Children today want clean air, world peace and help for the poor and homeless. That's what they wrote to President Barack Obama. Some also wish for lower taxes and a little more security in shopping malls. And, oh, by the way, Mr. President, "You should stop smoking!"
Those were a fraction of the thoughts that were written by children from Beth Tfiloh Dahan Community School in Baltimore to Obama as part of part of a national handwriting project called Mail to the Chief.
About 34,000 letters from all over the United States were delivered yesterday to the Washington office of Rep. Chris Van Hollen, a Maryland Democrat who plans to forward them to Obama.
Students produced the handwritten letters. Here is a sample of what the young students from Baltimore wrote:
"I wish for a cleaner country and please don't raise taxes. I bet you are going to be a good president." - Ben
"I hope you will be a very good president and I hope you will tell people to not cut down trees." - Matthew
"Make a law that people who smoke don't smoke on children because I have been smoked on before." - Ben
"I hope you can make world peace. I hope you can help poor people. I wish you can lower taxes and make things easy. I wish you good luck being president." - Hairia
"I think you should help the homeless. I also heard you were getting a dog. Please get a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel! They're the best dog ever!" - Jaclyn