3/23/2021

…Please consider my suggestion in yesterday’s letter to admit Rohingya refugees to the US. As I’m sure you heard, one of their camps had a terrible fire yesterday. It must be devastating for them to lose the few possessions they had, but even worse to lose any sense of security & normalcy that they may have experienced. Let’s open our doors to them….

Read more

3/22/2021

…& today’s NYT story about Rohingya artists in refugee camps in Bangladesh caught my attention… Artolution, funds folks to paint murals & teach kids. They promote the idea that artwork is food for the mind & provides children with a way to retain their dignity and self-worth…

Read more

3/21/2021

Call James Shelby, AKA Qadhafi. He’s the head of the KC Homeless Union who is arguing that $7 million is spent to benefit the unhoused & no one is consulting with the folks who are living in tents in front of town hall. … He’s bringing folks together & looking after his neighbor. We need more of that kind of thinking these days …

Read More

3/20/2021

…I am baffled that 14 GOP Reps voted against the House Resolution condemning the Burma coup. Rep Perry had particularly convoluted logic, calling it an “overt attempt to trap Republicans into condemning the claims of evidence of election fraud in Burma” while “perpetuating similar claims (in the Democrat’s views) of evidence in US elections.” …

Read more

3/19/2021

…The take away for me is that tortured souls should not have easy access to guns. The shooter purchased his weapon on the day that he committed his crimes. If there was a waiting period, he might have found a different way to quiet the demons that were haunting him & 8 people would still be alive….

Read more

3/18/2021

…According to MV you often attribute your mood to your Irish ancestry by saying stuff like, “my Irish is up” or “I’m in a Black Irish mood.” Don’t we all get mad or blue from time to time? Are the Irish the only people who believe “to live is to be hurt, but we’re not afraid to live?”…

Read More

3/17/2021

…My ruminations about Ireland were interrupted when I found the news about the shootings of Asian-American women in GA in the WP. …I am left wondering what kind of hate dwells in the soul of the young man who did this.

Read more

3/16/2021

As you feel the vibes of the Okehocking & Quakers in Chester, you might also feel the presence of Wm Edmundson (WE) who stopped there in 1675. WE was known by Friends as a the “trumpet of the Lord” and “the son of thunder” who “made the drooping & heavy hearted rejoice.” …he was a “sufferer” as he was incarcerated several times for refusing to tithe….

Read more

3/15/2021

…I’m sure you share my dismay at the gruesome killing of Zaw Myat Lynn, an NLD leader dragged from his home on 3/8. I was disappointed that the WP & NYT did not cover this story.

Read more

3/13/2021

My husband’s been in a dark place for a couple of years now. An article in today’s G fueled my hope that ketamine could help him out of his rut….

Read More

3/12/2021

…I was excited to learn about Kenneth Frazier & his success in leading Merck to team with J & J. … I wish we had more CEOs with his life experience. Grandson of a person born into slavery, child of a single dad who convinced him he could do anything, part of a team of lawyers that got a guy off of death row …. Perhaps when he retires in June you can find a spot for him in your cabinet….

Read more

3/11/2021

…I encourage you to put in a word for Burma during your address tonight. The tiny town of Myaing has just experienced a mass shooting, …The people of Myaing usually spend their days harvesting thanka bark to make a special kind of makeup which the people of Burma use to protect themselves from the sun & the heat. Unfortunately, they weren’t able to protect themselves from their own army….

Read more

3/10/2021

I was troubled to read about Ground Based Strategic Deterrent Missiles in the Guardian today. Apparently, Northrop Grumman has used 410 lobbyists & $119 million to persuade Congress that we need a new ICBM. … Nuclear weapons are old school. Let’s stop throwing away our $$$ on them.

Read more

3/9/2021

…I hope your guy, Bharat Ramamurti, can keep track of $1.9 trillion & make sure that it gets spent as intended. That’s a pretty daunting task!…

Read more

3/8/2021

…If you have a minute, take a look at Anisa Nandaula’s poem, “Choose to Challenge” on the IWD website. I’m inspired by her line, “Scream when the world has chosen to whisper.” I look forward to the time when we don’t need a IWD anymore….