An Open Letter to the United States Senate

I'm an ordinary person, capable of extraordinary things. I work with my hands, my brain the strength of my back and the flat of my feet. I am strong in times of weakness and weep openly and unashamed in moments of great triumph. I am weary to my bones but I carry on with a strength that resides deep in my soul. I persevere in the face of despair. I exult in my neighbor's blessings and help them carry their heaviest burdens.
I am vain, petty, cowardly, envious and pessimistic. And yet still, mostly hopeful. I am all these things and more; resilient, moldable ambitious, willing. I am a citizen of the United States of America. I am you and you are me, joined as we.

Together as we, let us once more do great things. Find us the tools then get out of the way. We are the sturdy people that forged a tiny, fragile country by defeating the most powerful military force on the planet. We did it on the strength of an idea. We are the country that invented the light bulb and found a thousand uses for the humble peanut through the vision and persistence of brilliant individuals. We are the country that saved a world at war for democracy twice in a single century through dogged determination and shared sacrifice as a nation. We went to the moon using nothing more sophisticated that a slide rule and vacuum tubes, and watched it, in color, on the TV we invented. We defeated Communism and we showed the world what the future of human relations looks like. It looks like you. It looks like me. It looks like us.

We have an uncanny ability to elevate one among us to great leadership at pivotal moments in our history, and we hope and believe we have done so once again. Make no mistake the challenges are great, as they always are. Save the planet, alleviate poverty, heal the sick, educate the illiterate, seek peace and justice and defend the defenseless. We are ready, eager even, as we always have been, to sacrifice tirelessly for our children's and grandchildren's futures, to scrimp pennies and tackle intolerance. Watch the world be amazed and inspired by how we succeed. Please, give us impossible tasks.