9/1/2023

My Dear Friend & POTUS, JRB,

            It’s blustery here. Wildfire danger is high. Luckily, it’s unseasonably cool so that should help.

The wind has exacerbated the dog’s agitation. Her 1-week-old puppies have her on high alert. They nurse every 2-3 hours & are so little, we call them “hamsters.”

            I am perturbed this AM after reading about mine clearing efforts in Burma. At great risk to their own lives & limbs, men from the Karenni Nationalities Defence Force (KNDF) go in the fields with rakes, hoes & pliers to clear unexploded ordnances so farmers can use the land.

            The situation is going to be worse in Ukraine, thanks in part to the cluster munitions you just gave Zelenskyy (VOZ). I share the concerns of Senate Armed Services Committee member Mazie K. Hirono, D-HI & Sen. Tim Kaine D-VA have expressed about going against an international prohibition of the things. Do not provide VOZ with any more of those or any other weapons, for that matter.

            I agree with John T. Bennett’s read of the situation that Congress (& you) are addicted to “massive Pentagon budgets — with all those jobs sprinkled from sea to shining sea — that far outweigh the gross domestic products of a long list of countries, according to World Bank data.” So, we have a stockpile of weapons that folks like VOZ beg for. Now that he’s started building his own weapons, maybe he’ll stop asking for handouts.

            WINTA!!! Let’s create peace jobs.

            On a happier note, KC will soon have a fancy ferris wheel with 36 climate-controlled gondolas where riders can see “stunning panoramic views of Kansas City.” It can also create its own light show! It’ll be a telegenic feature for the 2026 World Cup & a nice photo op for you, should you choose to campaign in MO at some point.

BYBS,