5/2/2021

My Friend & POTUS, JRB,

            It’s windy here today & things are flying around the house. Well, not exactly flying, but stuff in the kitchen has blown off the counter alarming the dog. When it gets like this, I pine for a wind generator to calm my nerves. My logic is if I knew that the wind was producing energy, I would welcome it rather than being annoyed by it. Some people think that the positively-charged electrons stirred up by the wind cause irritability and compulsive behavior. Whatever it is, I look forward to less turbulence.

            Reading Nicholas Kristof’s (NK) opinion piece in the NYT today put your spending spree in a new light for me. I love the idea that we are INVESTING in America much in the way that FDR did by bringing electricity to rural parts of the country in the 1930s. NK notes that “a country cannot succeed when so many of its people are failing.” To emphasize this point he pointed out that “as many Americans have criminal records as college degrees.”

            Speaking of which, you have to read the brilliant article in the Island Packet about Trevor Heyward who has been stuck in a rut because he can’t pay off his traffic fines. He works 16 hours a day trying to keep his head above water, but he’s never going to be able to get his driver’s license back working minimum wage jobs. He’s gotten pulled over for stupid stuff which happens all of the time to Black folks.

            Sometimes these stupid stops turn ugly. A driver in DC was stopped for having windows that were too dark & the police handcuffed him & pulled his hair before eventually letting him go. In NC, Stephanie Bottoms, a 68-year-old Black librarian was pulled over for going 10 miles over the speed limit & thrown to the ground. Clearly, we’ve got a problem. Let’s get busy!!

            Let’s also get busy helping the people of Myanmar. 8 more citizens were killed during protests intended to "Shake the world with the voice of Myanmar people's unity.” Please let them know that you hear their voices