The invasion of Ukraine by Russian forces reminds me very much of the fear I had for the Russians as a child of the Cold War. I grew up near Kansas City, and several strategic military installations were nearby. My dad always thought we might be a ready target.

I heard some of that

I heard some of his conversations with others to that effect. And my father always answered my Russian questions as truthfully as he could. As a result, my nightly prayers included the following.

Please God, don’t let Russia bomb us.

Getting prepared

While the Cold War raged, we and many families like us put emergency supplies in basements or crawl spaces beneath their homes. The idea was we’d wait out a nuclear holocaust that way. We had presentations in school and watched films about hiding beneath our school desks. How little we knew about what such a holocaust would mean.

Back to today

So circling back, think about the Ukrainian children hunkered down in their homes or in the subway system with their parents. How frightening this all is for them. And the world is watching!

Zelenskyy being hailed

While many regarded Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as a lightweight, in large part due to his career as a comedian and actor, he’s proven to be anything but! Today’s news shows are comparing him to Winston Churchill during WWII. Newscasters also say he’s risen to the level of true world leader.

Snake Island

Ukraine’s spirit is evident in Zelenskyy who has begged the world for help that has come in too little and perhaps late. It’s also evident in the 13 brave defenders of Snake Island, one of whom told a Russian warship to “go f— yourself.” They were subsequently killed by the invaders and will receive Ukraine’s highest honors posthumously.

Many feel the kinship

The kinship and sympathy with Ukraine was evident in the poll on Smerconish.com yesterday. Some 54,479 individuals responded to his question about whether NATO should help Ukraine fend off its invader. The answers? Seventy-eight percent said yes. My vote was among those, although I recognize the danger of the nuclear question hanging over everyone.

(Of course, so far, no one has used that armament except the U.S. to end WWII.)

Children’s prayers today

I don’t know how much children are learning about Ukraine just now and the giant trying to squash its fledgling democracy. But we all have reasons to be fearful about what the coming weeks hold and what the next moves might be of the thug and  madman running Russia.