I don’t have much room to scribble this week. I just have to answer Kelly’s letter with a few bullets (publishing expression for short text).

Hi again, Kelly,

I try to put the death of Charlie Kirk out of mind for a while. The picture of his beautiful wife weeping over his casket is
too much. As for his killer, Tyler Robinson, he deserves the death penalty, more to discourage copycats than retribution.
However, if he is taken out of human circulation for the rest of his life, being a young man, that might be worse than
death. But you say, “until a year or so ago,” “Tyler was a religious MAGA gun enthusiast.” Kelly, it certainly took more
than a “year or so” to convert to believing murder was a normal, justified option. Once again, he used his free will for
evil, the oldest evil since Adam and Eve. Cain, jealous of his brother, also used his free will to murder Abel. Maybe
Robinson was jealous of Charlie’s success, maybe seduced by his boyfriend.

You question Charlie Kirk’s widow who “brilliantly” asked that the death penalty not be applied to the assailant, and
offered forgiveness to him, because “he [Charlie] wanted to save young men.” Do you question the sincerity of her
forgiveness? Do you question the sincerity of Charlie’s wish to “save young men”? And you think this just “a worthy issue
for another discussion”? And you “will follow her progress”? Progress to where? Erika Kirk is Catholic. Charlie was
becoming Catholic as well, but I find him named in three different denominations online. Charlie “told the bishop about his
Catholic wife and children and how he attended Mass with them.”

The point here, Kelly, is that Charlie was a deeply devout Christan man espousing Christian beliefs, among which is to “save
young men,” women and children. To say that Erika’s funeral statement of forgiveness was “brilliantly” given almost
implies it was improvised for public consumption, which you can’t possibly believe. I refuse to believe that was your
intent.

Lastly, you compare Trump’s funeral eulogy to “Nazi rhetoric,” more specifically to that of the infamous Josef Goebbels,
Nazi Propaganda Minister who poisoned his six children before committing suicide. Really? That’s what you think of your
president? This characterization of Trump’s statement, “railed against “nasty” political violence coming from the radical
Left” seems to better reflect your own emotions.

****

We don’t hear enough of the Russian-Ukraine war which is finally snapping all of Europe to attention this week. Trump has
finally recognized that Putin has been making a fool of him with all the compliments, and expressions of friendship. He now
acknowledges that that relationship 'didn't mean anything'...” He describes Russia as a “Paper Tiger” and now thinks
“Ukraine can win back all of its territory taken by Russia...” He’s also beginning to see how good the Ukrainian military
really is.

Remarkably, he said all this at the UN, to an astonished audience.

Most importantly, Trump said Poland was entitled to shoot down Russian aircraft that intrude into Polish territory.

Ukraine may have been mauled mercilessly for three and a half years by Russian Orcs, and lost a half-million men, but they
will prevail if supported. I believe triumph will come at the cost of tactical nuclear war because Europe and America have
dithered too long, with too little. Russia is on the cusp of financial collapse and will, in desperation, reach for the
smaller nukes, daring Europe to respond. That’s the bloody crux.