Ukraine

Ukrainian President Zelensky at Buch after the Russian massacre 

of innocent civilians.

 These days what is most on mind is the horror that is going on in Ukraine.

The cause of all of this is the evil that resides in the Kremlin in Russia, Vladimir Putin.

Yesterday I saw the video of the Russian soldier's atrocities perpetuated in the Kiev suburb of Bucha that Ukrainian president Zelensky showed during his speech at the United Nations. 

I am very squeamish about such videos of man's inhumanity to man and animals. But I forced myself to watch the results of the evil Putin has rained on Ukraine. And for what? Because Putin has decided that Ukraine should not exist as a nation. 

His army failed in seizing the Ukrainian capital of Kiev in days as he had obviously assumed would happen. He thought the Ukrainians would collapse in hours and the Ukrainian president would flee much as the Afghanistan president Ghani fled his capital as soon as the American pulled out. 

So what does Putin do? He retreats but leaves death and destruction in his wake. The Russian Army has a well earned reputation for war crimes against civilians. How such barbarism could exist along side such cultural achievements as the Bolshoi Ballet and Russian composers such as Tchaikovsky boggles my mind. Of course such barbarism exists in all countries including ours but Russia is a special case. How can their population continually put into power soulless despots like Putin?

Putin will lose this war with Ukraine. However, this will not happen until there is much more death and destruction, not only in Ukraine but world wide. Yes, we are already in World War III. 

As a little kid I will never forget those atom bomb drills where we had to "hide" under our desks in first grade in preparation for Russian bombing us. Here I am seventy-five years later still worrying about a bomb, this time a nuclear bomb.  I have no desk to hide under to and at my age, I'm ready to go anytime anyway. But what saddens me to a degree I didn't know was possible all those Ukrainians whose lives have been lost and disrupted because of an invasion by their barbaric neighbor Russia "just because." 

I try to imagine our neighbor Canada invading us, dropping bombs on our major cities just because they don't think we should exist as a country. Hard to imagine right? 

We live in a world where evil exist. Nothing personifies that evil more than that little insecure man who sits at the seat of power in the Kremlin, Vladimir Putin. Believe me, his time of accountability of crimes against humanity will come. 

The Slap Seen Around the World

Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at the Academy Awards

 Were you watching the Oscar telecast last night? 

Did you see Will Smith slap the shit out of Chris Rock because Rock made a joke about Smith's wife's lack of hair?

For God's sake! What have we come too? 

For me Will Smith has always been overrated. 

Will Smith is no Sidney Poitier. 

Later, when Smith received the Best Actor Oscar he offered somewhat of a strained "apology" to the Academy but none to the man he assaulted on stage. 

Again, are there no consequences for violence committed so openly by a famous person?

The past month I've been sick to my stomach watching the destruction and killing of a peaceful people, the Ukrainians by the sub-human soulless Russian dictator Vladimir Putin. 

I usually watch the news, mostly as background to me doing something else like cooking or on my computer.  Now I mostly turn off the TV when pictures of the destruction and killing of innocent Ukrainians appear on TV.  

The Ukrainian leader Zelensky begs for help from the allied NATA countries but receives little but lots of platitudes. 

Biden stumbles his way through another read speech yet doesn't directly help Zelensky and his country stop the incessant bombing that is destroying his country.  

I realize I am very fortunate to live in a country that is surrounded by two large oceans that protect us from sub-human butchers like Putin but still, it makes me sick to my stomach to see the monster Putin get away with his aggression on his peaceful neighbor.  Why? Just so he can add Ukraine to his portfolio of countries that he controls?

I was born in 1941, a month before our country was attacked by Japan at Pearl Harbor. All my life I've lived under the threat of war as have all of us.

In grade school we were told to get under our desks if atom bombs were dropped by Russia on the United States. Even then I knew getting under my desk wasn't going to save me from that hot skin peeling atom bomb blast. 

During my adult years I just missed Viet Nam. Pure luck. Lot of guys and gals my age weren't so lucky. 

Then there was Afghanistan and Iraq. Again, many of our fellow young Americans died and injured.

So Will Smith walking on the stage at the Academy Awards and slapping Chris Rock for a joke?  Not a good move Will Smith. 

Apologize to Chris Rock and the public for your tasteless display of violence Will Smith. You're not cool.