scott Brown late last week…I know! I’ll write directly to Al Gore!

I imagine his secretaries have to throw out a lot of abusive rubbish from denialist teabaggers. Maybe they’ll be happy to read a letter of genuine appreciation. Maybe they’ll pass it along to the former President-Elect. I brought back the “swollen belly” analogy. I really want that one to gain some traction somewhere. If Al starts using it, remember where it came from!

Dear Mr. Gore — As one of your long-time admirers, I wish to thank you for all that you have done to wake up the world to the dangers of climate change. Your recent Op-Ed in the New York Times was a beautifully crafted and heartfelt wake-up call to the world. Unfortunately, it is becoming ever clearer that the Republicans in Washington don’t care if the planet burns, as long as they can ensure the failure of the current administration. While this was obvious from the beginning to any observers who were paying attention, it seems to have caught both the Obama administration and Democratic legislators by surprise. Furthermore, it is (sadly) indisputable that many in our party are either unimaginably naive, unimaginably pusillanimous, or unimaginably corrupt.

There are three things I need to say.

First: Don’t Give Up. Your grace and steadiness in the face of ignorance and abuse is an example for all of us who are trying to wake up our fellow citizens.

Second: Emphasize to your colleagues in the political arena that the opposition party is not operating in good faith. The current Republican party does not have the best interests of our country at heart; they need to be publicly stigmatized as traitors to America and to humanity. “Making nice” with these people simply won’t work. Democrats are not bullies by nature, I suppose — but at this time, in this crisis, we need to get things done rapidly and well. If the fate of the planet depends on the state of the Senate, we are in an extremely precarious position.

Third: I wish to offer an analogy which I think works well in combating the fallacious statements of Senator Inhofe and those of his ilk, especially in the light of the recent snowstorms that have buffeted Washington — and which the denialists claim are a conclusive proof that global warming is a “hoax.”

Saying a freak snowstorm in Washington “disproves global warming” is like saying the swollen belly of a starving child “disproves world hunger.”

Again, thank you for all that you have done and are doing. You are an inspiration to me and to countless others who are hoping against hope that our beautiful planet may yet be saved.

Yours Sincerely,

Warren Senders