If you’re a history buff, the ongoing murderous invasion of Ukraine by a dictator named Putin will remind you of another egomaniac murderer, Hitler.
As the world watches the destruction of a nation, its children. and adults, the question begs to be asked: How do we stop this massacre that is truly a genocide?
If you are wondering, genocide is defined as “the deliberate killing of a large number of people from a particular nation or ethnic group with the aim of destroying that nation or group.”
Today, The United Nations human rights department said they had “verified 1,335 civilian casualties in Ukraine, including 474 killed and 861 injured, since Russia's invasion began on Feb. 24.”
But the unverified dead, including more than fifty children, is not yet tallied. The United Nations stated, "This concerns, for example, the towns of Volnovakha, Mariupol, Izium where there are allegations of hundreds of civilian casualties.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is now the heroic face and voice of his country, in spite of the numerous hit squads Putin hired to assassinate him, and the utter horror of the bloodshed in his homeland.
Today, he spoke to Parliament via video and recounted the thirteen days of hell his nation already experienced. But he also said he will never give up. “We will fight in the forests, in the fields, on the shores, in the streets,” he said, in part.
This is a leader for the ages. President Volodymyr Zelensky is a hero, as he stands and speaks against power, knowing he will most likely not survive.
You can read the hourly updates of this inhumane invasion of Ukraine on any news site. But here, I’d like to ask you a few questions.
If this were us, and our homes, our children, and our loved ones being blown up and shot daily, so that an invading dictator could take over our peaceful nation, would imposing sanctions really be enough to stop him?
As I watch in utter horror as scenes of murdered children and adults lay bloody in the streets of Ukraine, I wonder how as a species, human beings can just watch this genocide unfold on television, and do nothing.
When Nazis invaded Europe and killed 6 million Jews; about 7 million Soviets; about 3 million Polish “elites”; 312,000 Serbs, about 250,000 people with disabilities; between 250,000 - 500,000 Roma; and about 90,000 dissidents, the world had to take the awful step to fight back. The US took a very long time to join the war efforts.
Are we at that point?
Better yet, let me ask you: if this were happening in your country, your city, your neighborhood, would it be time then to fight back?
No one wants a World War. But Putin has set a very dangerous precedent. If you are not part of NATO, you are fair game for genocide.
Looking at China, there are clear signs Taiwan might be next for an invasion as well.
In these difficult times, we must look deep within ourselves and ask hard questions.
It’s time again to face the demons that plague humanity: the despots and madmen who have no qualms taking what they want, at any time, and at any cost of lives.
Sadly, when faced with such evil, we must consider doing more than just imposing sanctions. It’s a very dark time in our world, and just like the pandemic, it’s not going away very soon. I do not have the answers, but please consider my questions.
