4/28/2022

My Dear Friend & POTUS, JRB,

            I am awaiting your remarks about “VVP’s assault on the Ukrainian people.” Note that I identified the perpetrator as VVP. I encourage you to use that phrase. It makes it clear who the aggressor is & separates VVP from the people of Russia. That’s important, as Russians in the US are being harassed. I caught a glimpse of that in the 5th grade classroom I visit. One of the students was trying to explain world politics to her classmates who had asked her why she had bombed Kyiv.

            I am anticipating that you will be announcing our efforts to continue to supply arms. I wish we weren’t doing that. It just makes matters worse. Remember WINTA!!!

            As I work to bolster my argument for peaceful approaches to conflict, I plan to read Erica Chenoweth’s book, “Civil Resistance: What Everyone Needs to Know.” I look forward to learning about her evidence for the claim, that there are “four key factors behind successful nonviolent campaigns: large-scale participation, loyalty shifts amongst regime supporters, tactical innovation, and resilience in the face of repression.” I am looking for others to join me in discussing the book, would you like to be a part of the group?

            According to Ian Sinclair’s review in Peace News, the book includes an analysis of “the use of female nudity by the Green Belt Movement to shame and repel the police in 1990s Kenya.” Intrigued?

            As always, I ask that you do all you can to address the situation in Burma. The latest news from The Irrawaddy indicates that the Tatmadaw has authorized civilians “to make arrests, kill PDF members, loot and destroy property and assassinate political leaders.” This is as bad, if not worse, then what is happening in Ukraine. It deserves our attention.

BYBS,

RCA

PS – I’m listening to you now. Brilliant move to compliment the press on their coverage of the war. I hope it helps the NYT to give you better coverage. A visit to Lockheed-Martin, not a good idea!