By Mark David Blum, Esq.

I see this morning that you have joined the voices of the new millennium by starting your own blog. Welcome to my world.

In your world as President of Iran, you are the last voice on all issues. As a member of the blogosphere, you are just another face and another voice. Still, I welcome you with open arms and hope you keep publishing.

As an American, I have been told frequently that you are “insane” and intending to me great harm. Is this the truth? You refused to answer Mike Wallace’s question last night on 60 minutes. Your rhetoric is strong and extreme. I do not fault you though as life in your theocracy requires you sing the Quran’s lines or be executed. In Iran, all must follow a single ideology. On the internet, you do not have that luxury.

Here in my world, the world of the internet, you are going to have to learn tolerance. You will see that millions of people worldwide are capable of holding more than one idea at a time. It is called “pluralism”. We do not necessarily have agree with each other or the decisions that the other makes, but we can tolerate and accept those choices and decisions as being unique to each. The only limitation is that your choices and lifestyle must not seek to interfere with my own.

You should know that you and I share much in our history. Raised in poverty and abuse, I watched my family and my nation feed upon itself. At the same time as my President was about to be indicted for crimes related to Watergate, my family was moreso focused on itself to worry about how I as a boy was going to turn out. That upbringing generated in me a sincere lack of trust of authority and has driven me into the populist camp. I just cannot take an issue seriously if it does not indeed touch upon the needs and lives of a constituency. From what I read, you too suffer from this same affliction; you do not trust those who tell you they know better than you and who always insist on sticking their noses into what you consider to be your own business.

My new friend, Mahmood Ahmadinejad, I pray we get many more chances to discuss issues. I am going to register on your website and continue to post open letters to you and your people. Over the years, I have met many from your country and have learned of your rich and beautiful culture. It pains me so to witness how your country chooses to use the word of “God” to oppress its’ own people. Perhaps this is the main reason the rest of the world is not so accepting.

We as Americans are not your blood enemies. Yes, we are still very angry about your revolution’s kidnapping of our citizens and holding them 444 days. The attacks on the Kobar Towers, the Marine barracks in Beirut, the U.S.S. Cole, and the constant attacks on otherwise peaceful Israel tell us that you and your people are those choosing to engage in hostilities. The world today has become too small and interdependent for our two nations to be wasting recourses and lives on stupid and irrelevant arguments such as “my God can beat up your God.”

As one American who has not yet succumbed to the bloodlust of my President, I am still willing to give peace a chance. Make no mistake Sir, that if required, I would wholeheartedly support a retaliatory strike that turned your country into a moonscape. But, if possible, I would rather avoid that and move forward to Mankind’s ultimate goal. The liberty and freedom of the heart and mind. As a servant of God, you are also a servant of Man. As President of a nation, you are also the servant of your People.

Sir, I beg you to use your power and position for good. Lead your world into the 21st century and join the peace loving nations of the world. Together, we can achieve so much. As enemies, we will never grow and eventually one of us will die. Let us talk instead.

It seems at this juncture, that the choice is yours.