Today is Saint Patrick's Day in the United States, a celebration of Irishness. More specifically Catholic Irish and the wearing of the Green. (Protestant Irish is the wearing of the Orange.) Though it's said everyone has a wee bit of Irish, and I tend to think of that meaning in spirit, I'm actually one of those Americans who has no Irish roots at all. (Several of my extended family members married Irish roots people and so the wee bit of Irish trope holds true in their children and grand children.) Never the less, it doesn't take personally having roots in a certain ethnicity or country to do the research or to understand the contributions of Irish Americans to the United States of America.
This morning as I prepared to post about Irish genealogy, I was listening to the latest war news. Having spent the last 22 days listening and reading about the war perpetrated by Russia against Ukraine, I've wondered what I could possibly say or do that would be appropriate. I have cried. I'm frustrated. I'm confused. I'm scared - in particular that more people on this earth are going to starve.
You see, I live in a city that already has thousands of "refugees" native to this land, the homeless. I do not think that we can absorb more refugees from any nation locally. Of course if a person is coming in from Ukraine to be supported by relatives, I would never object to that. The situation is tricky because there is most certainly a huge population of illegal immigrants here and large zones of the city have been taken over by certain ethnic groups, not because they were - as happened in the past - unable to live anywhere else and ghettoized. Rather there is an attitude that this is not the United States while accepting and relying upon every government program and benefit that we as a whole finance.
There is not enough affordable housing and people with long waits for Section 8 housing (a government program that pays some or most of the rent) have difficulty finding a landlord to rent to them. People who are working two jobs cannot afford to rent a one bedroom apartment and are in a room. The problem has been in the works for decades and our politicians and officials are part of the problem.
The other day I heard a British man - I think this was the House of Commons - talking about the $350 a month thank you that the British government is willing to pay people who will take in Ukrainian refugees. He mentioned the thousands in that country who are in "bed-sits" already. It's the same situation.
Canada's offer to take all who come is the most realistic frankly. There is plenty of room in Canada. 80% of the population there lives within 100 miles of the Unites States border. Already a huge Ukrainian roots based population is in Canada.
As I watch apartment buildings being blown up in Ukraine, I realize it is going to cost millions to rebuild apartments to rehouse the Ukrainians. Ukraine is where Ukrainians need to live.
It has been said by various persons in recent days that the West forgot World War II. I think that may be possible in the United States since The Greatest Generation is dying out and their grandchildren and great-grandchildren only have them to tell about that experience in Europe, in Japan, and domestically. (If this is your family be sure to interview and record your World War II era members about their lives before they pass. Many have to be prompted.)
However, I do not think Europe has forgotten because the war was carried out on their land and their cities. I think that memory, that HISTORY, is a factor in the overall ability to understand what the threat of Russia to Ukraine and to Europe is.
Things have changed since World War II. Now there is a much higher threat of using nuclear bombs that devastate whole cities and regions. There is greater variety of lethal weapons, including the potential of germ warfare, and surveillance and communication have changed our lives and how warfare is conducted.
I hate war, I hate violence, and it concerns me that there are so many humans on this earth who seem to be filled with hatred and do not create, cure, improve or enhance life, but destruct.
Ex Vice President Mike Pence made the statement that he thought the Berlin Airlift was an inspiration. He thought we should be taking Humanitarian aid into Ukraine. I would love it if something like this could be done, if those participating could be assured of their safety.
The evidence is that civilians are being targeted. Russia, Russian Military, and Russian soldiers who use civilians as target practice should be ashamed but apparently are not ashamed and also apparently are lacking any spirituality. Well, this is where I, as someone partial to reincarnation, and various Christian groups that talk about redemption (the deathbed confession or conversion at the last minute) differ. While any one of us can theoretically hit the restart button and be Born Again, I do not believe all that one did before is slate whipped clean, as if a person filed bankruptcy. There is a price to pay for harming others. And if it is not paid for on this corrupt earth in life, then there is still payment due.
I feel certain that those committing war crimes, upon their own death, will feel every bit of pain they have caused not just to the individual but their entire family. I am not God and do not know exactly how it works, but the testimonials of those who have had Near Death Experiences is rather consistent. These people report reviewing their lives, being told they need to go back, and often totally transform their lives with much less emphasis on materialism and ego, and a greater care and concern for other human beings.
I found this mini documentary on the BERLIN AIR LIFT.
