For this project, Heather wrote to every king, queen, president, and prime minister on earth with the following message:
Dear (insert leader's name),
I apologize for the times when the United States government prioritized its economic interests over the needs of humanity. Sincerely,
Heather Layton, American Citizen.
The envelopes were crystal clear so that, in the name of transparent government, every word on the inside could be read from the outside. Ideally, the letters made it into the hands of every leader. More importantly, though, the words could be read by every person who touched the messages along the way. In the weeks that followed, several leaders responded:
Switzerland: “Thank you very much for your letter to the Federal Council of Switzerland. It has been read with great interest. We wish you all the best in the future.” Barbar Luthi, Team for Enquiries from the Public
Ecuador: “thanks.” Karina Troya, Office of the President of the Republic of Ecuador
El Salvador: “Mrs. Heather Layton. Thanks for your consideration and intention. Thanking you take this opportunity to express my esteem and appreciation samples. My best regards, Mauricio Funes, President of the Republic of El Salvador”
Columbia: “Respetada doctora Layton, American Citizen: Con atento saludo, le informo que hemos recibido el mensaje que envio al senor Presidente de la Republica en dias pasados. Cordialmente, Juan Carlos Mira Ponton, Secretario Privado al Presidente, Bogota D.C, Columbia.”
The fact that Mitt Romney published the book called No Apology: The Case for American Greatness shortly before he became a presidential nominee—and that he could have won—means that there is still much work to do.
Many thanks to Malena Selic for assisting with this project.