I'm sorry, we're not listening

Last week I wrote our beloved President in regards to a change in White House communications policy making it more difficult for individuals to voice their opinion to the President. president@whitehouse.gov is no longer a valid way to contact our President. Now you must go through this form. One result is that citizen comments are categorized into issues determined by the White House. If the President doesn't want to hear about abortion, they can remove it from the list of possible topics. Because there was no topic covering communications policy, I selected one at random (volunteering) and wrote a brief note mentioning my repulsion about the policy shift and its detrimental effects on American democracy. This is the White House's reply (in a PDF file no less, reducing the likelihood that an individual will be able to view it):

Dear Mr. Chabel:

On behalf of President Bush, thank you for your letter about the USA Freedom Corps. The President appreciates your interest in the initiative and your desire to volunteer. Comprehensive information about the USA Freedom Corps is available on the world wide web at ww.usafreedomcorps.gov or via telephone toll-free at 1-877-USA-Corps.

I hope you find these resources helpful. President Bush is grateful for those who are responding to the call to serve those in need. Thank you again for writing, and best wishes.

Sincerely,

Desiree Thompson
Special Assistant to the President and Director of Presidential Correspondence