Dear Mr. President (Memorial Day)

 Dear Mr. President,

I've thought and thought about writing this for a few days now, but honestly all I've wanted to do the past few days is play games and sort of hide away from the world.  My weeks are full of trying to do all the right things for getting back into school this Fall, and by the time the weekend arrives, I feel pretty drained.  But I don't seem to be alone in the desire to escape, as I read an article recently about how you tend to spend your weekends away from the White House if you can manage it.  And to me that seems to be a very healthy thing to do.

I think, sometimes, we can get so caught up in our jobs or our responsibilities that we forget to take some time out for things like fun and joy.  That said, this past week hasn't been one in which I find our government inspiring much joy in me.  I read the stories from week to week and find myself angry at whatever stunt one side or the other is pulling.  And I imagine on the right, people are complaining about people on the left, and the opposite for the others side.  But this side-ism strikes me as something of a distraction--a way to make people forget about all the mistakes, deals, and wrongs that both sides are committing.  

I mean, let's face it; we're fallible people who often fail at being good to one another.  We look at the world through the lens of divisions rather than commonalities, and even when we do try to do otherwise, we're often criticized for legitimizing bad behavior or allowing bad-faith actors to stall necessary progress.  Mostly though, I think people are just good at being unhappy about things.  We look at where we're failing instead of seeing where we're succeeding.  We point out the wrong things without talking about how to change them.

And I know you've got plans.  I've heard you talk about them.  I've seen them on the WhiteHouse.gov page to be read.  But the sticking point always comes when we start discussing the details--who gets the contracts?  How are senators and representatives fulfilling their obligations to their donors?  And what, in the end, is left for the rest of America--the ones who aren't important, monied, or valued?  And I think most people land in that last category, but we're so caught up in just living and being mad at whatever outrage our parties believe we should be outraged about that we decide change should come in the form of someone else--a vote, a program, charity, business, or some other guy.  The Right seems fed up with this lack of independence in the hearts and minds of people while the Left seems fed up with the idea that people can and should do everything on their own.  "We all have an even shot at things," says the Right while the Left says, "We need to do more for people because our systems are inherently unfair."  The weird thing is, neither side seems really determined to work on making those things easier or better.  We just keep digging the same hole, piling up the same mountain of dirt, and it's a wonder that either side manages to make anyone happy.

I imagine you know we have bigger problems than infrastructure and failing policies and programs that are meant to help people.  But these former problems are NOW and all-important.  What of the bigger problem, though, Mr. President?  What of the unjust laws?  The corrupt politicians?  The duplicitous businesses?  When do we get to start fixing those things?  Is that even possible?  Instead of apologizing for our wrongs, it seems the years have taught people to compound them, double down on them, and pretend like they're not important.  I think it's important, though.  And I'm not saying we should go around airing our dirty laundry to one another all the time; that would get pretty depressing.  But maybe instead of going about business as usual when we've done something wrong, maybe we ought to, instead, try to make it right.  Apologize to those we've wronged, and demand the same from others.  And maybe if they're not willing to do the same, perhaps it's time to change the relationship to better reflect our understanding of how they choose to behave.  Set standards for what we expect, including when we're inevitably going to make mistakes, and then uphold them.

I know you're going to meet with Russia's president soon; I expect that's going to be a difficult meeting.  I wish I had something more to offer than, "Hey, maybe we shouldn't be doing illegal things with our spies and operatives in other countries."  But I don't expect that's in the presidential wheel house, which honestly makes me sad.  I just wish bad people doing bad things didn't make us have to become bad people, too.  Maybe we could try for not being those kinds of people, though?

A lot of people have died defending what they believe to be an important ideal--America.  Maybe they wanted to support the idea of freedom for all, or equality for all.  Maybe they believed that good could conquer evil.  Perhaps they valued the importance of life, or maybe they championed the idea that people should have choices.  Maybe they fought against oppressive governments and regimes, or maybe they were just hoping to gain a better life for themselves and those they loved.  Whatever their reasons, they made a choice to offer their lives in service to it.

I often wish I heard more stories about why people join the military.  I also wish we heard more stories about the horrors of war.  Maybe, then, we wouldn't be so drawn to conflict.  Maybe if we saw the worst it could create of humankind, we'd be more willing to try and help find ways to avoid those situations instead of creating them.  The more I learn about the way people create war-like ideologies, the more I have seen their lives hold a traumatic past--someone is killed by someone else, or dies because someone else chooses (knowingly or otherwise,) to withhold aid that could have saved them.  And this becomes an isolating focus; everything outside of that idea born of that moment becomes "other".  Connections are lost; humanity becomes narrowly defined, and the cycle of hatred begins anew.  It's the pain in our souls that breeds wars, Mr. President, and the fear of losing whatever small bit of power we've managed to accumulate to save ourselves from future pains.  And I don't know how to end that.  But I am grateful there are men and women who are willing to try--who serve at the behest of a beloved ideal in the hope that by doing so, something good will come of it.  But maybe let's try to find a better way?  The scars of war are not something that ever go away, and they destroy the hope and love in people.  I know it's taken my step-dad a long time to make peace with his demons, and I am certain there are still many he struggles with, even now.  People shouldn't have to endure that.

I guess my thoughts are a bit meandering today, Sir, but looking back at what wars have won for us, and what they have cost us, my whole being feels clouded in sadness.  I wonder about what great inventions or wonderful stories have been lost.  I imagine beautiful scenes of old men and women having lived and survived to see children or the fruits of their endeavors comforting them as they contemplate a peaceful end to their lives.  It's a sad story--the loss of a life in war.  And while I have seen wills broken by it, I have seen hopes found and strengths nurtured in its survival.  But I think I'd rather have the people, stories, and accomplishments without all that pain and suffering.

There is a saying that we remember so that we do not repeat the mistakes of the past.  But I think we also remember so that we hold on to the important things in life.  So this Memorial Day, I hope you and your family are well.  I hope you feel proud to represent the love, honor, and lives of our military, and I hope that you cherish them deeply--from their hopes and dreams to their joys and sorrows.  And I hope that you will consider what could be lost when and if we ever need to confront the specter of war again.

Politics in Washington may be a game to some, but for others, it's a lived and shared belief that we stand for something worthy of dying for.

~~ Jenni

President Joe Biden pauses after placing a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery on Memorial Day, Monday, May 31, 2021, in Arlington, Va.(AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Dear Mr. President

 Dear Mr. President,

So a lot's happened this past week.  You continued to try to seek a compromise with GOP leaders on the infrastructure plan.  You rescinded a Trump ban on immigrant health care.  You signed legislation about anti-Asian hate.  You toured the Ford factory and drove its new electric pickup truck.  You worked with Israel and the Palestinian leaders through Egypt to get a cease-fire in the Gaza conflict.  You spoke with the president of South Korea.  You awarded your first medal of honor to a veteran of the Korean War, and you agreed to send vaccine doses to countries in need of it.  And I'm pretty sure I missed a few million other things in there, too--nominations, the Kennedy Awards, and a memo to Executive Offices regarding your desire for them to begin dealing with Climate Change and finding ways to mitigate it.

Of course, there's also news that your predecessor is going to be running for President again in 2024.

But today I promised myself I'd try to hold an optimistic view of life, and I am hopeful that you're willing to do the same today.  Things are getting better, and while it's taking time for people to get vaccinated, there are likely many people who have had the virus already who believe that they don't need to get the vaccine; after all, they've already had the virus.  From a medical standpoint this makes a lot of sense to me, and I haven't really heard anyone talking about whether those who survived COVID should bother with the vaccine.

What I have seen a lot of people worrying about are people without masks.  It seems obvious, now, that we were eventually going to have deal with this, but maybe the messaging should have been more robust--something from the top down so that it didn't feel like the message was out of place.  And if that wasn't something that was going to be done, not offering that message about masks wouldn't have changed much.  As it stands, many businesses were already planning a return in July to offices; so, giving us that little bit of extra time, while it might have been a nuisance for the government, probably wouldn't have resulted in these problems.

I have the best cat right now, Mr. President.  He's curled up in the little cat spot by the window, getting some sun.  Most adorbable cat!  When do we get to see the new White House kitty?

I think you've got a handle on the things that matter; though, even I have a hard time keeping up with everything you're doing.  I noticed that Vice President Harris is continuing to meet with Hispanic leaders both abroad and here at home, and I think this approach of reaching out and talking to our neighbors is important.  Which makes me feel troubled when I consider our approach to North Korea right now.  They've effectively shut themselves off from the rest of the world, only tending to speak through China these days.  Perhaps we need to redirect our efforts to mediating through China at this point, which I know is also a sore spot.  But we managed to reach the Palestinians through Egypt; so, maybe seeking to work with those countries working with N. Korea will help us break them out of their shell--feel included in global politics.  That said, working to denuclearize with China and Russia and Europe sure would go a long way to perhaps making these other countries feel less threatened.  Maybe involving them in talks about denuclearization would give them a chance to ease some of those fears.  I don't know; just spit-balling here, Sir.  It just feels like we should be doing more to address suffering and injustice--and not just abroad, but here at home, too.  I know we have lawmakers who are ostensibly doing their best in that department, but most people, myself included, have a healthy skepticism when it comes to political leaders doing anything without it somehow benefiting them personally in some way.  And maybe that's not always a bad thing, but even a letter from Katie Porter this past week left me feeling uneasy about her support for getting rid of the minimum tax deduction for charitable donations.  It just feels like she only addressed one aspect of what their law would do--allow people to invest in local, national, and international projects that better our communities.  But it feels like, to me, that this would also allow for some pretty awful stuff, too.  Hell, most of us don't even manage $10,000 in charitable donations in a year let alone more.

Anyway, what I was trying to get at is that politicians tend to only tell one side of the story--the side that makes them look good--while leaving out other details.  And our news outlets aren't asking those questions because it doesn't get ratings and viewership.  But it's the kind of dialogue that our country needs.  We need more outspoken thinkers that are given a broader platform to address these kinds of issues rather than dabbling in the partisan political drama that clouds the conversation.  And maybe they're out there somewhere, but it feels like their voices have been relegated to a hole in the wall somewhere.  Maybe you can find a way to elevate those conversations--a presidential debate club or team or something.  I don't know.  It just feels like we could all benefit from some intelligent conversations being given a spotlight instead of hidden away in colleges, backrooms, and think tanks.  I have these visions of the kind of dialogues that the founders of our country had in pamphlets and salons.  Maybe we live in an era where those kinds of conversations can't be had any more--information moving at a minute-to-minute pace.  But I feel like that's something we sorely need--non-commodified thinkers and speakers willing to delve into the economics and history of issues to present a broader argument for Americans to consider....  Wouldn't that be something?

Oh.  Something I've been thinking a lot about the past week--if we're moving to an electric car economy, we need more infrastructure for fueling up on electricity.  America is a country of movers and drivers.  We value the freedom (and sometimes necessity,) of being able to drive long distances from one end of the country to the other.  If we switch over to hybrid or even full-electric cars, we don't currently have the charging stations to support it--not that aren't tied to specific companies or something else of the sort.  I don't know how gas stations are regulated, or how they became so prevalent in the past; but we do need to look at that and create the charging stations of the future for long-distance travel in this country.  I've heard a lot of people after looking at the state of charging technology that accompanies owning an electric vehicle decide against EV's because the charging stations are so complicated, or cost a fee to use, or are car-company specific (Tesla, for instance.)  This model of and for charging stations isn't compatible with an electric vehicle future.  So start looking at it and get some ideas on how that's going to be addressed; otherwise, that vision is going straight down the drain.

And with Gray's exodus from the window, I get the sense that it's probably time for me to get going for today.  I'm glad that I chose to be optimistic today, Mr. President.  And optimism doesn't need to mean we aren't realistic, either.  Optimism helps us to plan for a better future while realism helps us to see where we've been and where we're starting from.

Oh!  One last thing: I attended a lecture this past week about creating better public policy, but something that one of the guest speaker's mentioned, Sharon Parrott, caught my attention.  She said that incremental change is better than no change at all, and than many of our current public policies today came from incremental changes implemented in the past.  She also mentioned something about pilot programs and the need for more of them.  If we're not able to experiment with ideas, we can't know what will and what won't work; so, consider maybe offering some federal grants for innovative ideas and pilot programs going forward.  This could provide invaluable information that could change and shift public opinion in the future; it's also a great way to collect scientific data.  Also, have you thought about creating a government cryptocurrency?  Or maybe even a global UN cryptocurrency?  An interesting thought--though I've no idea what the pros and cons might be.  Still, if China's creating their own, there must be a way to do it differently that highlights the ways in which it isn't going to be used to monitor and suppress thoughts and creativity in its populous.  I do wonder if it will spur a return to a barter economy in their country for those people who are caught in the cracks of the system, penalized by it, or find their consciences bothered by how its used and distributed.  Maybe our own government cryptocurrency could be used as a way to end poverty.  I dunno.  Just more spit-balling, Sir.  Not always great ideas, but they're in my head nonetheless.

For now, though, I'm going to head off.  I hope your coming week is just as amazing as this last one was, and I look forward to seeing where we end up next week.  Until then, stay safe and keep truckin'.

With vast hope and great optimism,

~~ Jenni

Dear Mr. President (x2)

 Dear Mr. President,

I realize that I didn't get a chance to write to you last week, but that's because we were up at John's Mom's for Mother's Day, and it was just so nice to be able to spend the weekend there with Mom and Aunt Mary.  They (John and Aunt Mary) made some amazing dinners, and I did my best to help clean up and set the table and such.  I don't really do that much cooking; so, it was nice to be the recipient of others' kindness, and also nice to just be included as part of the family with the chores and such.  It made me feel welcome, and since I didn't have a computer (just my phone,) and since we weren't coming back until Monday, I figured missing a week wouldn't hurt too much.  That said, I hope you were able to celebrate the special women in your life--mothers, daughters, aunts, sisters, and granddaughters and great-granddaughters and such.  I think in every woman there is a mother; we may not all have children, but there are so many things to nurture in this world--from people to causes to animals and even nature.  And on Mother's Day I believe it's important to remember that and revere the women in our lives who have shaped us into the people we are today.  So, I really hope you got a chance to do that, too.

I just got off the phone with my mom in Texas before I sat down to write to you, and before that, I went out to brunch with Aunt Mary and her friend Virginia.  I feel like today I was surrounded by a lot of love and joy and contentment.  It was a good morning and early afternoon, and I felt like we talked about things that were important--from frustrations with how politicians choose to spend money to the way that society seems to be fractured--to the healing of Princess days and how changing the conversation can help to remove pain, stigma, and hatred so that we can start having conversations with one another again.  We aren't always going to agree about how to do things or what the best way to do them is, but we do all want to do good things for the world--or at least that's how I choose to believe things to be.

But sometimes talking doesn't really create solutions.  Sometimes it's important to put actions to words and to hold accountable those who say they're going to do something and then don't do them at all.  Let me see if I can explain better: Gavin Newsom recently talked about how we're all getting money from the government to help with the burdens that COVID imposed on all of us.  He's talked about giving out economic payments to those who are still unemployed or struggling because of circumstances, many of which were there even before the pandemic.  But then he said he'd like to use some of that money to pay off parking tickets.  And here's where I begin to wonder what the point of giving money to politicians is, because, while paying off parking tickets for the past year sounds nice, wouldn't it be nicer to just forgive parking ticket offenses and then offer that money to the cities?  Maybe ask those cities to return payments to those who had to pay for parking offenses in the last year?  But more importantly, how does paying off parking tickets really address the needs of people following this pandemic?  I mean, are aid groups actually meeting demand?  Are we really getting into poorer communities and getting people vaccinated?  What about rent and past due bills?  Have all our schools been able to upgrade their filtration systems and create both in-classroom and online opportunities for kids?  What about people without access to computers and cell phones and online access?  Or even just food and running water?

You see, politicians talk a good game about helping people, but when it comes to putting money where they say their priorities are, somehow things go awry and the funding goes askew.

How about another example?  This past week saw more violence in Israel/Palestine.  We're actually on record to have less violence this year than in years past, but after the year we've had, I think a lot of people are beginning to question the right of any person or government to hurt others.  Even our friends aren't immune to this criticism, and I don't think that's a bad thing.  One of the things many people liked about your predecessor was that he was willing to call a spade a spade (although his views weren't always backed up by facts.)  But that opened us up to criticism, too, which, while he didn't believe it was a good thing, I think it really was.  It reminded me of that Old Testament idea that you shouldn't go looking for the problems in others' lives before first examining your own.  I've often felt that far too often we're too ready to throw stones at one another over perceived (and sometimes actual) wrong-doing, but when it's our friends or allies, we're willing to overlook those flaws.  I think it's important to acknowledge the flaws in our friends and others, but also to treat them with the same brush.  We can't, for instance, praise Israel for fighting back against bombers without also acknowledging that perhaps Israel shouldn't be throwing their weight and might around just to get what they want.  We can't say that Israel is always right and Palestine is always wrong.  The conversation and the dialogue should be more nuanced than that, and if we fail to acknowledge that--if we say on the one hand that we're a country of democracy and freedom, and then on the other hand side with and offer monetary aid to regimes that are acting in ways counter to those beliefs, why should anyone bother to believe us or act in good faith with us?  If you show that you are willing to excuse one thing in your friends, but not willing to do so with others, I imagine many people might call you a hypocrite--and with good reason.

On that front, may I just say that I feel the people of Palestine have a real grievance that needs to be addressed; Israel is choosing to treat them as lesser, showing a lack of respect and dignity to not only their leaders, but also just people trying to get by day after day in a land they once called their own.  There are generations of memories (on both sides now,) that need to be acknowledged and respected so that a dialogue can occur moving forward.  We can't pretend that only certain lives matter; we must acknowledge that all are important--otherwise we run the risk of becoming the monster to someone else.  The atrocities are occurring on both sides of the divide, but if we continue to say that one person's atrocities are fine but the other person's aren't, it's wrong.  And you can't create something good, and real, and lasting if you build it on shadows, and lies, and half-truths.  Peace starts the moment that people feel heard, believed, and seen.  But choosing to only see one side will never create peace.

And maybe there are people who don't want peace in the world.  Maybe there are people who prefer the war and the hatred and the violence.  Maybe, to them, that is the only real thing they know and understand.  Or maybe it's the only way they come out ahead.  I don't know, Mr. President.  What I do know is that I don't want to be a hypocrite and a liar; I don't want to praise people for doing bad things, and I certainly don't want to be aiding them.  The America that I want to believe in doesn't do those things; the America that I believe in values life, and freedom, and creating hope, prosperity, goodness, and happiness in the world for not just America, but others, too.  So if you wonder why our diplomatic efforts are met with skepticism or ridicule, even if most prosperous countries see it as just another part of the game (often ourselves included,) think about how others might view the things we've done.  Maybe it's time to start anew--to create a better dialogue moving forward.

Right now, the world seems to me to be about how the needs and wants of the few outweigh the needs and hopes of the many.  It feels like a sad place to be where even doing your best and abiding by the rules only ensure that you'll never have what you need or want in life.  And that doesn't seem right, somehow.  Continuing like this is creating a world of misery; that shouldn't be what we are aiming to do with our lives.

But enough of that for now.  I was going to talk about the disingenuousness of corporations--especially those in the fossil fuel industry, but that's just more of the same on a different scale.  And I did want to say that it's...refreshing to finally be able to walk around without a mask on.  I know that for some it isn't a welcome release; they've enjoyed the anonymity and the freedom that came with being able to hide their faces.  They appreciated the lack of expectations from others when wearing a mask that not wearing a mask often imposes on them.  But mostly, because I don't often see how others view me, I am just happy to be able to not have to remember "one more thing" when I'm heading out.  I can't tell you the number of times I've nearly forgotten my mask over the past year (or did forget it in one instance at a home away high rise in Seattle; I was so embarrassed when I realized it, but more so when I realized that no one had said anything to me.)  And I can't imagine what it must have been like being poor and suddenly needing yet another thing to buy.  I hope we created places where people could get free masks if they were needed, and if we didn't, maybe we should.  I have enjoyed the little extra fashion it brings to my outdoor activities, though, and I'll admit to my own relief when it became accepted that makeup wasn't always necessary when going out.  I do worry that there are still people who aren't vaccinated, but more and more, even here behind the Orange Curtain, I hear people saying they got the vaccine, even if they thought it was dumb or unnecessary.  Sometimes peer pressure isn't always a bad thing, I guess.

I am excited that we've got so many things going on in space still, but I wonder about the sustainability and pollution that our current methods create.  I've heard, mainly from space enthusiasts and business people that space exploration doesn't create much waste or pollution, but it's hard to take them at their word when their livelihoods are invested in such things.  I know the Netflix series on Space Force might have seemed dumb to many people, but I do think it brought home a lot of concerns about the military and space exploration in general.  It jokingly hinted at the environmental impacts our space programs are having, but I do believe thinking about these things is just as important as exploring the universe.  After all, if there is no Earth to explore from, how can we truly venture beyond it in any real or meaningful way?

As we leave behind our pandemic world, I find myself both afraid and hopeful, Mr. President--afraid that we will go back to doing things as we always have, and hopeful that perhaps, maybe, we won't.  Most of the time, we want to forget the bad things; I expect many people will want to forget that COVID ever happened.  But there are too many lives that have been affected by it for us to just say it's not okay to remember; and, while we do need to move on from this moment, maybe we should be okay with finding new ways to move forward.  I'd like that to define us as a country as we step into the summer of 2021.  Going back to the way things were led us to this point in history; if we do nothing, then the lives that were lost mean nothing.  And they can't mean nothing.  Please don't let them mean nothing, Mr. President.

I hope this coming week will be a good one for you; I hope you and the Democrats can find a way to work with the Republicans, and I really hope that the divides we've created in this country can begin to be torn down and healed so that we can begin down a new path forward in the spirit of hope, and peace, and love.  Mostly, though, I just hope we get more rain here in California; we really need it.

Until next week, then, Mr. President, stay safe and try to stay sane.  I can't imagine running a country is an easy job, and I certainly don't envy you your position.  I am grateful that you believe politics is about service to others, though; I wish more people would believe that, too.

~~ Jenni

REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

Dear Mr. President

 Dear Mr. President,

Well, here we are a few days past the 100-day mark of your first year as president.  It doesn't seem that long ago when we were counting votes and the capitol was stormed; then your inauguration, and that beautiful poem by Amanda Gorman....  COVID continues to march right on regardless of our accomplishments, though--regardless of yours, too.  But there was one thing that really made me happy to see--the economy is recovering; stimulus works.  People are feeling confident again, though I do wish your infrastructure bill would help out my parents in Bellville.  Things just seem to get more and more expensive for them as they live on their fixed retirement incomes, and that's frustrating to me.  Lack of regulations combined with lack of real, meaningful choices out in their little country community are more frustrating to me than they are to them, probably--but it shouldn't be that way.  So, hopefully our congressional representatives will figure it out in a way that actually helps people instead of just businesses and corporations.  I don't mind helping companies out, too, but helping people like my parents would make me feel better about their later years in life.

President Joe Biden, addressing a joint session of Congress Wednesday, assessed his first 100 days in office and laid out his plans for driving economic growth. MELINA MARA/PRESS POOL WSJ

By now you've worn through all the accolades of firsts from your speech to congress, though I heard concerns from many people about mask wearing and distancing still.  They felt like it sent mixed messages; some wanted there to be masks because we still have mask mandates (and are fighting a virus,) and others felt that there shouldn't have been masks and distancing because then it showed the efficacy of the vaccines.  I'm not sure how I feel about it at this point to be honest with you.  But my gut tells me that we should err on the side of caution when it comes to public health.  Which is why I guess it made such a stunning contrast to the then "West Coast Elite" at the Oscars--sitting around without masks on, flaunting their riches....  It really upset some people I know here in California to see that; though for myself, I can't say I really minded it all that much.  It disappointed me to hear that there were so few viewers, though--especially given how diverse the nominees were this year.  I wish I could say that the drop in viewership is just part and parcel of a younger generation that doesn't watch TV in the same way I do anymore.  But I feel like there's more to it than that--like people don't feel like Hollywood is connected to them these days.

So while this past week had a lot of issues worth discussing, I found two that really got to me.  The first is the way we set up congressional seats in the House.  The fact that our House is set to a fixed number of representatives seems silly to me.  I haven't spent a lot of time to figure out why it was done, mind you, but I feel like as our population grows and becomes more diverse, we shouldn't limit our House of Representatives to a number that was decided by what feels like "forever ago."  I think it bothers me because the House seats seem to not really represent people in a way that is fair; we don't give seats based on actual numbers of people.  We base it on some proportional measure that seems to favor a majority rather than minorities.  And sadly, I feel like that's hurting the ability of people to feel like they're really able to have a say in how our government works.

Anyway, I think it's dumb and should be changed.

Another thing that caught my attention this week was nuclear waste.  I know we've spoken about it last week, as well, but this is something that I don't think we can just shove under the rug and pretend it isn't a problem.  It is absolutely a problem--as are other kinds of waste in our country that are not being properly disposed of.  All I can keep thinking about are those barrels of DDT found off the California coast.  It kills me to think that either knowingly or unknowingly someone just decided to dump their problems into the ocean and let someone else deal with them.  I feel like, in a lot of ways, we've been doing that for far too long.  Pretending that everything is fine when it isn't can help people to get through difficult times, but if we never address the problems--if we let them fester, eventually they can destroy us.

I get that you're not the arbiter of all things that are done in the country, but please don't turn your back on these issues.  We've been needing a fixer-upper president for a while.  Stuff's falling apart and costing us a lot to continue to make half-assed repairs.  Fixing things takes a lot of commitment, resolve, and unfortunately capital, but not fixing things?  Not fixing things can lead to more problems, more costly outcomes, and lives lost.

Believe me when I say that I love the idea of being able to run freely through the world--no strings attached--no guard rails or training wheels, but I've also seen how dangerous it can be without them.  We can't rely on the people who are profiting off the labor of others to regulate their own businesses.  Doing so only gives them carte blanche to cut corners, risk peoples' safety, and foist their problems onto someone else.  Sound familiar?

And you know if Congress and administrations have been doing it, the private sector undoubtedly has.  And that's not fair to any of us.

I guess what I'm trying to say is: do your best to ensure accountability for things moving forward--even when it isn't in your best interests to do so.  Better to have a clear conscience at the end of the day than be surrounded by wealth and accolades, and the lies that are made to create such.

I heard that you will be getting a cat in the White House.  May I suggest adding to your stockpile of Resolve carpet cleaner if you haven't already?  It really does work, and make no mistake, animals are going to have accidents.  That said, I am looking forward to there being a cat as well as dogs at the White House.

So I'm not much for sports, and today is such a nice day, I mostly just want to head back to it; so, I think I'll end here for now.  I know it wasn't a lot this week.  I guess I'm just waiting for another shoe to drop, I think.  Life has kind of been like that of late, and I don't know when it will ever not be that way again.  Which reminds me: this is Mental Health Awareness Month.  The corona virus has left a scar on the world and our collective psyches.  We need to address that if we're going to truly move forward from this.  No platitudes or half-hearted words are going to truly help us; so, ...think on it.  This disease has killed more people than wars have, and we have a lot of memorials to past wars.  Maybe we need a national memorial to honor our dead for this--a place where we can reflect on just how big this really was, and to remind us of just how fragile our place in the world really is.  And it can serve as a reminder of how planning for the worst could save lives in the future.  If that simple tenet that we teach to members of our own military had been followed, things might have gone very differently than they did.  Also, having a place to go to share our collective grief can also help us to find healing, too.

And with that, I'll say my farewells and hope that your upcoming week is a good one, Sir.  Keep fighting the good fight and know that you are not alone (though I'm sure you know that already; I expect some of us out here could stand to remember it too, though.)

Until next week!

~~ Jenni