This is an open letter to the 2012 Republican Candidate Hopefuls from Laura Burns:
Dear Sirs,
Every morning as I drink my coffee, I read news updates about your primary campaigns. I’m a Republican mom. And I’m so sad. All of you are religious and conservative. You’ve made your positions clear on issues like abortion, national debt and education. Not one of you agrees 100% with the other…and that’s OK. That’s why there’s a choice that helps us decide who will be the best fit for our presidential candidate. Time passes and debates have been won, yet I feel a very limited sense of confidence in my potential Republican candidate.
I realize that since President Nixon’s tenure, Republicans haven’t placed a high priority on the environment, but NOW is the time for change. NOW is the time in our country’s history that you need to stand up and make positive choices for our natural resources. These resources are all we have to pass down to our children. These children are the future of our country!
Mothers all over the US are angry. We are angry about the pathetic state of our air quality. We are angry that our children suffer from asthma in unprecedented numbers and cannot enjoy being children…running and playing.
As a mother in Ohio, I don’t want my state to continue to be the most toxic state in the union. I don’t want to wake up on summer days and worry about the air quality being too poor for us to play outside. I want to be able to let my children enjoy nature without fear of toxins and pollution. Please hear our voices and take the time to revisit your positions on environmental issues. Take the time to truly count the cost of the Clean Air Act and see the long-term benefits. Consider the damage done if we throw away all that has been worked toward in the last two decades. Please listen to mothers, we’re fighting for our children, their health and their world. If necessary, go against the party line and take a stand with us for our environment and for clean air.
I implore you to think about our children, your children, and their future. Remember this as you debate over healthcare: 1 in 5 Americans suffer from asthma. This horrible illness eats up billions of dollars in healthcare, causes thousands of missed days of school or work, and sadly claims hundreds of lives each year. Asthma sufferers would be some the first people who could benefit from strong protections of our environment. Please consider the whole picture as you make your decisions. Do not write off environmental issues as something that won’t really be worth your efforts. I promise you, that when it comes to clean air and our children, mothers will vote with our hearts.
Sincerely,
Laura Burns (mother of 2)