This morning in a fog, dazed in disbelief.  The siege of Ukraine continues.  The port of Kherson has fallen.  It is a city of 300,000.  The bombardment of other cities continues.

My mind reels at the news, that Xi Jinping General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party asked Putin of Russia to delay the invasion of Ukraine until after the Olympics in Beijing.  We watched young adult Olympians perform on a grand televised stage, not knowing that the entire show was a feint, a misdirection while preparations were made for the murder of Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Zelensky said, “I will fight until the last breath.”

I am shaking inwardly.  Words fly away.  Nothing suffices to describe the darkness of the murder of thousands, the majority civilians, women with young children and senior citizens who are not prepared to go into exile from home.

If ever there was a moral cause for going to war this is it, a casus belli.  We, Americans, are letting this happen.  Putin has been told more than once, that America is not going to obstruct his plans with military force.  Our displeasure is shown by indirect means.  I know clearly there is no morality in transactions between nations, only interests.

If ever you want to help Ukraine, here is how you may add your support for their survival:

Charities that help the war effort

• Save Life: This NGO crowdfunds non-lethal military equipment, such as thermal vision scopes & supplies it to the Donbas front lines. It also provides training for Ukrainian soldiers, as well as researching troops’ needs and social reintegration of veterans.
• Donbas SOS: This organization helps those who live in the Donbas war zone, those who relocated to other parts of Ukraine, and freed prisoners of war. It offers legal support, accommodation assistance, and psychological aid among other things.
• Crimea SOS: This organization has been helping internally displaced people from Crimea since Russia occupied the peninsula in 2014. It documents Russian authorities’ repressions against Crimeans and advocates for the end of the occupation.

This song is apt to describe the human predicament.  It is a story of betrayal, of sardonic, mocking laughter.  One is tempted to look away, to pretend, to live in denial.

We should not.