WILL WE BE UP TO THE TASK?
Will we defend democracy against our home-grown villains?
Alexei Anatolyevich Navalny, 4 June 1976 — 16 February 2024
Image by Mitya Aleshkovskiy, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.
It is infrequently that we experience the life and death of a courageous human being in real time. It makes me question my own commitment, resilience and dedication to freedom and democracy. Over the past few days we have learned, through this and other articles, how Alexei Navalny bravely confronted Vladimir Putin, a murderous criminal holding sway over the Russian people.
In his own words, as quoted in the referenced N Y Times article, Navalny spoke to us, to history:
“I don’t want to give up either my country or my beliefs,” Mr. Navalny wrote in a Jan. 17 Facebook post to mark the third anniversary of his return and arrest in 2021. “I cannot betray either the first or the second. If your beliefs are worth something, you must be willing to stand up for them. And if necessary, make some sacrifices.”
All freedom-loving people, all decent people throughout our often-oppressed planet cannot ignore Navalny’s words. Like countless brave women and men before him, he stands as a person of conviction that we cannot ignore.
Countless members of the GOP continue to support the former president, regardless of his criminal and treasonous conduct. What do they seek to gain at the price of their souls? How coincidental is it that they work to the benefit of Vladimir Putin?
The United States has not descended into the depths of oppression suffered by the Russian people and so many others on this planet…not yet.
Will we muster some fraction of Navalny’s courage to keep America a democratic nation?
What do you think?
Today Biden announced a slew of new sanctions against Russians who supported Navalny's persecution, so I think we are up to the task.
I am investing a lot of hope in young people. It has been pointed out to me that many under 40 year olds are checked out. I, however know a slew of them who are active and engaged and who will fight for what is right. I am grateful for their presence and I think our salvation may lie with them.