To the editor:
As we begin the onset of winter, let us take a moment to wonder how we would perform in zero-degree weather, with no electricity, little shelter as one of the most powerful countries in the world does its best to destroy us. With this backdrop, the world is currently witnessing an exercise in courage that we rarely get to see. The Ukrainian people provide this example for us as they fight a war that is brutal beyond our imagination.
This conflict has many roots in the past, and Russia’s imperialist desires help fuel this evil struggle. The current situation was indeed forecasted by Russia’s effortless seizure of the Crimea with no serious opposition. That move was then followed by an effort to separate eastern Ukraine from the rest of the country. Again, the United States did little to discourage this aggression.
Of course, there is absolutely no indication that this current battle is the end of Russia’s effort. If successful, it will definitely continue. However, it will then proceed while casting a threat that is ominous for its neighbors. To prevent this threat from succeeding, the United States has generously supported the Ukrainian people in their struggle. In return though, the Ukrainians have fought this terrible war in our place. From the very beginning, Russian forces have tried to terrorize the population thru indiscriminate bombing, outright murder, rape, torture, destruction of the nation’s history, the kidnapping of entire populations and mass destruction that rivals the aftermath of World War II. All of this happens as they try to destroy the very heart and soul of a free nation.
As we enter the winter season, we can be sure that Russia will do everything in its power to destroy the infrastructure of that country, pushing Ukraine into numbing cold and darkness. What is our country doing? As a response, the House majority is cruelly trying to stop the funding for this brave struggle and by doing so, turn our backs on the its evil consequences, current and future. The House’s answer to this crisis is to force our schools to use whole milk. It is unconscionable for us to walk away from this suffering and the millions of struggling people who stood up to a country that has chosen to leave the civilized world.
Now, please step outside and experience Ukrainian life, if only for a few moments.
Christian H. Pfister
Athens