10/28/2023

My Dear POTUS, JRB,

How are things in Delaware? It’s a beautiful, warm fall Saturday, so I hope you get to walk on the beach or ride your bike. Is Commander with you?

Our puppies are gone. Zy & ZeZe’s energy brightened our days. We miss them. We are watching the World Series to distract us from our sadness. Last night’s game was superior!

Other sadness is far greater than our melancholy over the dogs. I feel for everyone affected by the Gaza situation, everyone affected by the shootings in Lewiston & everyone affected by the conflict in Burma.

Did you see the compelling demonstration at the Lincoln Memorial yesterday of the shabbat table with empty chairs? The families of the hostages do not want us to forget that their loved ones are in Gaza in tunnels vulnerable to whatever attack Bibi may order.

Maine Artist, Miia Zellner, demonstrated her sorrow by making hearts with messages that she posted on trees on Main Street in Lewiston.

Maybe Yangon Friends should make art to demonstrate our anguish about the situation in Burma. Perhaps my friend, Jay Mead, could help us come up with something. If we do, could we put it on the WH lawn for a day?

Aren’t we lucky that we have creativity & imagination to provide an avenue for processing our pain? It’s fascinating to see what folks come up with. A Petri’s piece in the WP today is an intriguing example. She satirizes House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.)’s comment regarding the Maine tragedy that “the problem is the human heart.” She writes, “weak, feeble, pitiful heart. Put it up against a gun, & it loses every time.”

Please thank Rep. Jared Golden for apologizing for his misguided position on gun control. It took courage “to take responsibility for this failure.”

Please do ask that ASL interpretation be provided for news related to Lewiston. The ME deaf community lost 4 of its most active members who were at Schemengees Bar for the cornhole tournament. They want to stay informed.

BYBS,

RCA