The peace committee of the Old Haverford Friends Meeting presents:
Sample Letter
Sample Letter to President Bush
September 26, 2002
President George W. Bush
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
Dear President Bush:
I write to you with a heavy heart, a heaviness brought on by the prospect of
war and of the impending death of thousands of people. I ask you to
reconsider for humanity¹s sake the path you are taking toward war with Iraq.
I feel great sadness that my country is about to become an aggressor and
attack a people who have done us no wrong. They are a people who suffer
from both a despotic regime and a regime of sanctions that has brought about the death and suffering of hundreds of thousands of children. A war
unleashed by us will not only kill many thousands more but will lead to a
chaos and maelstrom that will engulf not only Iraq but the rest of the
Middle East. It may well reach our own shores with increased terrorism
brought about by our own violence. Please remember that violence breeds only more violence. As Christ taught, only love can overcome hatred.
I am also distressed that the United States will violate international law
by attacking another country without having been attacked. Under
international law, including the United Nations Charter, the only
circumstance under which states may go to war is in self defense following
an armed attack. We will set a precedent that will undermine that
international law and will give license to other nations to follow our lead.
Thank you for considering this point of view. Please think of the
thousands, possibly the millions of people who will suffer from this war.
There is a better way to solving the problem of Iraq¹s noncompliance and
threat through creative non-violent conflict resolution. The real path to
global security rests with increasing trust and respect, the rule of
international law, and the removal of the roots of violence and war. Be
courageous - try another path, the path of peace and social justice.