If children like 12-year-old Jackson Ripley are our future, we might not have anything to worry about. The tween wrote a strongly-worded letter to Mitt Romney blasting his healthcare plan — or lack thereof — as well as his positions on women’s rights and gay marriage. So it seems Chris Kluwe now has some competition for the title of “Best Letter of All Time.”
The Huffington Post originally published Ripley’s letter:
Dear Governor Romney,
I’d like to say congratulations on winning the republican nomination. But, I wish you stayed in Massachusetts. You’re plan for America isn’t what we need, and would hurt us more than it would help.
First, repealing Obama care and other health plans he’s put in place have helped families across America, including mine. I live in a middle class family, and two years ago my little sister; Kennedy was denied insurance because of her pre-existing condition. This was a huge emotional stress and financial burden on my entire family. Under Obama Care, insurance companies can no longer deny Kennedy and kids like her, the coverage they need and deserve. Because of Obama care my little sister was able to have the several surgeries she needed that helped save her life. Once the President was elected he put Obama Care into action, just like he promised and made it so that you could get insurance with pre-existing conditions. This has made a direct impact on my family. My family is with out a doubt better off now, than we were four years ago!
It is to my understanding that you stated that you were going to repeal Obama Care, including the part I have mentioned, which will take away the insurance we have and need for my sister Kennedy. Why do you think she doesn’t deserve health care? Also, when you were interviewed on “Meet the Press”, you stated that you would NOT repeal this part of Obama Care, but then your campaign backpedalled and on the “Tonight show with Jay Leno”, you said that you WOULD repeal this.
Also, you’re domestic plans (birth control, gay rights etc.) are horrible! Women should get to manage their own health, and if you wonder why you’re not appealing to many women voters, rethink your birth control and women’s’ rights plans. And people should be able to marry whom they want. We built this country so people could have freedom, and not have religious beliefs control them to that length. This country was in no way built on any religion, so we should not create laws that repress the American people in a religious way and hurt our most vulnerable.
Sincerely,
Jackson Ripley, age 12
Jackson’s mom, Lindsay, explained to Huff Po that Jackson’s 7-year-old sister Kennedy developed a life-threatening hemangioma — “an abnormal, raised tumor of blood vessels” — shortly after she was born that developed into congestive heart failure. In 2009, Lindsay’s husband, John, lost his job and subsequently their health insurance, and though he found another job three months later, the family had to find insurance elsewhere, which proved difficult with Kennedy’s pre-existing condition.
“Our only option was to purchase Kennedy an expensive policy through an insurance company exclusively for people with pre-existing conditions,” Lindsay Ripley said. However, after the passage of the Affordable Care Act in 2010, Kennedy was added back onto the family policy, but she’ll likely require treatment for the rest of her life.
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Lindsay initially shared Jackson’s letter with friends and family before sending it to Huff Po and Romney himself. Jackson has been a profound letter writer since taking the President to task over the war in Iraq three years ago and though now a viral sensation, he remains remarkably clear-headed:
My inspiration for the letter was basically my frustration. It was painful (and sometimes a little funny) to see all the people that blindly (sic) supporting Mitt Romney, and I felt like I should bring that to people’s attention. I already knew that his plans for America would tear us apart, and would bring more harm than good to families like mine, so I had to make a stand. What he would do was unfair, and I wanted to say something about that.
Seriously, can we lower the legal age for President to like 15 so this kid can get on a ticket for 2016?
BJ McFrisky
If anyone really thinks this kid wrote the letter without his parents’ help, well, you probably also believed in “hope and change” four years ago.
Good for the Democratics for finally cornering the market in the coveted 10-to-13-year-old demographic. God knows they’ll need it come November.
kevininbuffalo
From the photo I’d say Jackson looks a lot younger than 12. He may also have some gender issues.
sfbeast
It’s a cute letter, but I don’t particularly like that it seems to be a fraudulent 12 y/o’s letter that supports my political side. Kind of reminds me of those awful YouTube videos where repubs get their kids to sing awful bigoted and homophobic songs.
mammame
I, personally, have no doubts about this letter’s authenticity (hope and change aside). My 11 year old is more than capable of writing something like this (in fact, he is currently writing a childrens’s fantasy novel – a good one!!) and is very engaged and opinionated about the political process.
At the age of SEVEN, he made his own documentary (with our family Handycam) about the 2008 elections in wich he visited various polling sites and asked the voters who they planned to or had voted for and why. It all began much in the same way as young Mr. Ripley’s letter. He was watching political coverage with his father and I, then he asked us who we planned to vote for. Then he wanted to know why. Before long, he started asking other family memebers and every adult he knew. He even wrote up additional questions based on our discussions. At some point, he mentioned that he wished he coud talk to a lot more people and figure out why people were voting (you see, he wanted to be certain that people were not voting for or against Mr. Obama based solely on race)- and I said “Why Not – you could even get it on tape?” And he did!! Since then he has volunteered with me on other local and statewide campaigns- even making campaign calls (phone banking). If you live in the Atlanta area, you may have even received a call from him!
Kids who are given the oppotunity to express themselves and actively engage in the “adult” world that will soon be theirs will almost always have a mature outlook and be much more capable of articulating their ideas than their couterparts who ae not given this same opportuniy.
Keep an open mind – it’s why we’re here! 🙂
Little-Kiwi
BJ McFrisky is just upset that the black liberal president shows more grace and compassion than his own racist white family 😀
Freddie27
I think it’s sweet and completely true!
P.S. BJ, look at the polls. Romney’s dead in the water, the NYT is predicting the Dems will retain control of the Senate and generic Dems beat generic Repubs in congressional polls.
P.P.S. Queerty, well done with the (sic), but you’ve put it in the wrong place. It goes after “supporting” rather than “blindly.”
KARUADAM
@kevininbuffalo: If Jackson Ripley, got a gender issues, as a Behaviral Psychology, I take it you have brain (what ever you got in your box) issues.