I’m so fricking impressed with the Ukrainian people. I feel for the Russians who don’t agree with their government’s actions but aren’t allowed to protest or speak out. I’m also impressed with those Russians who have risked imprisonment to protest anyway.
I visited the USSR in 1990, my senior year of high school. We visited St. Petersburg, Moscow, Pskov, and Yalta (on the Crimean peninsula). It was an amazing trip that really opened my eyes to the similarities between humans no matter the culture, government, religion, etc. For the most part, we all just want to have food, shelter, safety, and community.
While the actions of Putin and the Russian army sicken me, I am encouraged by the actions of the rest of the free world. Sanctions, protests, and unity for free people all ring out. Capitalism has some nasty attributes sometimes, but when I see the economic sanctions taken by companies willing to lose money to show support, I believe there is some good. When I see Elon Musk, whom I believe has more wealth than any one human has rights to, send Starlink satellites to provide internet and phone services to Ukrainians, I believe there is good in all of us.
And then I see the garbage being spewed by “patriots” that do nothing but bemoan the actions of our government or wax poetic about how “their guy” would have handled things. Why on earth is that their focus? Why is it so difficult to show compassion for democratic people being invaded? Why are they so angry about everything unless they’re getting their way? I want to shake them by the shoulders and tell them to “SHUT UP!” Things are so damn divisive in this country it drives me up the wall. A pandemic didn’t bring us together. The Russians invading a democratic country can’t bring us together. I just don’t get it. What’s the point? What’s the end game? Wake up and stop being so angry at “the other side” for fuck’s sake. There are bigger issues in the world.
This post has been day 55 of #100DaysToOffload