6/11/2023

June 11, 2023

My Dear Friend & POTUS, JRB,

            Wouldn’t it be nice if everyone in the world had a place where they felt a sense of beloning? Where they did not have to fear that someone would harm them? Where they felt free to be their authentic selves? Where they would have food & shelter? Where they felt a connection to the people around them?

            Oxytocin & dopamine would be in abundance!

            The CSM article, “One is the loneliest number: What will help people connect again?”, indicates that we’ve got a long way to go before we get to the world I am imagining, especially here in the USA. They reported, we have ‘a growing “epidemic of loneliness & isolation” within the country’ which represent profound threats to our health & well-being’ That’s according to U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy (VHM) who recently released a report about it & proposed “6 pillars to advance social connection.”

            I suspect that you had VHM’s pillars in mind when preparing your remarks for the Pride Picnic yesterday, especially the part where you said, “You are loved. You are heard. You’re understood & you belong.”

            Please make more noise about VHM’s report. You could start with talking about the recommendations for individuals to “be responsive, supportive, & practice gratitude” & “actively engage with people of different backgrounds & experiences.” You’re good at these things so go ahead & preach!

            As we think about my ideal world, let’s remember the Rohingya, whose world is exactly the opposite. As refugees, they have to live in bamboo huts, because permanent shelter could mean permanent residence. They live in constant fear. They have little freedom & are living on minimal rations. UN Special Rapporteur Tom Andrews tweets that the junta’s repatriation plan is not safe, so we need to go to Plan B. Please work with him to figure out what that could be.

            I hope you enjoy the Gala at Ford’s Theater tonight.

            BYBS,