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Help Ukraine, help the world

The Russian invasion of Ukraine is an unmitigated tragedy playing out in searing slow motion before our eyes. There is no end to this brutality that is currently in sight.

Some of my commentary comes from various news sources, but some continues to come from historian and author Timothy Snyder. He gave a nice talk you can see here.

  • Give to alleviate this suffering. There are good venues here or through the ELCA here.
    • When there is a refugee crisis, there is a surge in donations which subsides quickly after the crisis leaves the front page. Consider recurring donations.
    • When you donate to alleviate the suffering of Ukrainian refugees, you also contribute to political stability in Eastern Europe. Large influxes of refugees can destabilize governments. Poland, Romania, and Moldova have their own struggles resisting authoritarian influence. If the strain of so many refugees causes political strife in those countries, Putin will fund neo-fascist political parties to take advantage. We can make a difference.
  • There is some agitation for a no-fly zone. This would be a direct military intervention–it would mean shooting Russians out of the sky. This would create grave risk of expanding the war. It is truly difficult to watch this tragedy unfold. But a war that crossed beyond the borders of Ukraine could be an order of magnitude more tragic. The responses of governments must be measured.
  • We should support all other practical means of supporting Ukraine and opposing Putin. On Tuesday, March 22nd, consider joining the campaign to call (or email) your representatives to support the American response. Information about this organized effort is here. If the language in their suggested statement is stronger than you might prefer in terms of military support, simply express support for sanctions against Putin’s government, and encourage American support of Ukrainian refugees.
    • Here’s the language I intend to use:
    • My name is __________, my zip code is _________, and I am a constituent of ____________ . The Russian invasion of Ukraine is brutal and illegal. America must support Ukraine as it fights for freedom. We must be willing to support refugees financially and by accepting Ukrainian refugees to America. We must be willing to push even further than we have so far to sanction Russia and its oligarchs. We must support countries like Poland who are hosting Ukrainian refugees. I do not support direct military intervention. But American taxpayers like myself believe in supporting people who are fighting and dying for their freedom. I will be watching your statements and votes related to this issue. For your records, my number/email is ######. Thank you.
      • If you live around me:
        • Email Bryan Steil here.
        • Email Tammy Baldwin here.
        • Email Ron Johnson here.
  • Ukrainians could have rolled over and allowed Putin to take their country. They could have decided they valued all the material things they had built–and even their lives–more than their freedom. If they had, we would not have the opportunity now to see their sacrifice and to reflect on our own freedom: Are we free? How are we earning our freedom? And if we don’t know how we’re earning our freedom, are we so sure we have it?
  • A chapter of Ukrainian history that helps us understand their sense of desperation right now is called the Holodomor. Consider learning a bit about it.

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