Reply ID: 4gaw
Letter for Daniel Tutka

Dear Dan:

My apologies (desolé) for not responding to you message sooner. Busy with legal work, had no postage.

Several years ago, I intensely studied French, which made me more aware of the difficulty in understanding the American language by those who use another language. I will attempt to use that knowledge to write more understandably to you in this letter. Hopefully, you've been practicing your American language skills too!

Uh, yeah, "our" president is an ass and an idiot. You know the state dance in Wisconsin is the Polka and at least 25% of the population are descendants of Polish immigrants. As far as I know, there have been no Polish terrorists, so I find it strange that Trump made it hard for you to get a visa. You may want to contact the Polish Center of Wisconsin in Milwaukee (phone #: (414) 529-2140) for help getting a visa. Google 'em.

I'm sure you are a great dad, and you know I would not say that if I did not mean it. You always had a good sense of humor, were able to laugh at yourself, and were willing to understand other people. So you, I'm sure, are good at dealing with kids. I am too. :) Because I see them as little people but not lesser people, and I see adults as being obligated to help kids grow into healthy, competent, social adults. Plus, I suspect that your kids had a good set of genes, which gave them resilient personalities rather than personalities that require special attention so that they don't easily come to believe that something horrible is acceptable, such as that it's okay to torture other people. So I have little to recommend that you don't already realize.

There are several things I can recommend:
1. Keep them off the Internet, apps, and social media. That stuff is designed by psychologists to make it addictive, and it impairs social development.
2. Get them book on audio, classic literature, so they can listen to them on their own and maybe you all can as a family. Consider doing so for Nabakov's (if there are good Polish translations), short stories (yes, I read many. That guy is the Monet of writers!), and some classic English/American writers like Mark Twain, George Orewell, Jack London.
3. Get the paper version of National Geographic. Exposure to all these ideas and images will open their minds, which they can then build on. Then, who knows, they may become scientists, explorers. At least they'll have full minds and things to talk about, be more interesting people. :)
4. Teach them to try to understand how other people work, why people are they way they are.

No, there's nobody around me who "treats me good". I'm the only white guy who's not a rapist. A few of the blacks are racist towards whites and the rest play along, so no friendly exchanges. Staff are mostly white, ignorant, and cruel. I watch TV (thanks) and write about this place.

My best,
Nate