9/11 Memorial In U.S. While Ukraine Hangs On
9/11 Memorial In U.S. While Ukraine Hangs On
By D. S. Mitchell
Way Too Early
I fell asleep again with the TV playing. The only problem with that is when some damn commercial suddenly blares multiple octaves louder than any of the previous pronouncements, waking me up unceremoniously at an ungodly hour. In this case, I woke up to the memorial service for the victims of 9/11, playing early this morning on MSNBC.
Jonathan Lemire
So, I wake up to a replay of the twin towers collapsing and the reading of the names of the 3500 known dead. I lay there in bed, watching a montage of clips from that terrible day and I am sad. Broken hearted. I couldn’t stop the tears. Its 4:30 on the west coast and I’m literally sitting in bed crying like a baby missing her mother. I had been pretty much okay until Jonathan Lemire spoke of the brave Americans that fought the terrorists and intentionally brought down United Flight#93 in a rural field in Pennsylvania, killing everyone on board, most likely preventing the plane from slamming into the Capitol, or perhaps the White House.
I Take a Propranolol
Recently, I have been a bit more anxious than usual. After a brief sit down with my PCP she ordered me something for my “nerves”. I headed to the bathroom and found the bottle with its pretty blue pills and took one tab with a glass of water. I expelled a whoosh of breath from puffed cheeks and resumed my place in front of the tellie watching the pomp and ceremony.
9/11 Memorial In U.S. While Ukraine Hangs On (con’d)
The Portland Veteran’s Hospital
As I watch the replay of the Twin Towers collapse from September 11, 2001; the memories of that day come sharply into focus. Like many Americans, I remember exactly where I was and what I was doing that morning 22 years ago. I had watched it play out in real time. I was working as an RN at the Portland, Oregon, Veteran’s Hospital, passing morning meds to my patients when the news from New York flashed on the televisions in all the patient rooms.
The Unexpected
“Holy Zeus,” was all I could think at the time. It had only been six years since the domestic terrorist attack on the federal building in Oklahoma City. So, my first thought was domestic terrorism. And as an aside, the fact that I was working in a federal facility did make me consider taking the day off. For at least two weeks I suspected that the damage and chaos surrounding 9/11 was domestically inspired. When the link to the militant Islamist Al Qaeda organization was finally identified, I was surprised and my complacency disturbed.
From Outside
The United States had been attacked by a foreign adversary, not the typical homegrown a-hole. I, like every other warm blooded American, grabbed the flag converted it into skirts and t’s and flew it from cars and trucks and turnpike overpasses. We as a country were coalescing around our leaders, looking for a target to hit back at. But Al Qaeda was like the wind, hiding out in mountainous caves and Saudi palaces. So, instead of attacking Osama bin Laden and his crew we went after Iraq; but that’s a story for another day.
My Thoughts Turn To Ukraine
Seeing the chaos and destruction of 9/11 on television this morning is a tragic reminder that no one is safe from madmen. It’s hard not to think of Ukraine and her monumental struggle against a murderous, autocrat; a man determined to annex Ukraine no matter what the human cost. While this article started out as a recollection of a terrible day in U.S. history it has become as much a reflection on the people of Ukraine and their brave struggle against an invading army. We need to protect democracies across the globe, while we protect our freedom and democracy here at home.
The International Criminal Court
Putin used nuclear terrorism as his invading forces took aim at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, outside of Nikopol, Ukraine at the outset of the invasion. Beyond the nuclear threat Putin’s army has stolen over 20,000 Ukrainian children, transferring them deep inside Russia. For what purpose? Evil and cruelty the only purpose I can conclude. Rape, torture, and execution continue the favored tools of the Russian invaders. The International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant for Putin as a war criminal. I expect he’ll be parking his ass pretty close to his home territory for the next few years. Russian forces to this day, continue to inflict mass civilian casualties with reckless bombing of urban centers.
If The Shoe Fits
As I try to put myself in the shoes of the average Ukrainian citizen, fighting every day for their very survival, against a much larger enemy with extensive resources, I wonder if I could be as strong and determined as these defenders of democracy have been. Ukraine has a population of approximately 43,500,000. Russia has a population of nearly 143, 500,000, that’s nearly three times that of Ukraine. In land mass, Russia is nearly 28 times the size of Ukraine.
Astronomical Losses
Both countries have sustained unimaginable troop losses. It is estimated that Russia has sustained nearly 120,000 deaths and 160,000 casualties. Ukrainian deaths are thought to be 70,000 dead and 100,000 wounded since Putin escalated the Russo-Ukrainian War in February of 2022. Statistically Russians outnumber Ukrainians on the battlefield almost three to one, and Russia has a larger population from which to replenish its ranks, but its not always about numbers. Sometimes its about heart, courage, determination, and commitment to a cause or a country.
Resistance, Not Capitulation
In 2014, Putin in a land grab of epic proportions, seized the Crimean peninsula from Ukraine. His troops met no resistance. In 2022, Putin devised a new plan to annex four of Ukraine’s most eastern provinces in an easy three day ‘military’ romp. But this time, Ukraine had a new president, Volodymyr Zelensky. Zelensky, with the resolve and energy of a Winston Churchill united Ukraine, the United States, and western Europe, to fight back against Putin’s dangerous military adventures.
Those in this country who are supporting Putin should be called out for their support of authoritarianism, whether they are a sitting congressman or the world’s richest man. The Republicans and their love for the corrupt autocrat and the indicted criminal should give the rest of us plenty to worry about. I expect if Trump is the Republican candidate the claims of a stolen election will be screamed even before the election. Our institutions, probably won’t hold a second time. We as citizens of this country need to come together to defeat the Orange Menace. The 2024 election will most likely determine if the United States can continue as a democracy. If you ever needed a reason to vote, 2024 will give you the greatest reason of your life. Our very democracy is at stake. The struggle for freedom continues from Ukraine to the United States. The forces of darkness never sleep, and neither can those of us who love freedom. Vote Blue in 2024.
