Below is an open letter from John Ellsworth, whose son was killed in action in Iraq in 2004, to his Senator from Michigan.  If you feel these thoughts would also apply to your representation in Washington, please contact your Congressman or Senator today.
 

An Open letter to Senator Carl Levin form A Gold Star Father
        
December 27th, 2007
        
A year in review 
        
Senator Levin, I know you have been a busy man this year and you must be tired after all of those votes to withdraw from Iraq, amendments to tie funding to timelines and staying up all night on the Senate floor to make your point, but please take a minute to read this letter from a Proud Father of a Fallen Marine. 
        
I would have loved to have sat down with you while I was in Washington D.C. in July, but your staff said you were too busy. Just ask your “Legislative Correspondent” Justin Harlem, I’m sure he will remember me. I came into the office with 2 Proud Military Iraq Veterans. (I’m glad to see that you weren’t too busy for those nice ladies dressed in pink –Code Pink, demonstrating at the capital that day though. You and Mrs. Pelosi found time to join them on stage for a rally. That was really something, after all, my son died for those rights to demonstrate.) I also wanted to see you in September while in D.C. but I understand from your staff people that you were a little busy with a Senate vote “To express the sense of the Senate that General David H. Petraeus, Commanding General, Multi-National Force-Iraq, deserves the full support of the Senate and strongly condemn personal attacks on the honor and integrity of General Petraeus and all members of the United States Armed Forces. You voted “NAY” by the way. Your vote confused me a little because only 9 months earlier (January 26th) you and your colleagues confirmed him 81-0 with 19 “Not voting”. What happened between that time? I’ll tell you what happened, We started to see success in Iraq and you didn’t want to hear it. 
        
I actually traveled to Washington D.C. from Michigan (Yes, I am one of your constituents), to meet with my Legislators and hear General Petraeus’ testimony. I was interested in what he had to say and NOT what the Media wanted me to hear.
        
I wanted to talk to you about progress in Iraq and about all of the GOOD THINGS our men and women of the military are doing. I wanted to tell you about my son LCPL Justin Ellsworth USMC and the difference he made in the lives of the Iraqi people and the world. I wanted to tell you that you needed to “Give credit where credit was due”. But it has become increasingly apparent from your stand on Iraq that you will ignore even the most obvious signs of progress in order to divide the nation even further to promote your partisan politics. The rhetoric and the lack of foresight on your behalf have proven that you have taken this to the next partisan step. I find it difficult to believe that we have become so divided as a nation that we have to define ourselves as Republicans or Democrats instead of AMERICANS. 
        
On one hand, you claim that the Iraqi Government is a dysfunctional system and can get nothing done, but on the other hand… you and your colleagues certainly don’t provide a very good blue print for them to follow now do you?
        
This letter is not sent to you to point out your voting record or erroneous stands you have taken over the last year, but to encourage you to do better in 2008. 
        
For at the end of year 2007, it was “Nothing Accomplished” in the halls of Congress.
        
P.S.
        
Oh, by the way... You might want to watch the company you keep, those “nice ladies” in pink... Turns out that they aren’t so nice... they called my son a murderer and threw things at me. 
        
Respectfully,
        
John M. Ellsworth, 
        
Proud Father of LCPL Justin M. Ellsworth, U.S.M.C.
        
K.I.A. / O.I.F. 13 NOV 04 – Fallujah, Iraq
       
        Gone but NEVER forgotten