3/7/2021

My Dear Friend & POTUS, JRB,

            Thanks for drawing attention to the 56th anniversary of Bloody Sunday. Don’t you think we need a new word that means recognizing the date when something bad happened. “Day of remembrance” is too long. “Lamentation” is not specific. How about something like, “traumversary?” As in, today is the traumversary of Bloody Sunday. My BFF loves to invent new words so maybe she can join us in popularizing this one.

            In any case, I am struck by the parallels between the brutal response to the marchers at the Edmund Pettus Bridge in 1965 & the actions of the Myanmar military in all the Burmese cities. Yesterday, protestors in the ancient city of Bagan were fired on. Just like 1965, folks are putting their lives on the line for democracy demonstrating Satyagraha. As you will recall that’s Ghandi’s idea of meeting violence with passive resistance. As we learned from Bloody Sunday, that makes the aggressor look bad & changes hearts & minds. The Burmese Generals certainly look bad, & a tweet from you to that effect might change some hearts & minds.

            Hopefully, resurrecting the horrific images of people dressed in their Sunday best being hit with billy clubs will help Sens Joe Manchin & Kyrsten Sinema understand why we need them to develop a special bill that will enable Civil Rights legislation to get around the filibuster law. Perhaps you can invite them to join you & Rep. Jim Clyburn at the WH to figure it all out. Wouldn’t it be great to add the passage of the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act to the passage of the American Rescue Plan Act as your legislative victories?

            PBWY,