Ukrainian Americans
I sit here in my art room, in this little town that is Marianna, half-listening, half-watching the news in the background. Across the screen reads, "Ukraine president Zelensky urges for a no-fly zone." Everyone knows there is heavy fighting in Ukraine, with Russians shelling key Ukrainian cities. Russians are killing civilians as they try to flee in an area that was said to be a humanitarian corridor. Ukrainians hide in places they think are safe, including their homes, but attacks meet them there, too. Many of us here in the United States and elsewhere worry about another world war or, worse, a planet that's no longer livable.
Ukraine's fight for freedom is not new. The documentary "WINTER ON FIRE" gives some sense of their recent fight in 2014 to live free. The politics of it all are disturbing, mainly because the current issues are woven, to a degree, into the United States' past President Donald Trump and several of his associations, especially Manafort, whom he had pardoned. And no, I'm not a fan of Biden, either. And I have an incredible amount to learn about the many issues of the world facing all of us. But one thing is set in stone for me; I'm tired of con artists, and thieves referred to as oligarchs.
Many Americans in the United States have ancestors who came from Ukraine. My great-grandparents were from western Ukraine. They went to the U.S. in the early 1900s. Research tells me how bad the times were when Ukraine was part of the Soviet Union. Many Ukrainians were displaced and starving and so emigrated to North America.
My paternal great-grandparents came from southern Poland near Krakow. So Poland is also dear to me, especially since polka music, dance, and polish food were a large part of my upbringing. My dad was called Polka pap-pap by his grandkids. He was a singer and taught himself to play the organ at a young age, while some of his siblings played the accordion.
While I continue to type, there is more breaking news. President Joe Biden just announced a ban on Russian oil imports. It is a relief. I am glad we took this significant step; unfortunately, we had not done something sooner regarding ramping up clean energy. We could have helped a dying planet that reaches record-breaking temperatures, wildfires, flooding, and droughts, yearly, and, in turn, could have been more energy-independent by now. I suspect there will be price gouging, and with it comes a push to get politicians out of their seats via blame (even when a fault is not warranted). A political war is a given. Unfortunately, all the while, we fight over whose right and wrong regarding whether or not we should or shouldn't have clean energy or more dirty energy; the climate is at its tipping point no matter what party wins seats or gains control. I can hardly believe, however, that we might go full force into further destruction of a planet moving with all gas, oil, and coal without increasing solar power and other cleaner sources in the bigger picture.
Aside from that, beautiful people with beautiful families and unique cultures are being shelled to death in Ukraine as I type; some are even beaten to death in Russia for protesting the war, although fewer now since Putin passed a new law where protestors will get 15 years behind bars if they speak out about the war. Maybe Putin realized what occurred in 2014 in Ukraine could happen in Russia, and he needed to stop it. Indeed it's part of the reason for his social media crackdown. A crackdown will make it nearly impossible for Russian citizens to know the truth and for protestors to get info on where to gather in more significant numbers.
Occurring right now, on the television screen, is Ukraine President Zelensky speaking live to the British parliament. He says, "We don't want to lose what is ours. We will not give up or lose this war...." He receives a standing ovation.
There are Russian soldiers, and non-soldiers, fighting a war they were not prepared to fight. Some of them claim that information about the war is misleading. Their families will have much heartache from Putin's war. And they will feel it in everyday life, with the many sanctions on Russia that will devastate the economy. As for Ukraine, the situation worsens by the hour. Many cannot evacuate and do not have food, water, or heat.
It is incredible how much we are alike in wanting peace, happiness, and freedom. Yet, these things are unimportant to an ego-maniac who seeks only power and wealth. Having many houses dripping with gold and yachts, the size of grand houses matters to these types and being pat on the back by like-minded egocentrics. Their freedom is a false freedom. When integrity is lost, a soul goes with it. Without a soul, a person is inhuman. All sense of compassion and decency allows the brain to rot with hate and ego. Weak and petty men do die fools. Putin is a fool, as are many men with similar mindsets.
The Ukrainians who are fighting for their freedom, like all those in the past, will be remembered for their bravery, of this I am sure.
“Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away.”
― I Hope I Shall Arrive Soon
