Americans are deeply divided on the issue of the war in Iraq. Some of us agree with our military's invasion and some do not. I am adamantly against the war but my friend Thad thinks the problem is with some of the specific things are government does, such as impose sanctions and secretly target civilians. Any American, if you ask him or her, will say that he or she does not want innocent civilians to die or suffer. Any American will also say that he or she doesn't want our troops to suffer needlessly. In light of this fact, my friend and I composed a letter to President Bush in an effort to unify on our nation on common ground. We are passing it around and getting as many signatures for it as possible because we believe that virtually all Americans, in their hearts, agree with it. If you agree with it, please send it to the President and pass it around. We can stand together in solidarity, as good people who all want good things, and make a difference! You can send the letter to the following address:

President George W. Bush

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue

NW Washington, US 20500

Dear President Bush,

You have made it clear that you are waging war on Iraq and that nothing will stop you. Some of us agree with your decision and some of us do not. However, there are a few things that we all agree on. You say that the war on Iraq will be a war against terrorism and not a war on the Iraqi people. You say that you seek to liberate the Iraqi people from oppressive government and make life better for them. You claim to be merely looking out for our safety. We are writing this letter to let you know that we are watching you and holding you to your word. We are holding you responsible for all of your actions and expecting you to prove your honesty and good intent.

Based on your promises to protect the interests of both the Iraqi and the American people, we are holding you up to the following standards:

We do not want any civilians or civilian areas to be bombed or violently targeted in any way. We recommend ensuring the accuracy and validity of any intelligence information before acting on it. We also recognize the reality that Saddam has chosen to bring the fight to heavily populated areas. In this regard, we recommend ensuring that civilians have been relocated to safe locations before bringing the battle to their streets.

We will not support any sanctions that have negative effects on Iraqi civilians. Sanctions have been shown to harm only the people of the countries against which they are imposed, and have little to no effect on the governance.

We want the Iraqi people to have complete and truly democratic control over their own government. This means remaining involved in the process of rebuilding until the government is able to survive on its own, and then completely removing any US military presence from the region.

We want the Iraqi people to have complete control over their own oil. We recognize that British PM Tony Blair has made this promise to the Iraqi people. However, in light of past government scandals and the potential for veiled economic gain, we would like to point out that any inconsistencies between this policy and government actions will be viewed as suspect.

We will not tolerate the use of substances such as depleted uranium or nerve gas in any way that will put human lives in danger. Any use of such substances would be a grievous violation of UN resolutions, and would negate the entire stated purpose of a war with Iraq.

We, the undersigned, are people who support the war on Iraq and people who are against the war. We are people who voted for you, people who did not, and people who are deciding on whether we will vote for you next term. We are Republicans and Democrats, liberals and conservatives, people from all walks of life. We are men and women of all cultures, ethnicities, and religions. We are also people who are privy to false propaganda and who hold high ethical standards for ourselves and for our leaders. And we are all watching you.

Sincerely,

The United States of America