BREAKING ON MSNBC: Notre Dame Cathederal in Paris is on fire.

[deurbano]

78. My daughter posted family photos from our 2017 visit to Notre Dame on FB, offering condolences to

the people of Paris and the world. (Paris is our favorite city other than San Francisco, where we live.) One of her FB "friends" felt compelled to respond that what's happening at the Texas border is much worse, and Notre Dame is "only" a building, so it can be rebuilt.

My older daughter's life is devoted to advancing the rights of domestic workers (most of them immigrants, documented and not) and people with disabilities... and in helping elect people (Democrats) and support policies that will end the current evil situation at the border and prevent similar situations in the future. She deleted the "friend's" comment.

It seems such a failure of imagination... or heart ... or something... to be unable to understand (at all) the impact of the loss of such a beloved, glorious, iconic treasure to the people of Paris-- and to the rest of us-- and also to fail to understand that this feeling of devastating loss doesn't diminish our concerns about other current events.

At any rate, I didn't wake up today worried that Notre Dame would be burned out of existence. That was inconceivable. We stayed quite close to Notre Dame on our 2017 (spring) trip, in a lively neighborhood on the Left Bank. This was our first family trip in years, and the first time our two youngest kids had been to Paris. It was such a great (and needed!) escape from the shit-show unfolding back home. I just want to rewind this day... and replay with the devastating and unbelievable loss part edited out. Can't stop crying...