Corrections_Today_May-June_2022_Vol.84_No.3

From Jim’s Desk nEWS&vIEWS

The price of freedom

F or the better part of one in the Middle East and other areas. Peace in the sense that there was not wide-scale fighting among different continents as there was during World War II. American service men and women have been called to duty in Kuwait, Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria, many of whom paid the ultimate sac rifice by giving their lives. We do not forget them. We honor their bravery. Yet today, March, 2022, our coun try faces an unbelievable dilemma that many of us never thought we would ever face again since the Cuban Missile Crisis in the early 1960’s. We stand on the sidelines as a ruthless dictator attempts to expand his empire and remake part of the old USSR. History often repeats itself, and Mr. Putin reminds us of the time Adolf Hitler expanded his country in the belief he, and his nation, was superior to all others on the planet. Nightly we view the suffering, the death, the destruction and the century, the world has been at peace, save for conflicts

helplessness of the brave men and women of Ukraine. There are those in our country who stupidly believe the war between Russia and Ukraine means little to nothing to us. Those people prob ably believed British Prime Minister Chamberlain had, indeed, achieved “peace in our time”, that is until London felt the burden of death and destruction from bombs raining down on them within months of Chamber lain’s ill-fated meeting with Hitler. Do we risk all out nuclear war with the Russians? Do we begin the process of total destruction of the planet by being more involved in support of the Ukraine? These questions are certainly above my pay-grade and thankfully I do not have to face what our President must be facing. But as Americans who cherish freedom, who celebrate democracy, and who, like it or not, are the light of liberty throughout the world, we need to do every thing we can to support our brothers and sisters of Ukraine, people who

are standing against unbelievable and terrible odds to preserve their democracy. As we witness everyday on the news, brave women and men in Ukraine are fighting a superior force, but are standing upright and strong for as long as they can. Everyday I pray for them. I hope you pray for them too. I openly celebrate “cancel culture” of those companies that have not left Russia. I hope you do too. Profits over freedom is wrong. If, ultimately, Ukraine falls to Putin, who or what will be next? For our children and grandchildren, America faces daunting challenges in our future. Someday, someway, freedom and democracy must prevail over oppression, concentration camps, dictatorships and unabated lust for power.

James A. Gondles Jr., CAE ACA Executive Director

Graphic: istock/Nataliia Prachova

6 — May/June 2022 Corrections Today