Letter to Utah Senator Mike Lee

October 15, 2013

Dear Senator Lee,

I am writing as an American, Utahan, family member, and parent to express my concern with the current government shutdown and, more specifically, to express my disapproval of your behavior as an elected representative of Utah at the recent “Million Vet March” rally that took place earlier this week at the World War 2 memorial. I should begin by saying that the shutdown has hit close to home for me as I have a brother who has been furloughed these past weeks as well as a sister who may no longer be able to sell her house (as her buyer is seeking an FHA loan) due to the government shutdown. While I do not claim to understand all of the intricacies of the current political melodrama in Washington, D.C., when drastic action is taken that so negatively affects the lives of so many Americans, I have to wonder whether or not such action was justified and, in this instance, I simply cannot see how it was warranted. President Obama rightfully won the 2012 election; the majority of Americans supported the main changes that would be brought about by the Affordable Care Act (ACA). I am especially distressed by the failure of his opposition to use specific terms in describing what they perceive as the main problems with the ACA and, likewise, their failure to offer logical and specific alternative solutions. In fact, the opposition seems reluctant to even acknowledge that our current health care system (a system that includes some 30 million uninsured Americans, causes our government to have the highest health spending in the world, and causes many Americans to declare bankruptcy every year over medical expenses) is clearly dysfunctional. I am troubled when I consider the possibility that such violent and nonproductive opposition to the ACA may be personally and politically advantageous to certain political leaders regardless of whether they are truly representing the best interests of the majority of their voting constituency.

Just as the government shutdown has negatively affected many Americans on a personal level, it is to be expected that negative effects would also follow on a national level, including the closure of many of our National Parks and monuments. I do not understand how anyone, let alone one of my own elected representatives from Utah, could expect these monuments to stay open and operational when they simply lack the personnel and financial resources to do so given the current government shutdown. Listening to the speeches given at Sunday’s rally, including your own, there was no logical or truthful connection between the closure of the monument being a direct result of the shutdown and, in turn, of the shutdown being a direct result of the activities of all our government officials, including the actions and decisions of our elected officials from the Republican Party. The rally exemplified what I believe most frustrates the majority of Americans concerning the current state of our government: the extreme polarization of the political parties; a complete unwillingness to compromise for the common good; a readiness to make excuses, to place blame elsewhere, and to villainize the opposition; and, most importantly, a lack of honest accountability to the very people they promised to serve and represent.

I could say more about the distasteful nature of some of comments that were made at the rally –comments which you appear to have supported and applauded – specifically Larry Klayman’s racially and religiously bigoted comment that Obama should “put the Quran down” and “come out with his hands up.” I was also confused by your apparent approval of the prominent presence of a Confederate flag at the rally, a symbol that is associated with white supremacy much in the same way that the Nazi swastika is associated with anti-Semitism. However, I hope that I have already made my disapproval and disappointment quite clear. I believe that the majority of Utahans want to be represented by reasonable conservative politicians who demonstrate thoughtful and responsible behavior. I sincerely hope that you will better consider the true preferences and attitudes of the majority of the Utahans you represent as well as the reputation of our great state as you go forward serving our community and country in the future.

Laurie Madsen

Logan, Utah