Since taking office in 2009 President Obama has made a daily routine of reading 10 letters that were sent to him by citizens. The letters not only allow the POTUS to connect with people across the United States, but keeps him informed of stuff happening that he might not even be aware of.
Throughout the years technology has made it easier for people to communicate with the President. Obama has a Twitter; FLOTUS Michelle has a Snapchat — these avenues allow people to engage with and see what the Obama family is doing in real time. Now, the White House has made it even easier for us to interact with President Obama, by allowing Facebook users to send messages to its official account.
As the 44th President has stated before, "Abraham Lincoln was able to have regular office hours where people would come and wait outside his office, which was over in the residence." Granted, face-to-face interaction is much harder to do nowadays, but by giving people another way to have their voices heard by Obama is a testament to both the innovation occurring and the importance of having an accessible president.
Speaking about the announcement on the White House website Obama said:
"To make sure that in all the hustle and bustle that's taken place here, we don't lose sight of why we're here — which is a bunch of citizens all across the country, needing our help, seeking advice, more than occasionally being angry, wanting to be heard. And what's interesting is not only do these letters help me to stay in touch with the people who sent me here, or the people who voted against me, but a lot of times they identify problems that might not have percolated up through the various agencies and bureaucracies. And more than once there have been occasions where these letters inspired action on real problems that are out there."
So, go on and send a message to the POTUS here.
