Dear Mr. President,

I would like to thank you for speaking out about the Trayvon Martin case. It is important for the country to see you act not just as the Commander-in-Chief, but as the Moral-Leader-in-Chief. We are long overdue in this country in having a conversation about prejudice and about violence.

That more than 40 years after the death of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. by the hand of an assassins bullet, we still are confronting the very same issues that Dr. King wishes us to confront shows we have much work to do. We need to take a hard look at our fear of others in this country, and the factors that fuel its violent effect. You sir, are a beacon for justice for the whole world, when you speak out and state clearly where people of conscience stand, people listen.

Today we are reminded that as James Baldwin wrote, “I imagine one of the reasons people cling to their hates so stubbornly is because they sense, once hate is gone, they will be forced to deal with pain.” There is much pain Mr. President and we will not heal if we do not speak of it. There is an obligation to treat both the symptoms and causes of this pain. We all know the diagnosis, let us not hesitate in confrontation, but accept the discomfort that must be tolerated in making progress.

Sincerely,

ellisonz