Ukraine (2/27/22)
The last few days have been consumed with tragedy and horror as Russia has invaded the sovereign country of Ukraine. There are no words to lessen the fear, anger, and sadness we all are feeling. While we watch a democratic country endure an unprovoked siege by an authoritarian bully, we can’t help but think about the fragility of democracy.
On Friday, President Biden nominated Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit to the Supreme Court. We must see this historic nomination as a ray of hope at a time when we are surrounded by the fog of war and feel pain and helplessness for the innocent people of Ukraine. In her own words, Jackson defined America as “the greatest beacon of hope and democracy the world has ever known.” If we are indeed a leader on the world stage, we must embody equality and justice for all. In his nominating speech, Biden himself said “today, as we watch freedom and liberty under attack abroad, I'm here to fulfill my responsibilities under the Constitution, to preserve freedom and liberty here in the United States of America,”. If you haven’t already, we urge you to watch Judge Jackson’s moving nomination and acceptance speech which brought many of us to tears.
Democracy is more fragile than many of us realized, but please don’t believe that it is doomed. At times of war, stories of bravery and heroism often inspire people and help them get through tough phases. May the resolve of the Ukrainian people to preserve their freedom continue to inspire. May we be motivated by the massive eruption of protests by the Russian people. May Ukrainian President Zelensky's leadership, that is capturing the imagination of Ukrainians and the world, continue to hearten their resolve and embolden the promise that freedom and democracy will prevail. And here at home, may Judge Jackson’s nomination at this difficult time be our inspiration to continue doing the hard work of preserving democracy and be our beacon of hope. In Barack Obama’s words, “Hope is the bedrock of this nation. The belief that our destiny will not be written for us, but by us, by all those men and women who are not content to settle for the world as it is, who have the courage to remake the world as it should be.” With hope, we pray for the people of Ukraine.