The essay below was sent to us by an anonymous visitor, who shared a vision on the Obama-Biden Transition website. We urge you to share yours!
I submitted a vision for America today that included a food garden (and mentioned you!):
Thank you for this opportunity to contribute to the vision of America under an Obama-Biden administration.
The first changes that I would like to see in a Barack Obama presidency is that the First Family settle into their new home in their own way, making the White House both a statement of their personal style as well as reflecting the rich diversity and true expression of all of America.
One of the most moving and inspirational aspects of the campaign, as Americans became acquainted with Barack, Michelle, Malia and Sasha, is the love they share, the affection and the deep bonds between them. This expression of wholesomeness and tenderness is a message from and to America, and the world, at a time when familial ties are weakened by the speed and materialism of contemporary life. Bringing this energy of love into the presidential mansion will do much to promote gentleness throughout the world.
Mr. President-elect, take the advice of both Alice Walker and George Bush: have fun in the White House! Please don’t make your new life all about work and the multiple issues that your administration must face. Make time to play with your daughters, to be your wife’s best friend, to put aside your official responsibilities and to just enjoy the affection, intelligence and ties to family – including your extended circle of family and friends. Doing so will set a valuable ideal to other Americans as well as the watching world.
Just as the First Family’s home was renovated during the Kennedy administration to reflect the early history of our nation, let us renew and refresh the face of America by reflecting her richness in all of its glory – not merely showcasing the early Colonial period but every period and culture that have contributed to our unique richness.
The White House should be a reflection of all of our cultures – not just the Anglo origins of the Pilgrims who landed at Plymouth Rock or the signers of the Declaration of Independence, but truly all of the peoples who came to America – by their own choosing as well as those brought against their will or in seeking asylum, as well as the native peoples whose land this once was.
(Such as restoration could be financed by private donations, as well as through public funds; certainly the people of America – and the world – would find this a judicious and worthwhile effort.)
All families, once they have shelter, then set about to secure nourishment, and here again the White House could establish a good example by setting a table (and inspiring healthy habits) with healthy food, organic, sustainably and locally grown. America has a long tradition, going back to before the arrival of immigrants, of a luxuriant agriculture. Let the new president and his family be a working icon of what Alice Waters calls “the delicious revolution” that is helping to improve the diets and health of people everywhere.
John Adams, Eleanor Roosevelt and other residents grew vegetables and flowers – and raised livestock - on the White House grounds, and there is a growing sentiment among citizens that the president’s home could be a model of sustainability. (The work of two organizations, Eat the View and The White House Organic Farm Project come to mind, as well as the international Slow Food movement.) What a gift to Malia and Sasha to have a garden where they and their friends could tend a little bit of Nature from seed to the table? Surely many citizens would offer to volunteer or fund this effort.What an inspiration would be a White House garden, providing locally grown flowers, fruits, vegetables and even grains for the dinner table! In addition, gardens, orchards and fields of grain would honor the American farmer who feeds us. Further, a garden tended by the First Family could be an inspiration for school children’s’ programs such as the Edible Schoolyard that, “could transform education and agriculture”, as Alice Waters says, “by feeding them and giving them pleasure; by teaching them how to grow food responsibly; and by teaching them how to cook it and eat it, together, around the table.”
Further, choosing the right White House chef will be very important, lending credence to the principles of sustainable, organic and non-corporate agriculture and feeding ourselves in a delicious, nourishing and creatively American manner. We have an abundant supply of excellent chefs and cooks, both professional and in our homes; let’s utilize and promote this talent!Next, the president’s home should go energy independent and green, creating a national paradigm in every respect – with energy conservation (yes, change the f***ing light bulbs!), solar, wind, greywater recycling, hybrid plug-in and bio-diesel vehicles, and sustainable architecture, among others. Bring in clean energy and environmentally friendly living experts to advise the White House, such as California’s Solar Living Institute, to set an example of what will become the new national energy and environment policies.
And yes, plant trees, President-elect Obama! Plants trees on the White House grounds, throughout the District of Columbia and throughout America, inspiring Americans and people around the planet to grow more carbon dioxide-inhaling plants. For every tree or other plant, yes, we can reduce the carbon in our atmosphere.
Next, build that basketball court and help to improve America’s health habits through exercise, but not only indoor exercise – go for walks in Rock Creek Park, take the kids for bicycle rides, get outside and appreciate neighborhoods and Nature. Help to free Americans from their vehicles and get them moving again, literally, losing weight and connecting with each other without need of television, mobile phones and Internet.
The arts and culture of America’s diverse population have not been celebrated in the White House or by the presidency over the past decade. Sure, reading and books are wonderful but there is so much more to share and to celebrate: dance, theatre, music, the fine arts, and so on. Let’s bring back into the president’s home the energy and enthusiasm that were showcased during the Roosevelt, Kennedy, Reagan and Clinton presidencies.
Finally, let’s recruit volunteers from all walks and stations of American life – not merely the usual folks but drawing from an expanded pool of people representative of all of our citizenry – to accomplish these and other new projects. Let’s make the White House as President Franklin Roosevelt described it, “I will never forget that I live in a house owned by all the American people.”