12/28/2022

My Dear Friend & POTUS, JRB,

            I heard an RFK quote in the wee hours last night that I wanted to share with you. It struck a chord with me about our national priorities. “gross national product doesn’t include the beauty of our poetry or the strength of our marriages, the intelligence of our public debate or the integrity of our public officials. It allows neither for the justice in our courts, nor for the justice of our dealings with one another. The GNP measures, neither our wit nor our courage, neither our wisdom nor our learning. Neither our compassion, nor our devotion to country. It measures everything in short, except that which makes life worthwhile.”

            When I was talking with my dear friend about such things after our meditation this AM, she mentioned a book about the origins of our use of quantities in politics which we might want to read. It talks about how numbers affect debates, especially big numbers. The idea of “data-driven decision making” is taking hold in education, but I worry that focusing on “data” can lead us astray. As in all things, perhaps moderation is best.

            In that spirit, I will share some numbers reported by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs to help you understand the extent of the crisis in Burma. “Conflict-related displacement continues unabated, with 1.1 million people having been forced to flee their homes since 2/21. 770,400 people remain displaced in the North-West since 2/21, of which 612,400 are in Sagaing region. Active conflict & clashes also continue in the South-East where about 300,000 people remain displaced. In these locations, families face repeated, short-term displacement, moving to avoid armed actors, often in hard-to-reach forest areas. Villagers report frequent arson attacks on their homes, public buildings & personal as well as livelihood assets.” Please do what you can to ameliorate this situation.

            Enjoy the VIs,