Edgy Mama

When my kids told me they were writing letters to President Obama during the week of the inauguration, I was intrigued. I don’t know if it’s just Asheville or this time in history, but it seems that the youngest of us have been more focused on this election and its outcome than on any other in my memory. So I wanted to see what kids, at least this small slice of students, are concerned about, hoping for and asking of our new president.

Here are excerpts from some of the letters written by students in grades K-5 at Isaac Dickson Elementary. Yes, I corrected punctuation and spelling, for the most part. For sample letters in their original form, click here to see those composed by Mairead Smitka’s fourth-graders.

Read and learn:

Dear President Obama:

• “Can you please help scientists develop a car that runs on water? Tobacco, factories, and oil are poisoning our air and killing our animals. We need cars that run on water, Obama, please.”—Max Ashburn, fourth grade

• “I hope you fix what Bush did.”—Rosa Sickenberger, kindergarten

• “If you could stop the war in Tibet, that would be great. Please save The Doly Lama (sic). He can reincarnate only so many times.”—Victory Roberts, fourth grade

• “When you came to Asheville, did you like ‘12 Bones’? If you did, that’s one of my favorite places in town too. Do your girls like to play Mancala, knit, have sleepovers, and have play dates? Next time you come to Asheville, maybe we could have a play date.”—Sarah Sophia Yimin Morrissey, third grade

• “I hope you protect our world, and I will be good at school and home.”—Zavian Smith, first grade

• “I think we should unite the Democratic and Republican parties together to stop some childish ways.”—Nicholas Konz, fifth grade

• “I hope that you will lower taxes for people who do not have a lot of money, and raise the taxes for the people who have more money.”—Connor Schulz, third grade

• “Can you stop war?”—Sam Hopper Fisher, Kindergarten

• “I would like to inform you that I am concerned about the ice melting in the north and south poles just like you. Just think about all those animals like polar bears, penguins, seals, and others not being able to survive in their home because of global warming.”—Isabel Parker, fourth grade

• “What I think are two great things to do: number one, make sure that everyone that goes to school brings their homework back at the end of the week; and number two, make sure that all classes have enough supplies like pencils, maps and good and high desks.”—Thea Moen, third grade

• “First off, Iraq needs to stop. We need to rebuild those poor Iraqis’ lives we’ve destroyed, then we have to pull our troops out, and the last thing is to build an alliance with them and stop Al Qaeda.”—Aiden Sailer, fifth grade

• “I hope that you can put a stop to littering because I like to go outside and I really don’t like to see garbage. When I ride my bike around the block, I sometimes will see canes and plastic on the side of the street. There are not very many public trash cans, so if the trash is too bad, and it will take a while to decompose, I take it.”—Tucker Evans, third grade

• “I just want to know how can you take all of this pressure?”—Donyaill Gaines, fourth grade

• “I hope you help stop pollution. And please tell Sasha and Malia I said Hi!”—Mary Lawson Cox, second grade

• “Please fix the No Child Left Behind organization because it isn’t working at Isaac Dickson Elementary School.”—Annabelle Jones, fourth grade

• “Gas prices are really low, but based on the supply and demand theory, it means that people are consuming way more than they need to. And gas companies are drilling too much gas.”—Sadie Rudd, fifth grade

• “Living in the White House must be fun. I live in Leicester, N.C.”—Sophia Sherar, fourth grade

• “I was at the inauguration and saw you. It was cold, boring and exciting. It was not fun, but I am glad I went. All your ideas sound marvelous.”—Caleb Walker Wilson, fifth grade

• “I need your help. My grandmother is 80 years old and still has to work because she doesn’t get enough social security to live off of. I feel it is very sad that a person that is 80 years old and not in very good shape or in good health has to work because our government is not taking care of them correctly when it comes to finances.”—Channing Huntley, fourth grade

• “In Asheville, N.C., where I live, it is going slowly from a lovely town to a yucky big city, and I want it to stop!”—Chloe Dotti, fourth grade

• “It will take time to get all this stuff organized and planned and fixed, but we can. You said, ‘Yes, we can.’ Yes, we can fix our economy. Yes, we can fix our environment. Yes, we can get homes for everyone. Yes, we can have everyone with health care.”—Evan Hayes, fifth grade

• “I hope you have peace within your heart to share with the world through your leadership. I hope you have the wisdom to help us through rough times. And may your compassion help heal the hatred of difference. P.S. Can I have your autograph?”—Gillian Maurer, fourth grade

Amen, sisters and brothers.

Anne Fitten “Edgy Mama” Glenn writes about a number of subjects, including parenting, at www.edgymama.com.