A Fight for Freedom

“A convulsive and violent disease of the body politic” (Diderot, Denis https://memesbams.com/war-quotes/) that’s what war is. We are strive for freedom, but to get there is a hard task. My parents grew up in communist Poland. My dad became a refugee in Austria in his young adult years and eventually moved to Canada. He was not the only one. Many others from Poland escaped communism. However, Ukraine did not have a choice. Most countries are on Ukraine’s side. Poland with welcoming arms lets in the millions of Ukrainian refugees. More and more Ukrainians are fleeing their country in fear. History repeats. Millennials are living through so much starting with Y2K and then 9/11, Pandemic, economic debt, truckers convoy, and now the war.

On September 1, 1939 the Second World War started with a bomb dropping on Poland. We thought we learned from our past mistakes. But sadly, on February 24, 2022 Russia attacked Ukraine dropping bombs and sending in soldiers. As of March 10 there have been 549 civilian deaths and 957 injuries. This war has been brewing since 2014…let that sink in. We did not think anything would not come of it and here we are. President Biden said the U.S. will move to revoke normal trade relations with Russia, joining Western allies in a coordinated action to further support Ukraine and to punish Russia. Russia needs to be stopped and not just punished that is the equivalent of a slap on the wrist. However, everyone is afraid of what will happen if we get involved. Kharkiv is now in ruins due to Russian air strikes. Families, children, couples, elderly are all forced to move from their homes and seek refuge in Poland.

When it comes to the Russian aircraft fighters, Russia has an advantage when it comes to their numbers, which is why so many countries are trying to give more weapons to Ukraine. Of course, there is the no fly zone, which is making it harder for Putin to take over. We all want to do all that we can for Ukraine without getting involved with Russia. Churches and other organizations are trying to pull money together to help out. Some Ukrainians have not had any food, water and shelter for days. The basic needs are not being met in a first world country.

Russia is trying their best to get Ukraine to surrender to them. According to BBC News Russia gave ukrain a choice the proposal which was that “Ukraine had until 05:00 Moscow time (02:00 GMT) to accept, Russian troops would have opened safe corridors out of Mariupol from 10:00 Moscow time, initially for Ukrainian troops and "foreign mercenaries" to disarm and leave the city.

After two hours, Russian forces say they would then have allowed humanitarian convoys with food, medicine and other supplies to enter the city safely, once the de-mining of the roads was complete.

But the deadline came and (March 21, 2022) Ukraine is standing firm as best they can. Unfortunately cities are in ruins and bodies are laying on cold concrete because it is too dangerous to get the bodies of those who have died. Those people need a proper burial and yet Ukraine cannot give their people peace because of the Russian invasion. The bombing of Russia has not stopped and most of the residential buildings are beyond repair and by most I mean 80% of the buildings. Some citizens of Ukraine were trapped in the basements under the rubble and an estimated amount of 2,500 people have been killed in Mariupol, however, it may be more than that as some people have been accounted for…

We need equality now more than ever.