WA 4 draft 2

Dear President Obama,

My most sincere congratulations on your recent inauguration. You are living proof of the power of this country and it is incredible to live in a United States with a black president when, not long ago, most people thought it would never happen.

This is a time for the people of this country to work together and help one another through crises large and small, and they are certainly capable of and willing to do that. I recently witnessed this firsthand, the day before your inauguration. My family was involved in a major collision on I-78 outside of the modest town of Hamburg, Pennsylvania. All those involved lived, although I saw several people taken away on stretchers. The EMT workers, police and firemen, and the shelter volunteers were very efficient in their removal of people from the wreckage and supplying us with food and a place to stay while we contacted our insurance agent and got ahold of a rental car. They even replaced the booster seats of everyone who had little kids.

These people didn't have to help us. The fact that they not only chose to provide with our basic needs but also arranged for us to stay in a hotel and remove our baggage from the wrecked cars went above and beyond what I think most people were expecting. What I am concerned about, however, is if the people who had serious injuries and had to go to the hospital were able to afford the medical bills. Mr. President, almost 50 million Americans can't afford health care. It's a disaster compared to other countries like Canada, Russia, and most of western Europe, who have universal health care. Too many people go into debt because of staggering medical bills. Either their employers don't provide adequate coverage or they're self-employed, meaning they can't afford it altogether. I think the issue you should focus on within the first year of your presidency is making health care available to everyone, no matter how much money they make. People should not have to go broke because they can't afford a surgery or treatments for their child's illness. Getting sick or injured is not something people can control.

So, President Obama, I urge you, please: Help your people by making universal health care a reality. America can't function as a country if people are constantly inhibited by medical costs. And there are people out there who really deserve the right to afford their medical costs, like the very kind people in Hamburg.

Sincerely,

Tess Keena

WA 4 draft 1

Dear Mr. Obama,

Congratulations on your becoming President. There are many things I'd like to say to you, but I'm limited to 1,000 words in this assignment.

My family was recently part of a major accident on I-78 involving 23 cars and three trucks. We all lived and sustained minor injuries, but I saw several people, including the trucker who hit us, being taken away in stretchers. No one was killed, thankfully. This all happened the day before your inauguration. The EMT workers, firefighters, and shelter workers were amazingly efficient and well-supplied for taking care of the victims. They were very kind. One man even offered me his jacket because I lost mine in the crash.

This is a perfect example of how the people of America come together and help one another in times of crisis, which I know is something you focused on during your inaugural speech. The people who helped us were incredibly kind and they provided us with food and a place to stay while we got in touch with our insurance agent and obtained a rental car. They even replaced my younger brother's car seat. 

Even though our family didn't have to go to the hospital, there were many people who did and I have to wonder, with the state of our health insurance, if they were able to pay their medical bills. Almost 50 million Americans don't have health insurance. We cannot continue like this. Too many people go into debt because they can't pay their medical bills. Their employers don't provide insurance or they're self-employed, meaning they don't even have health care. I think an issue that you should address within the first year of your presidency is universal health care for every citizen. People should not have to go broke because they can't afford a surgery or pay for their children's illnesses. It's not something they can control.

So I'm asking you, President Obama, please: Help your people by making health care available to the poor and self-employed so that these people can continue helping one another and creating a strong bond of community throughout our country.