Comments from a recent Ukraine rally
It has been two years since viewing my mother's village being bombed on a hotel jumbo screen on my Hawaiian vacation.
In the middle of paradise, hell broke loose in front of me. Russia was invading Ukraine everywhere. I was watching Lviv, right on the border with Poland as they were bombing nearby Brodiw, my mother's village... she turned in her grave.
In those two years, all Ukrainians dropped their lifestyle to fight the Russian invasion... and won 50% back by last summer. Seventy percent of the soldiers are not trained as soldiers, many of them are women, some of them are mothers and they are the largest female army in the world... they volunteered. What makes a person volunteer for such a thing? Dropping college, their businesses, spouses and children at the steps of grandma's. What makes a grandmother throw her beloved jars of pickles at Russian drones. What makes young engineers cease cushy work to hone drones for attack, rock stars trade guitars for arms, and a comedic actor become a commander in chief... the Man of the Year.
Ukraine was winning with our support, without training, without air cover. Now the winning is stalled because our support has stalled.
These young people are fighting for NATO and democracy. While here, in this country, we are kissing the ring of Putin supporters, and messengers of his disinformation.
Seventy percent of Americans support aid to Ukraine, and yet Tucker Carlson is taking trips to Russia to show us how we are like Russia. Russia is not like us. And we are not like Russia. We do not jail our journalists for writing a story, we do not sentence our basketball stars to hard labor for a vape, we do not imprison our ballerinas for giving 50 bucks to a charitable organization much like our Red Cross, and we certainly do not deny a son's dead body to his mother.
This fall please make certain democracy prevails here and abroad. Vote for candidates that believe in democracy and will fight for it. We are not Russia, and Russia is not us. Do not hold hands with elected officials who have kissed that ring, even if now they claim amnesia. We won't forget.
Thank you, Slava Ukraini and God Bless America.
—Zenia Kuzma
Donald Trump
It's taken Germany roughly 50-75 years to recover from the atrocities Hitler put the country through. When I first visited Germany in 1969, the people I met couldn't even begin to talk about it.
If DT is elected once again, we're looking at somewhere between 2075-2200 for the U.S. to return to any kind of democratic norms, after he's done with his wrecking ball.
Is this really something we want to put our kids, grandkids and great grandkids through?
—Gary Golden
RE: Eastside Neighbors Advocate for Less-Concentrated Houseless Facilities News, 3/14
"The bottom line is affordability of a space. As we all know, living on the west side is more expensive," said Stuart. "We have to work together as a community. This isn't something that's going to go away, it's the same everywhere. Nobody wants it in their backyard." There are three city-owned properties on the West Side currently sitting idle including one with frontage on the river next to the bridge on NW Portland. The city could quickly sell the river-frontage property for an extremely high price in today's market and then use the funds to operate two year-round shelters in the other two properties (near cul-de-sac at end of NW Black Pine Place and off Mt. Regency Street). The issue is not affordability, but the NIMBYism of the west side (which is where five of seven city council members reside). Time to move to a ward/district election process for the city council in Bend.
—M. Rindfleisch
International Women's Day
Friday March 8th was International Women's Day and businesses, organizations and individuals, including myself, posted statements admiring and congratulating women. What I didn't see were posts that were truly supporting women. Women are overwhelmingly responsible for taking care of the home and family even if they work one or multiple jobs. They are responsible for making sure their children are healthy, fed, clothed and cared for. If a child is ill, it is almost always the mother that must work around the situation, not the father.
I didn't see any posts promoting investments in accessible and affordable high-quality child care. I didn't see any posts from businesses that were promoting extended paid parental leave. I didn't see any posts condemning workers being treated like slave labor in parts of the world. I didn't see any posts that state a business guarantees equal pay for equal work regardless of gender.
I did see a post stating, "When is international Men's Day?" How about the day after there is equitable pay for all genders in every business sector.
—Joe Craig
Letter of the Week:
Joe: As a kid, mom said something similar to me when, on Mother's Day, I asked why there wasn't a "Kids' Day." She simply said, "every day is Kids' Day." Turns out there is a Children's Day after all, but you get the point....
Thanks for your thoughts — come on by for your gift card to Palate!
—Nicole Vulcan
