Dear Mr. Obama...

…I congratulate you on your second term (I voted for you) and I join you in celebrating your inauguration today.  You presented us with another beautiful speech today…filled as always with hope, inspiration and the promise of a better world.

It is, in fact, your words and your promises that have moved me like no other President in my 51 years.  You are my J.F.K.  And I believe you are a good man.  I continue to believe you are a decent man who believes the words coming from within you.  I need to believe this, because you see Mr. President, I am deeply disturbed about some of the events that have transpired during your presidency.  Events, policies and executive orders that betray your words; indeed policies that betray the hope you have instilled within us.

Why, sir, are we confronted with the following deep and fundamental threats to our liberty that you so eloquently champion?

• The National Defense Authorization Act (N.D.A.A.) allows the military to indefinitely detain American citizens suspected of supporting terrorism.  Due process? You ceded to congressional republicans on this one at the expense of our civil liberties Mr. President. A precedent was set and a frightening one at that.  As you rightfully championed the civil rights of LGBT Americans today, you have quietly usurped the core rights of all of us when you signed this Act.
•  A policy certainly begun by another administration but exponentially expanded during yours, the use of unmanned drones continues to concern me.  I am in favor of minimizing risks to our troops through the use of this technology and am certainly far from prude when it comes to the sad necessity of collateral damage within the framework of the rules of war.  What raises the hair on the back of my neck is the seeming escalation of these so-called “targeted killings”.  I am more than happy to give you my trust when it comes to carrying out the business of war and protecting our country, but enough flags have been independently raised about this program that I believe you owe the American people an appropriate justification for the continued use and parameters of the program.
• Aaron Swartz.  Your Justice Department presides over a system of law that is flawed and unfair at best.  The tragic death of Mr. Swartz represents the very worst of our system of jurisprudence and the inherent lack of balance within the halls of justice throughout our land.  Was his death collateral damage of N.D.A.A.?  Or just the predictable fallout of a broken system run amok?
• I thoroughly applaud your efforts at reducing the tragic mass shootings such as Sandy Hook.  But as a liberal gun owner and supporter of the second amendment, I ask that you approach this issue pragmatically.  Ending these tragedies is the ultimate goal…please be realistic about the manner in which you approach the issue.  Guns, in and of themselves are simply instruments used by madmen to attain their sociopathic goal.  If banning weapons would solve the issue alone, I would support it.  It will not. Please continue to explore a multi-pronged social approach to this issue.  If it continues to be a “gun” issue, more of our fellow citizens will be lost.

I truly have no idea what it’s like to walk a few feet in your shoes.  The pressures, demands, politics, compromise and secret briefings about horrible topics, must take their toll.  I’d like to believe that in this second term, you will reward us with a glimpse of the guy you have promised, and who we want you to be:  a compassionate, strong, rightful leader who puts others ahead of his own interest.

God speed Mr. President and best of luck over the next four years…