Site Comment

I e-mailed the honorable Senator Sheldon Whitehouse to inform him of Mike's death. (Mike was a constituent on the Senator during his time in Providence. He also lived in the Senator's neighborhood). Senator Whitehouse was kind enough to write back:

"Dear Mr. Resler:

Thank you for your message regarding the death of Mr. Michael Bhatia. I appreciate you getting in touch and am saddened to hear of this tragic loss.

Mr. Bhatia demonstrated great courage working to bring a deeper understanding of the issues underlying some of the world’s most difficult conflicts, and often putting his own safety at risk in the process. As our experience in both Iraq and Afghanistan have demonstrated, it is crucial to account for national cultural considerations, and Mr. Bhatia’s participation in the research project in Afghanistan to improve cultural awareness in the military was invaluable to our efforts there.

Mr. Bhatia will be remembered for his steadfast commitment to peaceful conflict resolution and cultural understanding. Undoubtedly, his spirit will live on as we look to his work to better understand contemporary conflicts.

Thank you again for informing me of this sad loss. Please feel free to contact me again in the future.

Sincerely,

Sheldon"