Although in Canada VE day was not celebrated as it was in Europe, we too carried the loss of thousands of military as a result of WWII. I can remember growing up in the 40s and 50s and seeing all of the reminders of WWII on the newsreels at the theatres. The bombed out shells of buildings; the desperate look on people's faces as they looked at the landscape around them. The horrific scences at the Concentration Camps where millions of Jews were put to death. Seeing the bombed out shells of buildings and that desperate look on people's faces in the Ukraine is a horrible reminder of what war does to people and the Ukrainians have borne the brunt of all of this and it still rages on. And perhaps most frightening people (including children) have been said to have been taken forcefully to Russia. There is no promise of a stop in the speech given by President Putin in Red Square in Moscow. Is it because he was not a young child in the 50s and does not really know how everyone suffered because of WWII? All those brave Russian soldiers who fought so hard in WWII are being dishonoured now by this illegal war against Ukraine being waged by Russia and where thousands are dying and millions displaced.
No one wants to attack Russia; we want you to stop attacking Ukraine. The motherland of Russia is sacred to you and I understand that. My grandfather loved his country - England - with all his heart. That deep love of country is important as it keeps us working and helping within our own country to keep it safe for the generations to follow. But attacking Ukraine as Russia did is detrimental to that peace. The guarantees that you say you asked for meant leaving other countries within NATO without a protection that they needed to have. After all as WWII wound down the Russian armies took over much of Eastern Europe and it took those countries (also sovereign nations who love their motherlands as well) years to throw off the yoke of Soviet oppression of their rights and liberties. They too feared you just as you say you feared NATO. Perhaps out of all that fear peace can be found and the Russian armies can retreat back into Russia and leave the Ukrainians to sort out their own difficulties.
Russian people who were sent to these various countries in Eastern Europe, if they do not wish to be part of those countries, can surely return to their homelands. But breaking up a country now whose borders are guaranteed by the United Nations should not be a possibility unless a vote is held that is supervised by the United Nations and that should now include the Crimea where a vote could be held as well so that these peoples have a right to their direction without fear of an army. Withdraw back into Russia and let the world heal once again. Forgiveness did come to countries after WWII and it can come again but we must have peace in our world. We must be ready, as we embark into space, to protect the world and not have it ripped apart by war. But perhaps most importantly the rule of law must prevail. Our Prime Minister was condemned as being not democratic for invoking the Emergencies Act when a protest in Ottawa became a siege and it became necessary to forcefully remove the protesters. It is necessary on occasion to protect the rule of law but one can return to that pleasant time once again when the problem is resolved. No one group of people should ever be allowed to destroy the peace of the majority. The United Nations needs more powers to prevent and halt war. But we always need to be ready to defend ourselves as a world as we do not know what lies ahead especially as we become more visible in the Universe.
I see the Taliban is using the cover of war to again restrict women. Do they not realize that women raise the next generation and not letting them attain their potential injures a society?
Church today as I missed yesterday. YouTube is such a wonderful addition to our lives.
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