Weekend News: A Sad Day in Ukraine
We've been commenting on events in Ukraine since December 2013. Then we focused on the often moving demonstrations in the Maidan in Kiev. Sadly, since then, the aspirations of ordinary Ukrainians have been subsumed under the conflict between the Russian government in Moscow and the Ukrainian government in Kiev. And as frequently occurs when central governments pursue their political ends, violence becomes the means to achieve those ends.
In February of this year, the previous Kiev government attacked its own citizens in a particularly lethal manner that led to that government being driven from power. Whereas in the past, beatings were the method of asserting power, in February snipers were utilized who murdered as many ordinary Ukrainians as possible, leading to revulsion and strengthened opposition to the thugs in charge in Kiev. Exit Yanukovych and his allies.
Fast forward to today and Moscow's interventions in the internal affairs of Ukraine. No surprise, but with the involvement of Moscow the level of violence now exceeds that of the Ukrainians' own former government.
There but for the grace of God go all of us who live here in these United States. We're not perfect, but we've not descended into the chaos that seems to be enveloping parts of Ukraine, as it has in so many other areas of our world
A sad day in Ukraine.
In February of this year, the previous Kiev government attacked its own citizens in a particularly lethal manner that led to that government being driven from power. Whereas in the past, beatings were the method of asserting power, in February snipers were utilized who murdered as many ordinary Ukrainians as possible, leading to revulsion and strengthened opposition to the thugs in charge in Kiev. Exit Yanukovych and his allies.
Fast forward to today and Moscow's interventions in the internal affairs of Ukraine. No surprise, but with the involvement of Moscow the level of violence now exceeds that of the Ukrainians' own former government.
Dozens were killed in Ukraine after a building in Odessa was set ablaze during clashes and government forces attacked separatists near the Russian border in one of the deadliest days since the Ukrainian conflict erupted.You read these stories and - because so many parts of our world are engaged in the violent struggles of governments, factions within governments, people struggling against their own governments, etc. - the tendency exists to take such stories in stride. It's just another day in the violent world in which we live. But let's pause and consider the phrase, "dozens were killed," and remember that each of these were individuals who were sons or daughters of mothers and fathers, perhaps good, decent families simply trying to live in the midst of an imperfect and often violent world.
There but for the grace of God go all of us who live here in these United States. We're not perfect, but we've not descended into the chaos that seems to be enveloping parts of Ukraine, as it has in so many other areas of our world
A sad day in Ukraine.
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