I don’t do political posts. (Apparently, kind of like I don’t do NaNoWriMo.) When a friend asked for help writing an open letter to Hillary Clinton, I balked. But her points were so relevant to so many, so broadly neglected by mainstream media, and so resonant across party lines, I went ahead and helped. Sadie has made it clear this is an open letter. She wants people to share it, copy-and-paste it in excerpt or in whole in their own letters–whether to Clinton or as a modified version to another candidate.
Yes, it’s too late for fully changing election platforms. But someone new will be in the White House in January, and that individual needs to know that these issues matter deeply. Enjoy, and feel free to plagiarize this piece at will! 😉
Dear Secretary Clinton,
As an independent, I have voted for Republican, Democrat, and Libertarian candidates in diverse races over the years. I am one of those irritating swing voters. This year, you should be my shoe-in for President. But you’re not. My vote-early ballot still sits on my kitchen table. All the votes are filled in—except for President. It’s your right to know why someone who is very open to voting Democrat, feels she can’t in good conscience, vote for you.
It ain’t the emails.
It’s your pharmaceutical funding. As person who goes to a naturopathic doctor and eats organic non-GMO food to take care of my own health, I am deeply concerned about your financial ties. At the beginning of this year, you outpaced all other Democrat and Republican candidates in your acceptance of donations from the pharmaceutical industry. You also have had, and may continue to cultivate, ties with Monsanto affiliates. Though the precise nuance of those ties is up for debate, they are significant. I am concerned these alliances will influence your decisions and leadership regarding human health and the quality of our food.
Shouldn’t these issues be important to everyone? I mean, there won’t be any other debates left worth having if we’re all too sick to think clear. Not many of my Democrat friends realize that, if they are concerned about the following issues, they have no real representation in their party anymore:
GMO Foods – The Democratic Party has bought the lie that GMOs are the only way to effectively feed the world
Small organic farms and eco-farming – The Democratic Party is too far sold out to Big Food companies like Monsanto to care about protecting small organic farms
Access to natural supplements – The Democratic Party is too deeply entangled with the FDA and big pharma to protect the supplement industry
Access to real HEALTH Care – On a grand whole, the ACA focuses on access to conventional pharmaceutical treatments, not the natural modalities that really help people get healthy
I, and all my Democrat, organic-eating, whole health loving friends are deeply concerned. The Republican Party is just as financially entangled on these issues, and I can’t picture profit-loving Trump cooperating with small organics and natural health philosophies once Big Pharma and Big Ag begin courting him. So this is the first time I’ve strongly considered voting third party in the Presidential race. I honestly hope your campaign will respond and counter my sources. I pasted them below.
My ballot still sits on my table waiting for your reply.
Sincerely,
Sadie R.
Minneapolis, MN
SOURCES:
Secretary Clinton and Big Pharma:
http://www.cnn.com/2016/02/11/health/big-pharma-presidential-politics/
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-pharmaceuticals-idUSKCN0Z22F1
http://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/257234-clinton-brings-in-most-big-pharma-money-of-2016-field
Secretary Clinton and GMO/Monsanto Ties:
http://www.naturalnews.com/Clinton-Foundation-Donors-State.html
“As Secretary, Hillary promoted the USAID-funded “Feed the Future,” a program that promotes the use of Round-up Ready [Monsanto] products.” http://www.dailykos.com/story/2016/2/6/1480931/-Hillary-Clinton-and-Monsanto