Schersten Running
For President

With this letter I am formally announcing my candidacy for the Presidency of the United States as a write-in candidate.

Although I have no training in government or international affairs, I do have training that I believe very pertinent to the job. Here is my platform:

The War in Iraq: I will immediately begin a drawdown of American troops with a timetable for withdrawal. This choice is a no-brainer: "Thou shalt not kill." Some of my opponents talk of winning the war. What does that mean, that we kill more of them than they kill of us? The lessons of history are clear that superpowers cannot solve the conflicts of foreign indigenous cultures.

Illegal Immigration: I will deport no "illegal" immigrants. Further, I will include calling a person "illegal" as a form of harassment and, hence, subject to our laws regarding hate crimes. I will not build a fence on our southern border. Rather, the United States will become a sanctuary nation, sharing with anyone in need. We will not fear terrorism, as Osama bin Laden made it clear that the cause of our being attacked on 9/11 was our interference with Arab nations. Muslims regard the U. S. as the "crusader nation," repeating the heinous actions of Christians from 1095 to 1291.

Healthcare: I will provide health and dental care to all citizens.

Taxes: I will make our progressive income tax system even more progressive. The poorest people will pay less tax than they do now, and the threshold for beginning to pay taxes will be raised. Taxes on the most wealthy will be raised substantially, and a cap will be put on personal wealth.

Gay Marriage: I will afford to any couple—heterosexual or homosexual—the same recognition and rights. Anyone who can find a loving and committed partner deserves support. Some of my opponents claim the Bible states that gay marriage is wrong, but the Bible also says it’s wrong for me to cut my sideburns and beard or to eat shrimp and lobster, but it’s OK for me to own slaves and will them to my children as inherited property. The amendment proposed by some of my opponents to define marriage as the union between a man and a woman would be a clear marriage of church and state—when we really need to preserve their separation to avoid fascism.

No Child Left Behind: I will immediately abolish NCLB, as it demands that schools make all students learn the same thing at the same time, which decades of research says cannot and will not happen because we are born with different kinds of intelligence in differing amounts that develop at different rates. One size does not fit all.

Please vote for me and tell your friends that we can, indeed, be a nation informed by the teachings of Jesus to love and to forgive. Thank you for your support.

Tom Schersten

Randolph