Dear President Bush,

Now that the people have granted your wish of a second term, perhaps you can grant a few of ours.

We hope you will understand that you’re not just the president of the people who agree with you. This nation still is heavily divided, and imposing your religious beliefs on others shows little consideration for other viewpoints – especially those who believe in the separation of church and state.

We hope you will listen to what others have been saying. Your actions in Iraq have made the United States appear less credible throughout the world. We need to rebuild the bridges we have burned and allow the United Nations to have some say in any future military action or reconstruction. That said, we hope you’ve given up your penchant for restructuring foreign governments, especially after observing the disastrous results in Iraq.

We hope you will begin to address family planning in a genuine manner. Abstinence is an impractical way to deal with a very real problem in our country and overseas. Make sex education about sex education. Also we hope you will realize that abortion is not a government decision. If you believe in small government, then surely government should not have the ability to dictate whether a woman must bear a child, regardless of the circumstances.

We hope you will take steps toward solving our energy and environmental crises. The United States consumes 19.6 million barrels of oil per day – more than 25 percent of the world’s total. As a result, we produce one-fourth of the world’s greenhouse gases. By focusing more on renewable energy and tightening emission standards, we can end our reliance on repressive regimes like Saudi Arabia and ensure our way of life for the future.

We hope you will allow states to decide on the issue of same-sex marriage. A federal ban on same-sex marriage is a violation of a citizen’s basic rights. By allowing states to decide on the issue, at least you’re giving citizens more of a say in how they conduct their lives.

Finally, we hope you will set a firm timetable for the reconstruction effort in Iraq. Now that the pressures of the presidential election are over, we hope you will set a realistic date for the withdrawal of our troops. It is the only way to show Iraqi citizens that we are serious about allowing them to govern their own country and hopefully convince them not to join the insurgents’ cause.

These are just some of the many wishes we hope you will address during your next four years. And although we highly doubt you’ll listen to us, we hope that you’ll at least listen to what a significant portion of your country and the world is saying.

This is an opportunity for a new beginning. Please don’t waste it.