I don't know what John Kerry stands for. I know what he doesn't stand for: four more years of Bush. The actual issues that he feels strongly about, I have no idea. He seems like a nice guy, but I don't have a feel for who he is as a person. President Bush is pretty straight forward. We know who he supports, special interest, corporate, Christian, white men who are very, very rich. Ralph Nader is extremely straightforward about what he believes in, protecting the environment and the little people like us. But Kerry has pretty much been riding the coat tails of the Anti-Bush/Anti-War movement. Howard Dean had an innovative, grassroots campaign and as soon as he showed a little enthusiasm, we as a nation got very uncomfortable. I want Kerry to win, I feel he has military experience which serves a purpose, I suppose, in at least giving him the knowledge of how to deal with military types. I want an end to the Bush administration. But that is not enough for me to fully stand behind this candidate.

I am looking for a Ghandi/Martin Luther King type of president. One that will be radical and think out of the political-polling box. Stop selling me a product, what you think I might want based on the opinions of people that answer your surveys. These are lonely people that are looking for a friend. What they really want is a hug but instead they will tell you that they want a president that will cut taxes and strengthen the institution of marriage by denying homosexuals the right to marry. Why should there be more happiness in the world when they have nothing but telemarketers, door to door Jehovah's witnesses, and political surveys to look forward to?

I want a president that is spiritual, but not religious in the sense that his god is better than any other god. I want him to have deep, unwavering moral convictions. He knows compassion and understands suffering so he views the position of President of the United States as a means of alleviating the pain and suffering of his nation and also other nations. I want a president that will care about the healthcare of all people. There should be a national program of free healthcare, I don't care what anyone tells me. A country as rich as ours that has half-assed social service programs is revolting. Social service programs such as welfare and medical programs should be uplifting people not trapping them in the system. How many times have you heard someone complain that "the people that really need the help don't get it"? There needs to be less paper work, less red tape. If a battered woman wants to take a computer class so that she can get a job to support her children and she can't afford childcare or whatever else is standing in her way from breaking free of violence, for the love of god, give it to her. Don't tell her she needs to get a job first, or she needs to verify income, or she needs to have a home address even if she is living in a temporary homeless shelter. Its all bullshit. Its a free pass to turn the other cheek.

I want a president that is creative and can think of alternatives to war. When was the last time that happened? I want a president that understands fighting fire with fire will burn us all, and the war on terrorism is the equivalent to spitting in the wind. What if we took all of that money and spent it on caring for people? How many people could we win over to a democratic idealogy if we showed them democracy does not mean invading another country and bombing the crap out of it, injurying or killing children (because they might be terrorists setting you up for an ambush, one soldier told me) and leaving them with no food, work, hospitals, just trauma day in and day out. What if we started to reestablish schools and hospitals. We might help people in finding jobs with all of the foreign countries that have "contracts" in their lands instead of bringing in their own workers. This is a newsflash for those that don't know it: The Middle East has an educated population. They are not all cabdrivers.

I want a president that has cultural sensitivity. Please do not call Jesus the one true god of a democracy, for example, the USA. Raise your hand if you felt a shiver of fear through your body during Bush's inauguration. Understand that just as there are many sects of Christianity and Judaism, there are many different types of Muslim people as well. And although they don't get as much media attention, there are Buddhists, Zorastrians, Sikhs, Pagans, Atheists, etc.. that live here too.They don't like it when they are excluded so its better to just keep religion out of all political discourse.

I want a president that knows what its like to be dirt poor and make Tang sandwiches so that your children have something to eat. Granted, Roosevelt was never poor and he got us out of the depression, but I don't really have faith that they make 'em like Roosevelt anymore. if you can understand true poverty, you will know how important maintaining and generating jobs in this country is. You will work hard at making sure workers get proper benefits and work conditions. You will work even harder at wooing corporations to bring work back to the States in addition to trying to stop outsourcing to foreign countries. Even if that means you might lose a few campaign donations and golfing buddies.

Finally, I want a president that doesn't speak like he has been watching the cartoon network. Lines like "Axis of Evil" and "Evildoers" makes me think that Bush is wearing tights under his suit and carries a cape in his briefcase. I cannot respect someone that throws around the term 'evil' so lightly because evil is really all about perspective. Tricking us into a senseless war might be considered evil by some, roadside bombs created by people that are trying to defend their homeland might be considered evil by others. Only time will tell who will win and get to write history. To me, evil is a relative concept. Unless we are all putting down weapons and working towards peace we are just fueling the fire.

My faith in peace as an attainable goal waivers sometimes. There are so many people that don't see the agony of others, how do you explain to them what's going on? How do you help them understand? If anyone has any ideas, please write me and let me know. I guess that being able to lead people towards a better tomorrow is the mark of a true leader, such as Ghandi or Martin Luther King, Jr. Finding peaceful ways of changing the social structure, giving people hope and faith that they can make a difference and that a better day is around the corner is a gift. A blessing from whatever powers of the Universe one might believe in. Who will be that leader for the American people?

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