1/15/2021

Friend DJT,

            So nice of you to honor photographer, Huỳnh Công Ut, with the Medal of Arts on Wed. He deserves recognition for his brave work helping the world to see the atrocity of the Vietnam war with his photo of the “Napalm Girl.” Isn’t it amazing that she’s still alive? I hope that your fans were paying attention so they can see that immigrants help to enrich our nation.

            I think I owe you some $$. To be on the safe side, I will send off an estimated tax payment for 4th quarter, 2020. I wish I could check off boxes for how I’d like my tax $ to be used. That would make me feel better about forking over my hard-earned dollars. I’d check off 1) safety net (including health care), 2) climate change amelioration 3) infrastructure, 4) education, 5) the arts & 6) foreign aid. I would NOT check off 1) military spending & 2) prisons. I know how much you hate to pay taxes, so I suspect that you would appreciate this checklist option, also.

            Today’s news is full of stories about the people who came to DC on Jan 6. The AJC noted that a Coweta County Board of Ed member was there. The LAT called the group an “ecosystem of people” which included people of all backgrounds. The Guardian says that Jacob Chansley, the guy with the horns, intended to “to capture and assassinate elected officials,” specifically Mike Pence. I have a hard time relating to these folks & am asking for some divine intervention to help me to love them.

            One of my colleagues uses a poem by Luiz Valdez to start class. It’s based on the Mayan precept of In Lak’Ech & goes like this:

 Tú eres mi otro yo. (You are my other me.)

Si te hago daño a ti, (If I do harm to you,)

Me hago daño a mi mismo. (I do harm to myself.)

Si te amo y respeto, (If I love and respect you,)

Me amo y respeto yo. (I love and respect myself.)

Could you share this poem, so we can start to see that we are only hurting ourselves when we unleash anger & hate on our neighbors.

            BYBS,