We must remove Putin and strengthen Democracy. We have no choice but to steel our resolve and fight to keep our voices. Authoritarian countries have gained power in recent years, and it’s up to us to peacefully convince the rest of the world that living free is not only possible but required.

I have direct ties to Ukraine. I have amazing Ukrainian friends I worked with, drank too many beers and shots of Vodka with, and deeply love. I am friends with them on social media and recently learned that most have fled Ukraine. I don’t know the status of one friend, and one of their mothers and his spouse’s mother are still living in Ukraine, and he fears for their lives.

I spent a week in Zaporizhzhia, then a week in Kyiv in 2005, and the difference was striking. There was a vibe of hope in the west; the east was different.

It was a bittersweet visit. In the west, people were relatively happy though they admitted the fight against corruption was long and difficult. In the east, the people were afraid of each other, and on the same night I went out for beers & Vodka, hoodlums jumped two separate friends for unknown reasons. That experience forever changed me.

I hope everyone is ready for what’s coming if we sit idly by and act like nothing is happening. We better buckle in for these scenarios if Russia can topple the Ukrainian government in broad daylight.

  • China swallowing Taiwan
  • North Korea nuking someone
  • Russia taking more countries to fuel his insane mind with glee
  • …and many other unpredictable acts of war

Russia is attacking civilians while invading Ukraine, and he is running a massive disinformation campaign that makes Nazi propaganda look like a kid’s game. It’s truly surreal.

The Russian people are largely innocent. Let’s not get caught up in our emotions and direct our feelings towards the wrong targets. Let’s never forget that war never changes. A few assholes lead humans into the darkness like all moments in history. We must keep a blinding light on these warmongers.

Now is not the time to idly sit by as a Democratic country’s freedom is being taken away, nor is the time to attack Russia or the Russian people.

𝙄𝙩’𝙨 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙧𝙚𝙢𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙋𝙪𝙩𝙞𝙣 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙨𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙨𝙪𝙥𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩 𝙝𝙞𝙢 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙥𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙧 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙒𝙒𝙄𝙄𝙄.