5/9/2025
My Dear Friend & POTUS, DJT,
Yesterday was my 6th long Thursday. I have 3 left & then my work life will be over. I had the privilege of listening to a Socratic Seminar where undergrads discussed the role of the bānzhǔrèn. The group included several Chinese nationals, a Brazilian & Californians from every corner the state. What a blessing to hear them confer about democracy & education. I will miss that!
I will not miss meetings regarding balancing the budget, what classes to offer & how to deal with tech issues. I will not miss the hierarchy where each position has a classification dictating exactly which functions a staff person can & cannot do. I will not miss the forms & codes & reports. I AM grateful for the institution of research & higher learning & hope you will stop attacking my colleagues who work there.
Isn’t it exciting that we have an American pope from Chicago? I love the fact that he speaks five languages & has taken a vow of poverty. I appreciated his message that we need to “Help each other to build bridges, with dialogue, with meetings, uniting us all to be one people, always in peace.” Best of all his mom was a librarian!
SoW, help me understand why you fired the librarian of Congress, Carla D. Hayden. What did she do? I know your favorite thing is to fire people, but doing so without cause is a bad look, especially when the person is a 72-year-old benign Black lady.
I am also wondering why you are privileging Afrikaners among all the refugee who are asking for asylum in the US. It’s not clear to me that they are any different from the thousands of Rohingya, Afghans & Congolese fleeing conflict who had been vetted & cleared for refugee status in the US & then barred entry. Certainly, it can’t be the color of their skin that gave them an advantage.
Please thank Melania for welcoming military moms to the WH yesterday & noting the power of parenthood. I especially liked her observation that Barron’s “life creates unimaginable, unpredictable concerns & thrills” for her. Her statement about “unwavering love & nurturing wisdom” & “the ability to inspire, uplift, & shape the future hearts of children” is true of many fathers, perhaps including you.
BYBS,
