4/12/2023

JRB,

            Congratulations on your speech at Ulster University today. I loved your observations that “Where barbed wire once sliced up the city, today we find a cathedral of learning built of glass, letting the light shine in & out.… an incredible testament to the power & possibilities of peace.”

            Joe Kennedy’s comments about “peace babies” got my attention. Apparently, they wish their parents could get over the “Troubles” & attend to the challenges of poverty plaguing everyone in the country. One noted, “The Good Friday Agreement may have taken away the bombs & the bullets, but all this means is that we’re now at war with our words instead… Youth organizations are crying out for government support. There’s funding there that can’t be given out – because there’s no government.”

Peace wall in Belfast

One of those organizations, the Rainbow Factory brings together Green & Orange kids to sing, dance & act breaking down the walls that separate Catholics from Protestants. We need more of that in this world so let’s hope their government can get back to work.

            Have you heard of “Ocho apellidos Vascos”? A comedy from 2015 which plays on the way that ETA rebels would ask about the names of someone’s 8 great-grandparents to see if they could be trusted with their terrorist plots. Your evocation of “Robinette” as one of your great-grandparent’s names made me worry that you may be unwittingly triggering that kind of militancy.

            As you enjoy the Irish countryside with your sis & son, please do not forget the people of Burma. The details of the junta airstrike in Kanbalu township are horrific. 133 people killed, including children. First responders & medical teams haven’t been able to return to the site of the attack because military planes have continued flying over the town.

What say you Tom Andrews' query, “How many Myanmar children need to die before world leaders take strong, coordinated action to stop this carnage?”

BYBS,