Couldn't help myself - I wrote Michelle Obama

[beemaster]

Hi All:

After seeing the photo of the Whitehouse Lawn Behive, I felt the need to go towww.whitehouse.gov and to the letters to the whitehouse section (now I know it is highly nlikely that anyone who really matters will ever see it) but I wanted to congratulate her/them on putting a hive on the property (No I don't want to debate the cost of said hive - or rehash past posts) but I humbly mentioned our Internation Forum dedicated to helping promote beekeeping and make beekeepers better beekeepers and so on.

They allow a very long letter, but I only used about half the characters allowed to be typed, but got all the points across I had on my mind - I just mentioned that she will see an incredible difference in the flowering plants and trees and the over all health of the garden they plan to plant.

All politics a side, a MOTHER wants to have a garden to teach her girls how to use the earth and grow veggies and flowers and that is pretty charming to me. I hope either side of our political spectrum here can't find something to bash about that.

So, they have heard from Beemaster and although I doubt I'll ever hear back, it would be cool if someday I checked the email or got at least a signed photo with "a thank you for the letter" written on it.

I'll follow up if there is anything that comes of this :)

[slaphead]

You never know.  The Obama's seem to like community organizers and you fit the bill. 

[beemaster]

I'd be stretching it if I said I didn't mention Beemaster Forums, the fact we have a hundred countries and thousands of years of combined beekeeping experience, all sharing their knowledge with guests and new beekeepers, expanding the honeybee hobby  far around the globe, also dispelling the negative information people often believe about the honeybees, etc.

I mentioned that I hope that we are an example of how an online community can make a difference and that we gladly would enjoy being made an example as people from all beliefs, across all the oceans and lands coming together to make a difference with this creature that is so important to human's thriving and surviving.

I wish I had copied the message, I gladly would have posted it here - I wasn't thinking since it was one of those embedded post pages at their site. But I think I did the forum justice and surely praised everyone from the slightly interested, to the commercial beekeeper and everyone in between.

It was fun to write, I hope that someone along the chain of command addresses it, I'm not expecting executive reply - but as you said, no one knows and all administrations are always looking for good examples of people who make a difference and I think we all qualify for our efforts in what is often a very difficult hobby/profession to thrive at - beekeeping, as we all know, isn't the easiest vocation and often has more frustration and heartbreak than prosperity.

Thanks for the thoughts :)

[jdpro5010]

You definitely aren't shy are you beemaster!  Good for you and well done!

[Cindi]

John, wonderful...I know your skill at writing, expressing yourself, you are gifted.  I can only imagine how beautiful that letter to the First Lady would have been.  Yay!!!  You have more than likely touched another person's soul -- that is a magnificent thing.  Keep on doing the things that you do, you make it all right.  The gardens at the White House will indeed flourish.  Have a great and most wonderful and beautiful day, love our life, and live it so.  Health.  Cindi

[SgtMaj]

I know several people that have started their own veggie gardens, simply because the WH now has one.  I'm sure there will be at least a couple of people that start beekeeping as a result of their hives (they have two, right?)... surely that can't be a bad thing.

[Cheryl]

ALL of this makes me very happy. (I also look forward to how my plants and trees will do, with bees on my property.)

Do keep us posted, on your WH letters -- especially if they write back!!!