Dear Mr. President: Teen Voices from Across the Country

"Mr. President…please, please don't take back all the progress we've made. We need you to build bridges, not walls. We need you to admonish anyone who insults others based on race, gender, religion, class, or sexual orientation. We need you to be a lover, not a hater, and to bring our divided nation closer together instead of pulling us further apart." - Julia Tannenbaum, 16, West Hartford, CT In this powerful collection of letters, poems and essays, youth from across the United Sates-who couldn't vote in the 2016 Presidential Election because of their age-share their concerns, hopes and dreams for our county. The issues they raise are daunting: They worry about having their loved ones deported, their rights stripped away, their friends discriminated against, their world destroyed by climate change and war. They worry about hatred and bigotry and the divisiveness that has gripped our nation. Yet despite their fears, the overriding them is one of hope, love and unity. Their words are wise and powerful. Here's hoping that those chosen to lead our country will listen to what our youth have to say.