War – bendingtheneedle

Violence doesn’t solve anything, except….

I abhor violence, but the “violence doesn’t solve anything” lament rings hollow in a country that was born out of violent revolution and resistance, and a country that fought violently to prevent fascism from spreading across Europe and the world. Opposing tyranny and a love of freedom are part and parcel of the American experience. When an individual or government threatens our right to speak and live freely, we resist, protest, and, if necessary, we fight.

The American Revolution did not explode spontaneously into violence – it grew over time from protests, pamphlets, and reasoned arguments. When all of that failed, the only thing left was to either submit to tyranny or to fight.

We celebrate the success and ultimate sacrifice of the American Revolution every Fourth of July and Victory Day every second Monday in August. We pump our fists and fly flags to the rallying cries of “Live Free or Die,” “Give me liberty, or give me death,” and “Don’t Tread on Me.” The activities associated with these sentiments are rarely free of violence.

We humans haven’t evolved as much as we pretend. We struggle to sustain a lasting peaceful coexistence with one another; we’re unable to live-and-let-live, often because of the ginned-up fear around political, religious, and cultural differences, which keep us divided and fighting amongst one another. And make no mistake, leaders like Donald Trump understand that if we are fighting one another, we’re not fighting them.

America is marching towards fascism, and many Americans seem okay with the path we’re on. Maybe it doesn’t feel like fascism when you share the political, social, and religious ideology of your fascist government? Regardless, most Americans (across the political spectrum) do not want conflict, yet we find ourselves on a dangerous precipice of violence with one another, fueled by the assassinations of Melissa and Mark Hortman and Charlie Kirk.

And what makes our current situation even more perilous is that our President is not calling for calm or trying to defuse things.

Why do you think that is?

It’s because the President sees anyone who does not share his authoritarian views as the “enemy within.”

We shouldn’t kid ourselves about the character and nature of the individuals who sit at the highest levels of our government. Our government is awash in fascists and Christian nationalists who have no intention or desire to sit down with secularists, progressives, or even moderate democrats because they view them as a direct threat to their authoritarian designs on America.

If you cherish freedom for everyone, now is the time to speak loudly and to push aggressively (and peacefully) against a government that is trying to strip freedom away from your fellow citizens.

If you haven’t had a chance yet, please check out my book, My Paper, My Words: Rantings from a Progressive Boomer and Peeved Parent, from Amazon. And if you feel moved to write a review of the book, on Amazon, or anywhere else, I’d be honored.

My Paper, My Words is a collection of essays, stories, and poems that reflect the challenges of a middle-class husband and father trying to navigate a rapidly changing political, religious, and technological landscape of post-911 America.

For the Benefit of Vladimir

Sing to the tune of Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite by the Beatles

For the benefit of Vladimir
A sourpuss that’s insincere, a criminal
JD and Trump will kiss his ass to lend support for his morass
is seminal.
Soldier men and forces, bombs and bosses,
Jumping through a hog’s head of real fire.
with a sneer Vladimir will challenge the world!

Inebriated Vladimir
lays down a beat on Saturday, at Ukraine’s gate.
A Russian Bear will dance and sing
As Rubio bows to a King, a coward’s fate
Mess’rs P. and T. assure the public
their protection will be lesser than none.
and of course, NATO the Horse, dances alone

The bombs begin at ten to six
When Vladimir performs his tricks without a sound
And Mister T. will demonstrate
There’re things he can’t resuscitate from underground
Having stuck the knife with devastation
A bloody time is guaranteed for all
And tonight, Vladimer is having a ball

Let’s Ask Arty about the War in Ukraine

Let’s Ask Arty uses existing Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology to query LLMs about politics in these troubled times.

Query 1: How did the war between Ukraine and Russia start?

The war between Ukraine and Russia began with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022. This invasion was preceded by years of tension and conflict, including Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014 and support for pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine2. The full-scale invasion in 2022 marked a significant escalation in the conflict

Query 2: Did Russian Forces commit war crimes against Ukraine citizens?

Yes, there have been numerous credible reports and investigations indicating that Russian forces have committed war crimes against Ukrainian citizens since the invasion began in 2022. These war crimes include deliberate attacks on civilian targets such as hospitals, schools, and residential areas, indiscriminate attacks on densely populated areas, abduction, torture, and murder of civilians, forced deportations, sexual violence, and destruction of cultural heritage.

Query 3: Is Vladimir Putin responsible for war crimes against Ukraine?

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin, accusing him of war crimes related to the unlawful deportation and transfer of children from occupied areas of Ukraine to Russia. This is part of broader allegations of war crimes committed by Russian forces, including deliberate attacks on civilian targets, abductions, torture, and murder of civilians, and destruction of cultural heritage.

Query 4: As an American citizen, how can I support Ukraine in its war with Russia even when my government seems now to be siding with Russia?

It’s commendable that you want to support Ukraine despite the complexities of international politics. Here are some ways you can help:

Donate to humanitarian organizations: Organizations like People in Need, the Ukrainian Red Cross, International Medical Corps, and CARE are actively providing aid to those affected by the conflict. Your donations can help provide food, shelter, medical aid, and other essential services1.
Support Ukrainian businesses: Purchase products made in Ukraine or from Ukrainian-owned businesses to help support their economy.
Advocate for Ukraine: Use your voice to raise awareness about the situation in Ukraine. Write to your representatives, participate in peaceful protests, and use social media to spread the word.
Volunteer: Look for local or international volunteer opportunities with organizations that support Ukraine. This could include anything from fundraising events to providing direct assistance to refugees.
Educate yourself and others: Stay informed about the situation in Ukraine and share accurate information with your community. Knowledge is power, and spreading awareness can lead to more support.
Support cultural initiatives: Attend events, concerts, and exhibitions that promote Ukrainian culture and raise funds for the cause.

Query 5: Was Donald Trump financially beholden to Russia?

The relationship between Donald Trump and Russia has been a topic of much discussion and investigation. While Trump has consistently denied having any financial ties to Russia, investigations and reports have revealed several connections.

Business Ventures: Trump has pursued business deals in Russia since the late 1980s. Although he never successfully concluded any real estate deals in Russia, Russian investors have heavily invested in Trump properties.
Financing: Following his bankruptcies in the 1990s, Trump borrowed money from Russian sources. His children have also acknowledged that Russia was an important source of money for the Trump businesses.
Associates: Several of Trump’s senior advisors and business partners have had financial and business ties to Russian financiers.

Despite these connections, Trump has maintained that he has no financial ties to Russia. The full extent and nature of these connections remain a subject of ongoing scrutiny and debate.

My Input

Before I get going, I need to jettison some of my anger about America’s shift regarding the war in Ukraine.

I’m angry that millions of Americans don’t seem to care their President is a fucking liar. They don’t seem to care that under Trump’s authority, America has flipped its position on Ukraine, signaling support for the nation that unlawfully invaded them while committing war crimes against Ukrainian civilians.

This past week, in America’s name, Trump stood on the world stage and knowingly lied about who started the war in Ukraine and then regurgitated Russian talking points about President Zelensky being a dictator.

Let’s get to the point. As Arty states clearly, there is no ambiguity about what happened on February 24, 2022.

After Putin unlawfully invaded Ukraine and committed war crimes against Ukrainian citizens, America stood shoulder-to-shoulder with law-abiding nations around the world in condemnation of Russia. America and our Western European allies offered humanitarian, military, and moral support to help Ukraine defend and fight against Russia.

Before Trump became President again, standing up for Ukraine wasn’t a sticky wicket politically. Ukraine was not threatening Russia. Ukraine was simply next to Russia—there for the taking. The “right and wrong” of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was so clear that even our divided Congress came together almost immediately to support President Zelensky and the Ukrainian people.

I was proud of our government’s stance, but honestly, it was a no-brainer.

Right??

Now look at where we are today. Trump is working directly with Russia while excluding Ukraine from negotiations and labeling President Zelinsky a dictator.

What we need to remember about Donald Trump is that he’s purely transactional, has no moral compass, and has a penchant for revenge.

Why is this important regarding the war in Ukraine? Whether you curry favor or scorn Donald Trump, you can expect reciprocity—he’s a tit-for-tat president unfettered by morality or the rule of law.

Donald Trump dislikes President Zelensky because, in 2019, Zelensky didn’t agree to Trump’s request that he “do us a favor” and investigate Joe Biden, his political rival, and his son Hunter Biden.

Trump threatened to withhold military aid and a White House meeting as leverage to strong-arm Zelensky.

A House investigation found that Trump’s actions constituted an abuse of power (pressuring a foreign leader for personal political gain) and that he obstructed Congress by instructing his administration to ignore subpoenas for documents and testimony.

Donald Trump hates the fact that Zelensky would not be bullied and probably blames the Ukrainian President for his first impeachment.

Trump likes Vladimir Putin because Putin and Russia curried favor with Trump by interfering in the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election to undermine Hillary Clinton’s campaign and boost Donald Trump’s chances of winning.
Russian interference included hacking and releasing emails from the Democratic National Committee and Clinton’s campaign chairman, as well as spreading disinformation through social media.

The U.S. intelligence community, the Republican-led Senate Intelligence Committee, and Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation all concluded that Russia engaged in an extensive campaign to influence the election in favor of Donald Trump.

The people who know Trump best – the ones who served in his administration and the high-ranking officers in the military that he commanded, spoke clearly before the 2024 election, telling Americans in no uncertain terms that Donald Trump was a fascist and a threat to our democracy and democracies around the world. However, the price of eggs was through the roof, a handful of trans athletes competed in events, and the local library hosted Drag Show Readings. And so millions of Americans turned a deaf ear to the warnings and voted for a convicted felon and serial sexual abuser. Today, the consequences of that decision are unfolding before our eyes.

It’s clear that Congress, which has the constitutional authority to check the President’s powers, lacks the courage to do so. And we can forget about the Judicial branch, which granted Trump immunity from criminal prosecution.

American citizens will have to right the ship. The longer Trump’s actions go on without protest or dissent from citizens, the more momentum Trump and the MAGA movement gain, and the more dangerous and difficult our task becomes.

With each passing day, more executive orders come, and Elon Musk swings the DOGE wrecking ball at federal institutions and agencies to weaken the government and solidify executive power and authority.

It’s up to American citizens to demand a moral, competent, and just government that supports democracy and works for the people instead of an autocratic, oligarchic government that demands fealty from the people.

The clock is ticking.

War, Religion, and other Ramblings from an Atheist on a Sunday Morning

The majority of Muslims are peaceful.

We hear this whenever Muslim extremists go on a rampage.

And though I agree the majority of Muslims are peaceful, if the average Muslim had to choose between living with a peaceful atheist like me or a fanatical Islamist, I think they’d choose the latter, because with the latter they share a religion.

Religion holds people together, while also dividing us from one another.

It lumps people into like-minded groups, where each group believes their God, their beliefs, their scripture, and their golden ticket to the afterlife is the one and only. It fosters an “us versus them” mentality, and when religion controls the narrative of who we are, we lose sight of our shared humanity.

When infused with fanaticism, religion celebrates flying planes into buildings and forcing families from their bulldozed homes as righteous acts.

When we view people through the prism of religion, we don’t see them as individuals. Instead, we see Jews, Muslims, or Christians and the preconceived notions those labels have to us. Categorization leads to dehumanization and dehumanization softens up the conditions for war and hate.

Fanatical groups like Hamas, ISIS, al-Qaeda, MAGA Republicans, and the ultra-orthodox Jews living in the West Bank see religion and scripture as a final arbiter or cure-all to all their woes and view those who don’t adhere to their beliefs as “less than” themselves.

Religion doesn’t only affect the religious. For example, religious-borne fear affects the moral compass of the religiously-agnostic when it comes to the war in Gaza. The fear of religious extremism is why we give a wide berth to Israeli vengeance. Our fear of Hamas and what they represent runs so deep that we give the IDF leeway in terms of their tactics and rationalize civilian casualties.

Religious extremism never serves the greater good. Clearly, Gazans in Palestine would be better off if they could get out from under the thumb of Hamas.

I want Hamas to be swept into the dustbin of history.

But at what cost? I guess that’s the question.

At what cost?

Last week, I saw a video post on LinkedIn that showed ghastly footage of bloody Palestinian children writhing in pain on a hospital floor in Gaza. It was horrific and sickening (and has since been removed). Many of the comments to that post referenced Allah and retribution, which filled me with despair. Those comments reinforce my belief that humans are slaves to what they’re taught in churches, synagogues, and mosques.

Don’t get me wrong, I know that people find peace, comfort, and a sense of community in religion — I understand the positive aspects of religion.

But I also see the negative.

Religious people get agitated at atheists like me who rail against the dangers of religion. In contrast, we atheists get frustrated that religious people can’t seem to separate the bliss they achieve from religion individually from the negative shit that comes out of a religious group dynamic.

Freedom from religion – the right of a person to have no religion in their life, opens the door to humanistic identity.

I was raised a catholic. For years, growing up, I went to church and catechism every Sunday, where I was lectured to by priests and nuns. Thankfully, I lived in a country that supports freedom from religion and free thought — where, over time, I could compare (without fear of retribution) what the priest and nuns were telling me to what I saw and observed in the world and what I learned of my own volition. This led to a sense of self not based on religious dogma and doctrine but rather on my personal experience interacting with the world and the people in it.

If I had been born and raised in Iran or Iraq, my experience would have been radically different. I would have been forced to adhere to the religious rules of the state or suffer the consequences of disobedience.

As an atheist, I could walk the streets of Telavi freely without having to look over my shoulder in fear for my safety. I’m not sure I can say the same about walking streets controlled by Islamist fundamentalists – who, if I made an off-color remark about their prophet, would separate me from my head without batting an eye – and feel justified in doing so.

America’s greatest gift to its citizens is freedom from religion. But lately, I fear we’re in danger of losing that gift and becoming an authoritarian theocratic state ourselves.

Just look at the speech that Elise Stephanic gave when nominating Mike Johnson as Speaker of the House. That speech included multiple references to God and scripture. And Johnson himself has informed American’s the way to learn how he feels about any issue is to read the Bible. ‘That’s my worldview, that’s what I believe.‘

Since Mike Johnson’s nomination to the speakership, we’ve seen gross outward expressions of religiosity on the house floor – a clear slap in the face to the separation of church and state.

Imagine the outcry if a Muslim speaker or representative busted out a prayer rug on the house floor to pray.

The increase of religiosity in the Republican party should be a huge red flag to Americans who cherish living in a secular and pluralistic society.

The GOP’s embrace of Christianity as a national religion is a genuine threat to the American way of life.

I’m not naive. I know religion isn’t going anywhere, though I am heartened that among American adults, secular humanism and postmodernism are growing in influence in our culture.

Let’s judge religions by their ideas.

The notion that criticizing a religion is unacceptable because it might “offend people” is what allows dangerous movements within generally peaceful religions to spread and radicalize individuals.

We need to voice our objections loudly against any religion that promotes divisiveness, intolerance, or hate, because these are bad ideas for humanity.

I’m stepping down from my soap box now.

Tipping Points

Israel says there is a safe zone for civilians in the south of Gaza.

Israel suggests that Hamas is preventing civilians from going to that safe zone because separating Gazan civilians from Hamas means fewer civilian casualties, which is terrible for Hamas because (according to Israel) Hamas relies on civilian casualties as fodder for their propaganda machine.

So, who do we believe?

How do we, the ones watching this conflict from the outside, get to the truth to form an opinion?

It is hard to trust the controlling parties on either end of this conflict, and in that scenario, everyone in the middle gets obliterated.

And let’s not forget that our struggle for truthfulness is nothing compared to what Gazan civilians are facing hourly. Gazans are struggling to live and breathe just long enough to bury their dead.

Americans understand the raw rage that Israel holds towards Hamas. It mirrors what we felt towards Al-Qaida on September 12th, 2001. We understand a desire for payback that originates from the gut – it’s what drives our support of Israeli efforts to uproot and destroy Hamas.

But I’m guessing there’ll come a point where support for Israel tips in the other direction – when our gut reaction to the sheer number of civilian casualties forces us to say, “Enough!”

Who will be the last Israeli soldier, Hamas terrorist, or Gazan civilian to die before we reach that point, and will it matter?

How can civilians in the “political middle” of this conflict affect change now when they couldn’t affect change before the conflict? – Isn’t the task of effecting change way more difficult today?

Gaza is in ruins. Survivors filled with rage and hopelessness will be looking for payback, and the peace and security that many Israelis seek has become less of a possibility.

It’s hard to find hope in any of this.

Hamas Needs to Go

Hamas has been at the helm of the Government in Gaza since 2007.

What have they done for the Palestinian people?

The Hamas Charter explicitly calls for the obliteration of Israel. Hamas is not interested in negotiating or coexisting with Israel. Any talks with Israel that might result in a better life for Gazans would be detrimental to Hamas’s hold on power — because peaceful coexistence with Israel negates Hamas’s primary objective, which is to kill Jews.

Hamas militants are fueled by religious hatred, laid bare in the brutal and vicious nature of their attacks on Israeli citizens. When you believe God commands you to slaughter your enemies, you do so with zeal. The greater the depravity by which they murder, the more glory to their God, or so it seems.

Even if you blame Israel entirely for the plight of the Palestinians in Gaza, how can anyone justify the terroristic and vicious nature of the Hamas attack on October 7th, 2023?

I understand that Israeli policies that expand settlements and displace Palestinians exacerbate the hardships felt in Gaza.

I understand the Israeli government has contributed to Palestinians’ indignity for generations.

I understand that Israel has killed many innocent Palestinians in military operations over the years.

Does all that understanding about the indignity, the generational hopelessness, and the death and destruction at the hands of the Israeli military – justify Hamas’s attack on innocent civilians?

No, it does not – because Hamas has done nothing on behalf of Palestinians to move the needle toward peace.

They offer no hope. They are the enemy of hope.

There’s a palpable dread for what’s about to go down in Gaza.

Palestinian citizens and the hostages taken by Hamas are pawns in a never-ending religious, ethnic, and geopolitical dispute that Hamas has no interest in resolving.

That’s why they need to go.

Sustainable Outrage

At first, it was difficult to brush aside the carnage.

We see the horror of war and empathize with those engulfed by it.

We get angry at the senselessness of it.

We get agitated that one man’s evil ambition can wreak havoc on millions of innocent people who just want to live their lives.

But as the war drags on, we’ll grow to accept it as part of the global landscape.

For Ukrainians, outrage and anger fuel their fight and their will to survive.

For Ukrainians, outrage is ammunition. Outrage is necessary.

But for us watching the war from a safe distance, in 3-minute segments on flat-screen TVs, maintaining the same level of outrage we felt initially is not sustainable. Not because we’re callous or ambivalent, but because that level of outrage interferes with our daily routine and our need to get on with our lives.

Humans are not wired to maintain a constant state of outrage when their environment does not merit it, or when their survival does not depend on it.

For those not directly impacted by war, extended outrage is an impediment. To move on with our lives, outrage gives way to a begrudging (and guilt-laden) acceptance of other people’s suffering.

In a way, turning off our outrage becomes a survival mechanism.

Putin understands this.

Putin is betting that the world will get tired of feeling outrage.

Putin knows that outrage has a short shelf-life and all he has to do for victory is wait us out.

We need sustainable outrage to stand up against the enemies of freedom and democracy.

The Hum of the Drone

Bucha and Kiev get blasted by rockets

Widows and orphans – dead soldiers in lockets

Cruise missiles fall From Ukrainian skies

Putin’s foul mouth spewing nothing but lies

Train station platforms with panicked civilians

War crimes and weapons, with aid in the billions

Switchblades and Javelins seek tanks with their eyes

Dead Russian generals provide food for the flies

Thrust on the world stage

An actor turns hero

Europe is burning

as Putin plays Nero

Nuclear sabers, they rattle and clang

The world anxiously waits

for that one final bang

The EU and NATO Fight Russian aggression

While Russian civilians live under suppression

Doomsday on doorsteps, a knock at the door

Mankind is dead on the living room floor

Sunflower seeds in dead soldiers’ pockets

White teeming maggots in bloody eye sockets

Children lie dead under rubble and stone

To the flutter of birds and the hum of the drone

The Belled Tiger and the Bull in Democracy’s China Closet

‘Let he who tied the bell on the tiger take it off’

So said China’s President Xi Jinping, alluding to who is responsible for reigning in Vladimir Putin from his vicious and unlawful military assault on Ukraine.

So, who tied the bell on the Russian Tiger?

I would suggest:

The first bell was tied on the Tiger when Trump sought Russia’s cooperation in a US election.

The next bell on the tiger was Trump’s un-ending praise of Putin and other autocrats.

More bells were attached with 4 years of Trump trashing NATO alliances.

And then there was that big bell when Trump sided with Putin over US intelligence agencies, for everyone to see, in Helsinki.

Another bell on the Tiger was the Trump administration turning its back on the Kurds and letting Russia have its way in Syria.

So, President Xi is correct; America did indeed put the bell on the Tiger. A fuck-load of bells. Christ, with so many bells, we could name that Tiger Jingles.

Biden is dealing with a Russian Tiger, belled by 4 years of praise and appeasement from a thug-loving autocratic-wanna-be President who hated our NATO allies.

And now Putin, the belled Russian Tiger, is terrorizing Ukraine, murdering innocent men, women, and children.

I have my own proverb:

The belled tiger is less restrained and more dangerous after 4-years of an orange bull in Western Democracy’s China Closet.

Like a bull in a China Closet, former President Trump obliterated the norms of liberal western democracy in favor of autocratic principals, opening the door to a terroristic Tiger.

The Cost of Autocracy

Stoyan Nenov/Reuters
A woman cries as she walks with her children after fleeing from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, at the border crossing in Siret, Romania, Feb. 28, 2022.

I’ve been watching gut-wrenching footage of the Ukrainian refugee crisis.

Images of thousands of Ukrainians fleeing their homes. Pictures of desperate and panicked mobs on train station platforms looking for safe passage to Poland or Hungary. The same pained expression on every face. An expression that comes from leaving all you’ve ever known behind with the devastating understanding you’ll likely never return.

I think the world is still reeling from how quickly events leading to the crisis unfolded. The transformation from Ukrainian citizen to Ukrainian refugee seemed instantaneous.

Ukrainians went from sipping coffee at sidewalk cafés to walking for miles with everything they own stuffed in a duffle bag. We watch them stagger down the middle of streets, surrounded by block after city block of blackened and bombed-out buildings. We wince in discomfort at the hundreds of children in winter coats clinging to stuffed animals while holding on to their stunned parent’s hands. We imagine the feeling of having our own security ripped away and our lives forever changed because of one man’s delusions of grandeur and unbridled lust for power.

What’s happening in Ukraine is so unsettling because we see with our own eyes the fragility of life and how tenuous the connection between safety and total chaos is.

As I watch the crisis unfold from the comfort of my surroundings, a sense of hopelessness settles in. The hopelessness is chased by an anxiety-fueled realization that everything which anchors me to my own sense of belonging might disappear in a wisp and whim.

Simple things, like walking through the front door into the arms of a loved one, relaxing in a favorite chair, falling asleep to the warm and familiar nuances of home. The almost unconscious absorption of sights and sounds that comprise life; the sound of my dog walking across the kitchen floor, a ticking clock in the den, the electric hum of a refrigerator at night, or the relaxed, carefree expression of my children sitting around the kitchen table.

It’s unbearable knowing that everything that grounds us and keeps us whole can disappear when one man decides to go to war.

But that’s what happens in an autocracy.

Most importantly, we shouldn’t get lulled into thinking this can’t happen in America. We have a vicious and ugly streak of “might-is-right” believers in our country and government.

And let’s keep in our collective consciousness that Donald Trump is one of Vladimir Putin’s biggest admirers, and that Donald Trump still controls the Republican Party.

Redirecting our democracy to an autocracy might be one election cycle away.

When Donald Trump was President, he openly mused about shooting protesters in the legs. Donald Trump ordered military police to use tear gas to disperse peaceful protestors. Donald Trump despises a free press and openly talks about “investigating” and targeting journalists. And like every true authoritarian, Donald Trump understands the biggest threat to autocratic rule is truth and freedom. After all, it was truth and freedom that ended his presidency, despite all his attempts to suppress both.

I’ve no doubt that Trump is fine with Putin clamping down on protestors. And I’m sure that Trump sees nothing wrong with Putin keeping the truth from Russian citizens by cracking down on journalists. Trump himself longed for that type of power and control.

Imagine if Trump were President today. Do you honestly think he would condemn Putin and work with our NATO alliance? How much worse would the Ukrainian people be under a Trump Presidency?

We are all Ukrainians today – their fight is our fight, because they fight for freedom and democracy.

One of the easiest things we can do as Americans to help the Ukraine is to stand up to the autocratic forces in our own country. Call out Trump and his sycophants at every turn and be sure to vote for candidates that support democracy and freedom.