5/3/2025
My Dear Friend & POTUS, DJT,
Happy World Press Freedom Day! The UN has chosen “Reporting in the Brave New World: The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Press Freedom & the Media” as its theme this year which they hope will foster conversations about how humans can provide the oversight needed “to ensure AI serves as a tool to support, rather than undermine, press freedom.” What are your thoughts on this?
As I contemplated freedom of the press, I found myself thinking about the Quaker motto to “Speak Truth to Power.” I was surprised to learn that it’s relatively new, having been adopted in 1955 as the title of an AFSC pamphlet written by Bayard Rustin, among others. I don’t have time to read the whole thing now, but I’ve already found a wonderful quote I hope you find persuasive.
“Our truth is an ancient one: that love endures & overcomes; that hatred destroys; that what is obtained by love is retained, but what is obtained by hatred proves a burden.”
I look forward to sharing more about the pamphlet in future letters because I believe it can inform your peacekeeping efforts, but for now we’ll just let that idea season.
Speaking of the press, please change your mind about PBS & NPR. Also, look into the situation for journalists in Gaza & Burma.
On a different matter, whose idea was it to try to prevent the poor kids of ME from having free breakfast & lunch because Gov Janet Mills (JTM) refused to comply with demands that trans girls be barred from participating in girls’ sports? You’ve got to respect JTM’s courage in standing up to you on this one. Her victory on this boosted her approval rating to 52% & might help her win Joan Collins Senate seat in 2026. I wonder if one of the female politicians of ME, will emulate Sen Margaret Chase Smith in being a champion of freedom of speech & remind the country of the “Four Horsemen of Calumny–Fear, Ignorance, Bigotry, and Smear.”
BYBS,
