So well said. It speaks to my sadness, my personal division from family and friends, to my grief experiencing this time of turmoil, injustice and cruelty in my coming of old age where I envisioned a woman leader by this time, a wider embrace of new ideas. But alas, I fear I’ll meet my end with this sadness and it is really hard for me to bear this heartbreak at this time. My heart bleeds for all of us but especially the underserved, the most vulnerable among us and I too wonder what kind of lessons are the current generation of children learning. Cruelty, lack of empathy, lying, hatred of anything that is different from themselves? I would love to see the four
living presidents stand united with us and give us hope and strength when we really need it.
Thank you for your kind words—it means more than you know. Know that we cannot give up—let’s tether ourselves to one another and link arms. I personally sent this letter to each president as well as the press. If we can amplify this message together, perhaps they will see it and respond.
This brought tears to my eyes. Wonderful writing and so clear. When these past presidents campaigned to be elected we gave them our vote so they could do what they promised us. They were elected because of us, we showed up. Have all their promises to serve the people and our country dissolved with the end of their presidency? They got our vote, served their term and don’t have to step up to the plate now? Maybe but we need you all more than ever to help be a voice along with the people to call out this Regime.
It means more than words that you took the time to read and respond. It came from the heart, and I had tears when I wrote it. I have sent to every president as well as the press. The more we can amplify it, the more likely they are to see it. Thank you for being here.
Oh, so glad you distributed it. I said to my husband this needs to get out there, everywhere. Unfortunately, my close friends, neighbors and even family don’t want to talk about any of this. Politics has become tabu in social situations, therefore, I have withdrawn socially unless it is at an organized protest. I have also withdrawn from Instagram and Threads, never was a Facebook fan so that wasn’t a problem. Substack and Bluesky, that’s it. Again, appreciated this writing and hope you continue enlightening the population.
I applaud you for showing the pain we are all feeling. My heart breaks daily for the cruelty and ignorance of this regime. I have grandchildren that could be forced to war by the monster sitting in the Oval Office. I agree, it would unite people if the four former real presidents were to stand united against the horror that the Inited States has become. I’m 65 and at this point in my life I thought my husband and I could enjoy retirement, our grandchildren and our children. Instead I wake up every morning , after very little sleep wondering what new horror, what new cruelty this administration has inflicted. This is not how I ever thought my “golden years “ would be, nor did I ever think my grandchildren would have less freedom or basic human rights than I did. This is an assault on the constitution and the belief of a better world we all thought it would be.
So thank you for your heartfelt letter, and may we win this battle for the country against the evil within this administration.
I hope that your inspirational words are spread throughout our country. And I hope that all of the former leaders of the country will act on behalf of their fellow Americans. Trump and his goon squad have to be stopped and hopefully our former presidents will lead the way.
Thank you so much, Keith. Grateful to you for being here and for taking the time to comment. I have shared with all of our former presidents, as well as the press. All we can do is amplify it and hope to see a response in their actions.
Thanks so much, Kelly. I’m so glad to know it resonated with you. If they do not respond, it won’t be for lack of effort—I have personally sent it to all of them as well as the press. We need them now more than ever.
Thank you for writing the words that most of us are feeling right now. I feel every word deep in my soul. I have grandchildren that I fight for every day with my own words and protests. My heart is breaking for what this country has become because of SILENCE and COWARDICE of the people that matter most. When the Supreme Court enables this evil cruel behavior it is clear that power and greed is the controlling factor. They have all become traitors to this country and its future. And like u my sadness is for the young people. My grandchildren are learning this evil. So yes you are so right that our past presidents and many many others should stand up to this moment!!! WHERE ARE YOU? WHY ARE YOU NOT FIGHTING WITH US???
Thanks so much for being here and responding. All of our children are learning this evil, and it will be our downfall if it is not stopped. I sent this open letter to all of them as well as the press. If we amplify it enough, perhaps they will see it and stand together to deliver a unifying message that will have more impact than they may know.
Thank you Lisa for using your voice and helping others to feel justified in their feelings. We need a community of like minded people to support each other through these horrible times. Perhaps the women will save the world someday! Let’s hope! Keep doing what u are doing!!
This letter is fire wrapped in grace. A righteous plea to those who still carry the weight of their oath—if only in memory. When power’s been perverted into performance art, silence becomes complicity. Thank you, Lisa, for reminding us that patriotism isn’t polite—it’s protective. And now is the moment to protect. Before the storm becomes the system.
Thanks so much for being here and leaving a comment. I carried it in my chest for two days and it came from the heart. I did what I could to make sure it has a chance of being seen. I hope it reaches them.
Thank you, Maria. Your words hit me in my chest. I am doing everything in my power to fight back at every possible level. I pray they see this letter and consider this plea to move together and amplify a unified voice among the four living presidents who respected the role they once served in—unlike the evil we are dealing with now.
This powerful letter has left me in tears. Lisa Gonzalez has beautifully voicedall of my thoughts and fears. We need our former presidents to defend our Constitution and our people with one powerful voice.
Thank you for this Lisa. I’d like to add your comments to Liz Cheney’s outline of what to do (pasted below and thanks for Robert Reich’s post) cuz all our actions and plans so far are insufficient in the new reality of what America is experiencing.
“Call your representatives, protest on the streets, and donate a few bucks to an election” that can’t come fast enough and may not happen - all that is insufficient.
I think those realizations of the crisis are essential and I have some news that the article is not only a hoax, the actual suggestions don’t work. Robert Hubble’s newsletter today (June 25, 2025) speaks to this quite thoroughly in “Final Conclusions” Alas. My apologies for spreading a hoax.
This was one of the most amazingly poignant and heartbreakingly accurate missives I have read through these past several months. I am grateful, as a citizen of the world, for the care you have shown for your fellow Americans and indirectly for all of us. Thank you and good bless you. 💖
I can’t adequately convey what that means to me that it resonated with you—I had tears in my eyes as I wrote it and pray that it is seen by the four men who have the power to do more than they know.
Your letter is beautiful . Thank you. May I suggest you write another letter as a petition one paragraph and circulate it get a million signatures and send it to the personal contacts of all these leaders , their vice presidents plus Hillary,Kamala and attorney generals and governors and others. Frankly the only thing that seems to work is hitting them in the pocketbook like boycotts , counter tarriffs and the things that the Canadian and Mexican President are doing. You are dealing with a person with advanced dementia , who can not hear , is incapable of hearing or seeing anything outside his own perception and dealing with his blinded cult followers. Followers that are so brainwashed they are unreachable . To me the ex followers who are leaving the fold and speaking out have more influence . There will be no saviors in this revolution that we are right smack in the middle of. It’s up to us.
You’re absolutely right: this is a revolution already in motion, and there won’t be any saviors riding in. It’s going to be us—united, organized, relentless.
I’ve been thinking the same thing: a petition, a wave, a fire line that doesn’t stop at former presidents but reaches governors, VPs, and every official who still has a spine. You just lit that fuse a little hotter.
Let’s keep building. Because the truth you just named?
Lisa: this letter is beautifully written and is very obviously from the heart. I hope the former presidents appreciate it and stand strong against the tyrant who succeeded them. Thank you for writing them.
Thank you so much, Dorothy. That means the world to me.
I truly hope they feel the weight of this moment—and remember that leadership doesn’t end when you leave office. We need them now. Even just one public stand could shift something.
Until then, I’m grateful to be standing with people like you. We keep showing up. We keep telling the truth. And we don’t let tyrants define what this country becomes. ❤️🔥
When I sit down for coffee in the morning, I see a nearby bookshelf. It has book about John F. Kennedy, written by his assistant Ted Sorensen. The shelves hold books about Harry Truman, Lyndon Johnson, John Adams and Theodore Roosevelt, among others. Another bookcase features titles about the Northwest. One side of my living room is full of stories about the America in my heart. But that is not the America that I live in today. That America is divided and mean, with a cruel administration that punishes and suppresses disfavored ideas and people -- even entire states. Abraham Lincoln spoke of appealing to "our better angels." I yearn for national leaders who would do the same, and give all Americans permission to dream and pursue the common good.
I also can’t reconcile the America in my heart with the one we’re living in now.
But I still believe we can take it back.
That’s why I reached out to the four men who understand the gravity of that office more than anyone ever could—men who, despite their flaws, carried it with respect and a sense of decorum.
I pray they come together to send a signal to the country—that they oppose this cruelty, this silence, this unraveling. That they remember what leadership is supposed to mean.
Thank you for your beautifully written letter! It is so painful to see what is happening daily in our country. I never thought it could be like this in America. I honestly don’t know what it will take for our legislators and representatives to finally stand up and say enough, no more!!
We the people must be the ones to speak out, share the truth, and never kneel!
So well said. It speaks to my sadness, my personal division from family and friends, to my grief experiencing this time of turmoil, injustice and cruelty in my coming of old age where I envisioned a woman leader by this time, a wider embrace of new ideas. But alas, I fear I’ll meet my end with this sadness and it is really hard for me to bear this heartbreak at this time. My heart bleeds for all of us but especially the underserved, the most vulnerable among us and I too wonder what kind of lessons are the current generation of children learning. Cruelty, lack of empathy, lying, hatred of anything that is different from themselves? I would love to see the four
living presidents stand united with us and give us hope and strength when we really need it.
Thank you for your kind words—it means more than you know. Know that we cannot give up—let’s tether ourselves to one another and link arms. I personally sent this letter to each president as well as the press. If we can amplify this message together, perhaps they will see it and respond.
Very succinct article, Kuodos to you‼️🥰😍‼️
This brought tears to my eyes. Wonderful writing and so clear. When these past presidents campaigned to be elected we gave them our vote so they could do what they promised us. They were elected because of us, we showed up. Have all their promises to serve the people and our country dissolved with the end of their presidency? They got our vote, served their term and don’t have to step up to the plate now? Maybe but we need you all more than ever to help be a voice along with the people to call out this Regime.
It means more than words that you took the time to read and respond. It came from the heart, and I had tears when I wrote it. I have sent to every president as well as the press. The more we can amplify it, the more likely they are to see it. Thank you for being here.
Oh, so glad you distributed it. I said to my husband this needs to get out there, everywhere. Unfortunately, my close friends, neighbors and even family don’t want to talk about any of this. Politics has become tabu in social situations, therefore, I have withdrawn socially unless it is at an organized protest. I have also withdrawn from Instagram and Threads, never was a Facebook fan so that wasn’t a problem. Substack and Bluesky, that’s it. Again, appreciated this writing and hope you continue enlightening the population.
I applaud you for showing the pain we are all feeling. My heart breaks daily for the cruelty and ignorance of this regime. I have grandchildren that could be forced to war by the monster sitting in the Oval Office. I agree, it would unite people if the four former real presidents were to stand united against the horror that the Inited States has become. I’m 65 and at this point in my life I thought my husband and I could enjoy retirement, our grandchildren and our children. Instead I wake up every morning , after very little sleep wondering what new horror, what new cruelty this administration has inflicted. This is not how I ever thought my “golden years “ would be, nor did I ever think my grandchildren would have less freedom or basic human rights than I did. This is an assault on the constitution and the belief of a better world we all thought it would be.
So thank you for your heartfelt letter, and may we win this battle for the country against the evil within this administration.
Terrie, it is 5AM and I feel every word you wrote. So much despair.
Immense gratitude to Lisa for expressing our pain and need so eloquently.
I too wish our previous Presidents would unite and hold a press conference or National Day of Truth Telling that all could witness.
Very comforted that we are not alone.
“We are in this together” (as Joyce Vance reminds us). Peace, unity and exponential courage to all. We must fight.
Dear Lisa,
I hope that your inspirational words are spread throughout our country. And I hope that all of the former leaders of the country will act on behalf of their fellow Americans. Trump and his goon squad have to be stopped and hopefully our former presidents will lead the way.
Thank you so much, Keith. Grateful to you for being here and for taking the time to comment. I have shared with all of our former presidents, as well as the press. All we can do is amplify it and hope to see a response in their actions.
That was perfect—I hope they respond.
Thanks so much, Kelly. I’m so glad to know it resonated with you. If they do not respond, it won’t be for lack of effort—I have personally sent it to all of them as well as the press. We need them now more than ever.
Thank you for writing the words that most of us are feeling right now. I feel every word deep in my soul. I have grandchildren that I fight for every day with my own words and protests. My heart is breaking for what this country has become because of SILENCE and COWARDICE of the people that matter most. When the Supreme Court enables this evil cruel behavior it is clear that power and greed is the controlling factor. They have all become traitors to this country and its future. And like u my sadness is for the young people. My grandchildren are learning this evil. So yes you are so right that our past presidents and many many others should stand up to this moment!!! WHERE ARE YOU? WHY ARE YOU NOT FIGHTING WITH US???
Thanks so much for being here and responding. All of our children are learning this evil, and it will be our downfall if it is not stopped. I sent this open letter to all of them as well as the press. If we amplify it enough, perhaps they will see it and stand together to deliver a unifying message that will have more impact than they may know.
Thank you Lisa for using your voice and helping others to feel justified in their feelings. We need a community of like minded people to support each other through these horrible times. Perhaps the women will save the world someday! Let’s hope! Keep doing what u are doing!!
This letter is fire wrapped in grace. A righteous plea to those who still carry the weight of their oath—if only in memory. When power’s been perverted into performance art, silence becomes complicity. Thank you, Lisa, for reminding us that patriotism isn’t polite—it’s protective. And now is the moment to protect. Before the storm becomes the system.
I just read this three times out loud. You’ve named it with such piercing clarity:
“Before the storm becomes the system.”
That line lives in me now.
Patriotism isn’t polite—it’s protective. YES.
And silence? At this point, it’s surrender.
Thank you for this response, and for standing in the fire with me. I see you. I hear you. And we’re not going quiet. ❤️🔥
Wow, Lisa! Thank you for sharing such a well written and heartfelt letter. Everyone should read it!
Thanks so much for being here and leaving a comment. I carried it in my chest for two days and it came from the heart. I did what I could to make sure it has a chance of being seen. I hope it reaches them.
Beautiful, you reached into to our heart, mind, & soul. Thank you, another courageous woman stepping up.. . Being proud.. THANK YOU.
Thank you, Maria. Your words hit me in my chest. I am doing everything in my power to fight back at every possible level. I pray they see this letter and consider this plea to move together and amplify a unified voice among the four living presidents who respected the role they once served in—unlike the evil we are dealing with now.
This powerful letter has left me in tears. Lisa Gonzalez has beautifully voicedall of my thoughts and fears. We need our former presidents to defend our Constitution and our people with one powerful voice.
Your message means more than I can say.
I wrote this through tears too—because what we’re living through is heartbreaking, surreal, and so lonely unless we name it together.
You are not alone.
And you’re right—we need those former presidents to show up, not just for history, but for right now.
Until then, it’s up to us to keep saying what must be said.
Thank you for standing in this moment with me. Truly. ❤️🔥
Thank you for this Lisa. I’d like to add your comments to Liz Cheney’s outline of what to do (pasted below and thanks for Robert Reich’s post) cuz all our actions and plans so far are insufficient in the new reality of what America is experiencing.
“Call your representatives, protest on the streets, and donate a few bucks to an election” that can’t come fast enough and may not happen - all that is insufficient.
We can’t play by the old rules.
https://open.substack.com/pub/robertreich/p/a-remarkable-message?r=d0xd&utm_medium=ios
This gave me chills—thank you.
You’re absolutely right: the old playbook can’t hold this moment.
We’ve moved beyond “get out the vote” and into defend what’s left.
Liz Cheney’s clarity, Robert Reich’s urgency—both are part of the reckoning.
But it’s voices like yours, calling it out plainly, that remind me this isn’t just a crisis of policy—it’s a crisis of courage.
We cannot keep pretending the system will save us.
We are the firewall now. Let’s burn loud. Let’s burn bright. 🔥❤️
I think those realizations of the crisis are essential and I have some news that the article is not only a hoax, the actual suggestions don’t work. Robert Hubble’s newsletter today (June 25, 2025) speaks to this quite thoroughly in “Final Conclusions” Alas. My apologies for spreading a hoax.
This was one of the most amazingly poignant and heartbreakingly accurate missives I have read through these past several months. I am grateful, as a citizen of the world, for the care you have shown for your fellow Americans and indirectly for all of us. Thank you and good bless you. 💖
You put into words so plainly and elegantly what a lot of us cannot. Thank you! You brought tears to my eyes.
I can’t adequately convey what that means to me that it resonated with you—I had tears in my eyes as I wrote it and pray that it is seen by the four men who have the power to do more than they know.
Your letter is beautiful . Thank you. May I suggest you write another letter as a petition one paragraph and circulate it get a million signatures and send it to the personal contacts of all these leaders , their vice presidents plus Hillary,Kamala and attorney generals and governors and others. Frankly the only thing that seems to work is hitting them in the pocketbook like boycotts , counter tarriffs and the things that the Canadian and Mexican President are doing. You are dealing with a person with advanced dementia , who can not hear , is incapable of hearing or seeing anything outside his own perception and dealing with his blinded cult followers. Followers that are so brainwashed they are unreachable . To me the ex followers who are leaving the fold and speaking out have more influence . There will be no saviors in this revolution that we are right smack in the middle of. It’s up to us.
Lucy—thank you. You get it.
You’re absolutely right: this is a revolution already in motion, and there won’t be any saviors riding in. It’s going to be us—united, organized, relentless.
I’ve been thinking the same thing: a petition, a wave, a fire line that doesn’t stop at former presidents but reaches governors, VPs, and every official who still has a spine. You just lit that fuse a little hotter.
Let’s keep building. Because the truth you just named?
It’s up to us. 🔥❤️
Lisa also the business community Tariffs hurt everyone.
Lisa: this letter is beautifully written and is very obviously from the heart. I hope the former presidents appreciate it and stand strong against the tyrant who succeeded them. Thank you for writing them.
Thank you so much, Dorothy. That means the world to me.
I truly hope they feel the weight of this moment—and remember that leadership doesn’t end when you leave office. We need them now. Even just one public stand could shift something.
Until then, I’m grateful to be standing with people like you. We keep showing up. We keep telling the truth. And we don’t let tyrants define what this country becomes. ❤️🔥
When I sit down for coffee in the morning, I see a nearby bookshelf. It has book about John F. Kennedy, written by his assistant Ted Sorensen. The shelves hold books about Harry Truman, Lyndon Johnson, John Adams and Theodore Roosevelt, among others. Another bookcase features titles about the Northwest. One side of my living room is full of stories about the America in my heart. But that is not the America that I live in today. That America is divided and mean, with a cruel administration that punishes and suppresses disfavored ideas and people -- even entire states. Abraham Lincoln spoke of appealing to "our better angels." I yearn for national leaders who would do the same, and give all Americans permission to dream and pursue the common good.
Oh, Mavis—
I feel this in my bones. I yearn for the same.
I also can’t reconcile the America in my heart with the one we’re living in now.
But I still believe we can take it back.
That’s why I reached out to the four men who understand the gravity of that office more than anyone ever could—men who, despite their flaws, carried it with respect and a sense of decorum.
I pray they come together to send a signal to the country—that they oppose this cruelty, this silence, this unraveling. That they remember what leadership is supposed to mean.
I still believe it’s not too late.
Thank you for your beautifully written letter! It is so painful to see what is happening daily in our country. I never thought it could be like this in America. I honestly don’t know what it will take for our legislators and representatives to finally stand up and say enough, no more!!
We the people must be the ones to speak out, share the truth, and never kneel!
Thank you so much for this.
It breaks my heart every day too—and like you, I never imagined we’d be here. But the silence from our leaders? It’s suffocating.
That’s why I wrote the letter. Because if they won’t stand up, then we have to.
We the people. The witnesses. The ones who still believe this country can be better than what it’s becoming.
Keep speaking out. Keep sharing the truth.
We don’t kneel to cruelty—we rise against it. ❤️🔥