Reflections on the first 6 months

Dear President Obama,

July 20 marked the beginning of your seventh month as President and my seventh letter. You have a tough job but you have a great partner to support you. My neighbor lent me the Life Magazine with the picture of your wife. How proud you must be.

Reading the magazine stirred up memories when I was working in public housing in Philadelphia 40 years ago as a social worker. There I was disappointed and helpful to the families without a husband. I will never forget the saying of one of our girl leaders, "I can raise my children without a husband."

I enjoyed your talk at the 100th anniversary of the NAACP. For a period of years I was a member. In your talk you encouraged black families to stay together, and their children not only finish high school but also finish college.

As a veteran I agree with you it was a mistake to go to war in Iraq. Just this month Robert McNamara, who was Secretary of Defense in the 1960s, died. In April of 1995 he stated "We were terribly wrong on Vietnam."

Robert Pendleton

Elk Grove Village