War & Politics

I’m not sure if I’m about to get too political or not, but this is what fell out of my brain and I decided to just post it. A lot of people are making the argument that a country is representative of its people. That its sum is in direct correlation with its parts. In some ways, this is true; it’s one of the ways various cultures arise.

However

Each of us, as a human being, are responsible for our own actions, our own beliefs. We may or may not agree with the actions and policies of our government, but unless we're actively involved in the decision making process of those actions and policies, the default assumption shouldn’t be that we DO agree.

Think about this: How many people in your own country do you disagree with on a political level? Even among your own party? That answer is true in every country across the globe.

Most people in Russia, as shown by those protesting despite the threat of years in prison for doing so, obviously don’t support the invasion of Ukraine. And yet the default position of some is to vilify every single Russian.

Its human to defend what is ours: home, country, loved ones.

It’s normal, honorable, even. But lashing out at someone who has nothing to do with the current crisis is not only shameful, its wasted time and energy. Time and energy that could be put to better use actually participating in the aforementioned defense.

At heart, both the majority of Ukranian and Russian peoples are GOOD people. It's only Russia's leadership that's to blame for the current conflict. Its own citizens are out in the streets, protesting in numbers never seen under this regime.

Make no mistake, I fully support the Ukrainian government and its people's fight for freedom, but that doesn't mean the citizens of Russia who are against this war should be casually treated with disrespect. They're people too.

Pray for all the mothers who are missing sons on both sides of this conflict and that this madness ends soon. If we can't extend empathy to all those in need, then we're no better than those commanding this invasion.