9/14/2024

Sept. 14, 2024

My Dear Friend & POTUS, JRB,

            I am in a hurry again today. That’s not good. The hurrier I go, the behinder I get. That’s what my Girl Scout Leader, Mrs. Tindall, used to tell us. She was full of that kind of aphorism.

            My rush this AM is due to the Cancer Champions Event happening just down the street. I want to get inspired by the folks whose battle with the big C includes exercising.

            I have three topics today.

1)        Your conversation with PM Keir Starmer. Each of the news outlets characterizes it a bit differently making me wonder if he convinced you that it’s ok for him to give VOZ the go ahead to use the British Storm Shadow missiles for expanded strikes in Russia. Please go with your gut on that one & just say, NO.

2)        Your upcoming trip to Angola – I love that you are visiting with President João Lourenço but I hope you will challenge his recent decision to sign two laws severely restricting freedoms of the media. He’s on his way to suppressing various freedoms so let’s not do too much to support him. Most importantly do not sell him any weapons! WINTA!

3)        Burma – Like Angola, it’s not safe to be a journalist in Burma. The junta recently killed 3 of them. The G reports, “Htet Myat Thu, 28, & Win Htut Oo, 26, both freelance journalists, were shot dead during a raid on their home by the military junta on 21 August in the southern Mon state.” The folks at Reporters Sans Frontières warn, “courageous journalists continue risking their lives to report on the country’s dire situation. Now more than ever, the international community must increase pressure on the regime to end its terror campaign against the press.” Please do what you can.

BYBS,

RCA