Am I My Brother’s Keeper?*
Time for writing is limited today. I did not post yesterday. Posting nothing again would be morally indefensible under the circumstances.
This was the lead paragraph in The Morning news update from the New York Times:
First, a news update: Russia continued its broad offensive in Ukraine today, pummeling cities and towns. Ukrainian officials said that Russia was not abiding by a limited cease-fire for the besieged city of Mariupol. Find more details below and on The Times’s website.
The sun rose a beautiful fiery ball over the Fox River this morning. 97.1 played an oldie tune. The first on air advertisement which I had to endure was from the Fandual Sports Book gambling company. Sports Book wagering, lately legalized, fills TV, radio, and internet with promotion of their service.
By contrast to the beautiful day which I anticipate here in northern Illinois, sunlight will not pierce the smoke rising over the beseiged Ukrainian cities, ruined buildings, debris filled streets. Basements, subway tunnels, any place underground — shelters civilians and home defense fighters from the fire and shrapnel in the death filled air above ground.
America announced to the world that we would not intervene to deflect the Russian plan to reduce Ukraine to servitude. We have been true to our word, we remain on the bench. By hey, we’ve provided verbal encouragement, and some weapons and ammo to the outnumbered and outgunned Ukrainians. Our “atta-boy” is no match for howitzers and rocket launchers that grind down the cities.
Why this reluctance to aid a democracy that stands to be erased by a dictator? We are afraid. We had rather that someone else perish, than put our way of life at risk by taking meaningful action. The president and his administration, and congress have at least one thing in common. They all are afraid.
I have a news flash to my countrymen who are afraid. Putin has nuclear weapons, so what!? He will always have them. He stands to rattle them in the future, over and over. Why?
Because it works!
*Genesis chapter 4 verse 9 & 10 Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” “I don’t know,” he replied. “Am I my brother’s keeper?” The Lord said, “What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground.
