Due to our deep concerns for our nation's children, who are having symptoms of insomnia, anxiety, fear, and depression because they are being subjected to interpersonal harassment, intimidation, violence, and bullying based on their race, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, physical disability, and/or gender, we are imploring the first lady-in-waiting to promote strength-based, positive approaches that can foster kindness, honesty, respect, compassion, charity, understanding, and cooperation among our children.
November 13, 2016 (World Kindness Day)
Dear First Lady-in-Waiting,
We, the undersigned, would like to share our deep concerns for our nation's children. Across our nation, we are hearing story after story of children who are having symptoms of insomnia, anxiety, fear, and depression because they are being subjected to interpersonal harassment, intimidation, violence, and bullying based on their race, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, physical disability, and/or gender. Parents are sharing stories that their children cannot sleep at night for fear that their families may be deported.
Recently, you spoke the words “I want our children in this country and all around the world to live a beautiful life, to be safe and secure, to dream freely of love and a family of their own some day. We need to teach our youth American values; kindness, honesty, respect, compassion, charity, understanding, cooperation.”
We write this letter imploring you to do everything in your power, throughout your tenure in the White House, to ensure the safety and well-being of our nation's children. We believe you are sincere in your promise to be an advocate for children. We hope you will become a leader who fulfills the mission of your own words: “We have to find a better way to talk to each other, to disagree with each other, to respect each other.”
To achieve that goal, we encourage you to promote strength-based, positive approaches that can foster kindness, honesty, respect, compassion, charity, understanding, and cooperation among our children. Across our great nation, there are effective practices and programs such as the Harvard Graduate School of Education's Making Caring Common Project, the Search Institute's Developmental Assets and Developmental Relationships, Positive Behavioral Interventions & Supports, and Roots of Empathy that encourage young people to respect, accept, and appreciate one another. Our children need exposure to these positive messages and our nation needs a leader who will step up and commit herself to this critical mission.
We believe that leader can be you, First Lady-in-Waiting. On behalf of our nation’s children, please become a beacon of light and hope for our nation’s future leaders.
Sincerely,
The Undersigned
