Freedom Means Responsibility

Widely traveled, I say with certainty there is no better place to live than the United States (in my humble opinion). Americans have freedom to travel across the country and outside of it, at will. The pandemic over the last two years has placed some restrictions on the American people we are not used to; however, we're not oppressed nor experiencing the destruction of homes, schools, hospitals, churches, and apartment complexes. We don't have soldiers rampaging towns, raping, murdering, and committing genocide, as the Ukrainians currently are at the hands of the Russians. We can't imagine explosive mines on our streets, yet the Russians have mined the cities of Ukraine as they exit. Obviously, Putin is committing war crimes, and just like the Nuremberg trials so many years ago, those guilty should be found and tried.

In the early 1990s, we lived forty-five minutes from Nuremberg, in the farmlands of Germany, during an Army tour for my husband. Excited to travel while overseas, I insisted we take a Baltic Sea cruise to St. Petersburg Russia. He said no, he couldn’t go to a Russian country; I replied it was being offered through the travel office and WE WERE GOING. He capitulated when I refused to take his excuses for not going.

Many Americans from our military post were on board the cruise, the first of its kind, sailing from Bremerhaven, with a German guide, to St. Petersburg. There were many nations on board besides Americans and the cruise was a delight. As the boat docked in St. Petersburg, the guide told us to grab one of the drivers lined up at the port and tour the city. Tour, we did, in a small Trabant, the driver dodging in and out of traffic, missing five-foot-deep potholes (I am NOT exaggerating) while aiming for pedestrians, racing other taxis running parallel to us, scaring me such that I screamed at my husband to make him slow down. They didn’t drive in an orderly fashion; it was a free-for-all, the fastest driver wins, and woe was the pedestrian who couldn’t cross the pot-holed filled avenues fast enough.

St. Petersburg was beautiful, the people friendly and sunbathing on the Neva River. After seeing the Catherine Palace, we visited an outdoor art market, examining the wares, where we observed clandestine deals being made when the posted Russian soldier looked the other way. My husband pulled clean, crisply pressed blue jeans out of his backpack, and sellers frantically surrounded us; everyone had something to exchange for jeans. He selected unique Russian stacking dolls: each doll was different than the one it nested inside, seven in all, with lovely painted distinctive faces and dresses. I was thrilled with his trading prowess and our new collectible. The Russians wanted to know if he had more blue jeans; they didn’t want lipstick or perfume, only blue jeans from America. They were very wary of a Russian soldier coming along during the trading and did the deals covertly. The horrible streets, people lined up for groceries, the worn-out polluting cars, and jittery glances to see if the coast was clear of soldiers all were a stark contrast to our United States.

Can you imagine trading some of your personally crafted items for blue jeans? On American streets, vendors don’t worry they will be arrested for selling their wares at farmer’s markets or city events.

Some months after our cruise, my husband worked 18-hour days handling logistics for his aviation unit that was readying to deploy to Kuwait and Iraq in Desert Storm after Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait. We had little time with our spouses, and they were gone before Christmas. On New Year’s Eve, my friend and I waited near the phone hoping they would be able to call us, but no call came. We sent messages to them daily through the Army messaging system. Our American TV station was 24/7 coverage of the continuous bombing of Saddam’s forces, softening up his army for the invasion by the Coalition Ground Forces. After the initial bombing, it was 24/7 daily briefings by General Schwarzkopf and other generals or spokesmen. Some wives went home to the United States during the Conflict, but I stayed; Germany was closer to my husband than stateside. Those who left were not allowed to come back so I continued my job in Germany, wanting to be there when he returned to me.

And he did return, safely. Strangely, the messages I had daily sent him were never received.

Living in Germany was a regulated, civil life, with noise rules to ensure people were, polite and considerate of their neighbors. Germany was quite different than the States, but the people were free. The country required stores to close at 6 pm, except Thursday evening. Stores were not open on Sunday, but people would stroll and window shop, perhaps stopping for coffee and a treat at a café if they could find one open. We went to the Esso gas station if we had a craving for an ice cream bar late at night. German villages frequently had “fests” – small street fairs that allowed the stores to stay open late. If the Polizei (police) had a roadblock, one was required to stop the auto, present their papers, and wait while the Polizei conducted a search of the car; no objections or questions were allowed.

We Americans vote to choose our officials locally, statewide, and nationally. We have freedom and choice in religion, where to get our news and numerous choices for what we want to read. Our opinions can be expressed via letters and emails, marches, speeches, and in formal and informal groups. Voting is a great American privilege, and that right is to be treated with respect by reading about issues and the candidates, to cast an informed, thoughtful vote.

With our freedom comes responsibility. Children in America live in a free society and must learn about past atrocities committed all over the world, so they stand up to aggression and wrongdoing.

The United States has three levels of government with checks and balances and we Americans do not answer to a monarchy or a dictator. Americans stand with Ukrainians as they hold their ground fearlessly and proudly against Putin’s forces. America has a choice to allow those Ukrainians that wish to live in America, to come here and begin anew. Putin’s war has destroyed their cities, homes, and livelihoods, and our country was built by immigrants. Citizens of repressive or poor countries want to come to America so they can work, travel, vote, read, study, and worship, without fear of being imprisoned, tortured, or poisoned in government retribution. The world must hold Putin accountable for these war crimes and atrocities. #WeStandWithUkraine.