An Open Letter to Donald Trump — 9/1/2020

• Phoenix Congress 2020 represents members of the American Union, who are willing to vote for both Republicans and Democrats in the 471 federal races who will meet our terms, including Donald Trump.
• This is the first in a series of open letters, explaining our demands. A link the next one is below the signature.

September 1, 2020

Dear President Trump,

Your Presidency has been one of the most polarizing in our history. Your supporters adore you, your opposition finds a way to decry everything you do. Your leadership has been tested by struggles beyond your control–from forest fires to hurricanes to a global pandemic. Your administration’s response to these situations has been as polarizing as some of your tweets. You are faced with a contested reelection this November–a race many people think will be a defining moment for the direction our nation will take in the coming decades.

The Phoenix Congress recognizes that this is a pivotal point in America’s history, and that’s why we want to offer you terms for a peaceful reelection — end poverty, end mass incarceration, end the endless wars — and a more prosperous America. Will you take it?

Very few men in our country’s history have had the opportunity that now sits before you. 80 years ago, FDR’s New Deal helped bring us out of the Great Depression into a new era of prosperity. 80 years before that, Abraham Lincoln led our nation and dissolved the immoral practice of slavery, and set in motion a fight for equality. 80 years before that, our founders decided to break away from the British crown and forge a new path of government by the people, for the people. We are on the cusp of a new cultural shift, and you have the opportunity to have your name written in the history books alongside these men as someone who led our country forward to a better America.

The Phoenix Congress, negotiating on behalf of a block of swing voters who have pledged their conditional willingness to reelect you, seeks to address what Martin Luther King Jr. called the triple evils of society: poverty, racism, and militarism. Our legislative package, titled The Blueprint for a Better America, includes universal basic income of $300 per week to end poverty, implements sentence review and reform to reduce mass incarceration, and heartily endorses your call to end the endless wars. There are additional policies as well. If you can enact this legislation prior to the election, you can earn our support.

We know some of this legislation falls outside of the current Republican platform. The truth is, the Democrats will have the same objections. However, addressing MLK’s triple evils is the key to building a better, stronger America in the next decade. We can do that across party lines by getting back to the five duties laid out in our Constitution; establish justice, ensure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty for ourselves and our posterity.

Mr. President, you have accomplished some commendable things in your time in the White House, and our legislative package is a chance to cement your legacy. The Blueprint for a Better America is a way to bring about an end to poverty, an end to mass incarceration, and an end to the endless wars–things Americans need right now, and something that future generations will be grateful for. We hope you’ll understand when we insist on action before the election; specifically, your signature on our legislative package by October 30th, 2020.

Passing a deal of this size will require compromise–even sacrifice–on both sides. We recognize that. But if there is anyone who can do it, you can. Over the next two weeks, we’ll write you more letters, explaining the principled and practical reasons for these terms. On September 15, as a demonstration of our sincerity and commitment, members of the American Union will take part in a national day of fasting. Your participation in this shared self-sacrifice would acknowledge a willingness to negotiate over the details of our legislation, with a final acceptance on October 15.

The status quo is no longer acceptable in 2020; America can do better. The members of the American Union demand better. Will you meet our terms?

Respectfully yours,

Phoenix Congress 2020

(Read the September 2, 2020 open letter to Donald Trump.)

Other articles on Medium:

A call to action around Martin Luther King, Jr.’s triple evils: The Marginalized Must Unionize in 2020

A look at our duties as Americans and the legislation they inspire; The Blueprint for a Better America