In 1894, Christian Armenians unsuccessfully tried to establish an independent Armenia. They were massacred by Turkish soldiery and populace, up until the end of World War I, while the rest of the world stood by and did very little to stop the slaughter. It is estimated that between 500,000 and 1,500,000 Armenians were massacred, along with enormous destruction of property.
Armenia was made an independent country in the 1990s, after the fall of the Soviet Union. Now we see the world looking on once again, from the sidelines, while Russian President Vladimir Putin is carrying out a scorched-earth war in Ukraine, murdering innocent men, woman and children along with massive amounts of destruction. After taking the Crimea eight years ago, with little consequences to Russia, Putin seems to think that he can now fulfill his dream of reclaiming lost lands due to the breakup of the Soviet Union.
It is naive to think that he will suddenly stop his aggression, once he conquers Ukraine. Now is the time to stop Russian aggression. NATO, the United Nations or a new coalition of freedom-loving nations should form immediately and go all out to secure Ukraine and show warmongers like Putin that slaughter and destruction will not be tolerated and watched from the sidelines anymore. I believe the majority of nations of the world truly only want peace, freedom and the ability of their people to pursue a life of happiness. You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one. (Thanks to John Lennon for the last line).
Stan Zabierek
New Ipswich