Sometimes keeping up with the news is hard work. Not only are there numerous “breaking” stories, but many are emotionally challenging to hear. It is difficult to read all the “bad” news and not become jaded. Or simply overwhelmed. Sometimes hope in a better world is lost.
A recent news story that saddened me to read was that of the death of Alexei Navalny in a Russian penal colony in the Arctic. He was only 47. He is survived by his wife, two children, and his mother. My heart goes out to them.
Navalny was Russian President Vladimir Putin’s most vocal domestic critic. Interestingly, Putin has never mentioned Navalny by name in public, not even after his death. Yet Navalny was obviously viewed as a serious threat to the Kremlin when he was poisoned in 2020 by Russian agents. Recovering in a Berlin hospital, it is a miracle he survived. After treatment and totally undeterred, Navalny fearlessly returned to Russia. He was arrested upon entry, tried on false charges, and sentenced to prison. I wondered why he had returned to Russia where he most certainly would face prison or death. Or both.
Alexei Navalny was an anti-corruption, pro-democracy political activist who believed in the rights and freedoms of all Russians. He longed for a better Russia. He was a proponent of a parliamentary republic and fought for the establishment of democracy in his beloved country. As Putin’s adversary, Navalny was not simply an enemy of the Kremlin. He was the face and voice of democracy. This is not just a case of Putin v. Navalny, but rather it is authoritarianism v. democracy. With the death of Navalny at the behest of the Russian government, it seems authoritarianism has taken the upper hand. But as one Navalny supporter observed, men can be killed but their ideas cannot; they will live on.
Perhaps in snuffing out the life of Alexei Navalny, Putin has inadvertently galvanized Navalny’s supporters in carrying on his mission, one that was so dear to him that he was not afraid to die for it. Navalny is a beacon of hope, a lighthouse showing the way to a better world amidst a sea of troubles. Yet, we must choose hope. Unlike optimism, hope is a decision and one that demands action.
In one of his last letters to a friend, Navalny, in mentioning Taiwan and South Korea, said that if they could transition from authoritarianism to democracy, then there was hope that Russia could, too. “Hope,” he said, “I’ve got no problem with it.”* Hope for a better future for his country propelled Navalny forward and compelled him to return to Russia and certain death.
This forceful removal of a political opponent reminds me that democracy is indeed on the US ballot this November. Authoritarianism is globally on the rise and democracy proponents must win against strongmen who advocate authoritarianism. Donald Trump has a history of praising and enabling Vladimir Putin. His intent to emulate Putin is clear when he said he will become a dictator on Day 1 if elected and that he plans to go after his political opponents. Unlike his previous term as president, Trump has a new set of advisors who have been plotting for four years to destroy American democracy. We must take Trump at his word and defeat him at the ballot box.
To live by your values is indeed risky in a polarized world. Navalny, as a Christian, envisioned the Russian people hungering and thirsting after righteousness and ultimately being satisfied when their country will see justice for all. Navalny loved his country and stuck by his values. Even when it killed him. He was a nonviolent activist standing up to power.
Jesus was also a nonviolent activist who stood up to power. His mission included freeing the oppressed and calling out the religious leaders and Roman rulers who oppressed. He never wavered. And they killed him.
While I am heartbroken over Navalny’s tragic death, I take comfort in the fact that even when activists are killed, their ideas live on in their followers. Even now, his wife is preparing to step into his shoes. May Alexei Navalny’s hope in democracy live on and ultimately change his beloved country into one “full of dignity, justice, and love.”** May his ideals and tenacity live on in his followers. May his death not be in vain. Hope is a powerful force.
*Alexei Navalny as quoted in the 2/19/24 New York Times article Inside Aleksei Navalny’s Final Months, in His Own Words
**Yulia Navalyana, Navalny’s wife, as quoted in a video from the 2/19/24 Washington Post article Navalnaya steps up to lead fight vs. Putin as morgue retains her husband’s body
ALSO IN THE NEWS: Two other recent news stories caught my attention.
1 - On February 10th, the Washington Post reported Trump as saying that he would encourage Russia to do “whatever the hell they want” with NATO member countries who did not pay their fair share of dues. Trump apparently does not understand NATO. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization was created in 1949 as a defense against Russian aggression. Member states include the US, Canada, and 29 European nations. Sweden is set to join soon to bring the total member count to 32. NATO stipulates that an attack on one member country is an attack on all NATO countries. So, for Trump to invite his favorite dictator and mentor to launch a war against a NATO country is treasonous, for it encourages a foreign power to effectively attack the US. Our national security, as well as that of all NATO countries, has been unnecessarily put at risk.
2 – Also in the news is the Alabama State Supreme Court’s ruling that frozen embryos created during in vitro fertilization (IVF) are people and anyone who destroys them is liable under the Wrongful Death of a Minor Act. This caused Alabama clinics to halt IVF for patients in the middle of the process and turn new patients away. In issuing the ruling, the Alabama State Supreme Court Chief Justice Tom Parker, as quoted in the Washington Post on February 19, said, “Human life cannot be wrongfully destroyed without incurring the wrath of a holy God, who views the destruction of His image as an affront to Himself.” By invoking his own religious interpretation of when human life begins, Justice Parker overstepped the boundary between church and state and has imposed his personal view on all citizens in Alabama. The Alabama state legislature disagreed with this ruling and passed a bill protecting IVF. Supporting IVF is popular with the American people where 1-2% of all births are conceived using IVF. It is a vital solution to the heartbreak of infertility. But interestingly, support for IVF backs anti-abortion GOP legislators into a corner in two ways. When they say they support IVF, how does that square with their anti-abortion stance based on their definition of when life begins (at conception)? Is contraception their next target? And secondly, if they say they support IVF, why did GOP senators strike down a US Senate bill in 2022 that would have protected IVF nationally and on February 28, block the bill from being reintroduced in the Senate? The fall of Roe v. Wade has far-reaching tentacles into the personal lives and medical treatments of many Americans. Blurring the lines between church and state is something the Founder Fathers rightly tried to avoid. This is just the beginning of the slippery slope in a post-Roe world and an example of what can happen when a minority of white Christian nationalists try to impose their views on the majority.
Whew! February was a busy month! Thanks for reading!
Text and photograph copyright © 2024 by Dawn Dailey. All rights reserved. Photo of the Pigeon Point Lighthouse built in 1871 near Pescadero, CA. It is the tallest lighthouse on the West Coast.
March is Women’s History Month. Check out these websites to learn more:
https://womenshistorymonth.gov/
https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/womens-history-month.
Not a subscriber to the monthly blog posts? Click here to subscribe. Subscribers receive an email each month that includes the post with the lead photo as well as bonus photos not posted on the website. Email addresses are never sold or shared.
A NOTE ON SOCIAL JUSTICE:
Jesus says the greatest commandments are to love God and to love people (Matthew 22:37-40). The Christian faith boils down to these two precepts.
Social justice puts that love into action by helping individuals who are oppressed, mistreated, or suffering, and by pursuing ways to dismantle systems of oppression. How we treat others, particularly those less powerful in society than ourselves, matters (Matthew 25:31-46).
Racial justice is one aspect of social justice. Check out my web page on “Justice Matters” to find resources and to connect with organizations engaging in the cause of racial justice. Click here to learn more.
A recent news story that saddened me to read was that of the death of Alexei Navalny in a Russian penal colony in the Arctic. He was only 47. He is survived by his wife, two children, and his mother. My heart goes out to them.
Navalny was Russian President Vladimir Putin’s most vocal domestic critic. Interestingly, Putin has never mentioned Navalny by name in public, not even after his death. Yet Navalny was obviously viewed as a serious threat to the Kremlin when he was poisoned in 2020 by Russian agents. Recovering in a Berlin hospital, it is a miracle he survived. After treatment and totally undeterred, Navalny fearlessly returned to Russia. He was arrested upon entry, tried on false charges, and sentenced to prison. I wondered why he had returned to Russia where he most certainly would face prison or death. Or both.
Alexei Navalny was an anti-corruption, pro-democracy political activist who believed in the rights and freedoms of all Russians. He longed for a better Russia. He was a proponent of a parliamentary republic and fought for the establishment of democracy in his beloved country. As Putin’s adversary, Navalny was not simply an enemy of the Kremlin. He was the face and voice of democracy. This is not just a case of Putin v. Navalny, but rather it is authoritarianism v. democracy. With the death of Navalny at the behest of the Russian government, it seems authoritarianism has taken the upper hand. But as one Navalny supporter observed, men can be killed but their ideas cannot; they will live on.
Perhaps in snuffing out the life of Alexei Navalny, Putin has inadvertently galvanized Navalny’s supporters in carrying on his mission, one that was so dear to him that he was not afraid to die for it. Navalny is a beacon of hope, a lighthouse showing the way to a better world amidst a sea of troubles. Yet, we must choose hope. Unlike optimism, hope is a decision and one that demands action.
In one of his last letters to a friend, Navalny, in mentioning Taiwan and South Korea, said that if they could transition from authoritarianism to democracy, then there was hope that Russia could, too. “Hope,” he said, “I’ve got no problem with it.”* Hope for a better future for his country propelled Navalny forward and compelled him to return to Russia and certain death.
This forceful removal of a political opponent reminds me that democracy is indeed on the US ballot this November. Authoritarianism is globally on the rise and democracy proponents must win against strongmen who advocate authoritarianism. Donald Trump has a history of praising and enabling Vladimir Putin. His intent to emulate Putin is clear when he said he will become a dictator on Day 1 if elected and that he plans to go after his political opponents. Unlike his previous term as president, Trump has a new set of advisors who have been plotting for four years to destroy American democracy. We must take Trump at his word and defeat him at the ballot box.
To live by your values is indeed risky in a polarized world. Navalny, as a Christian, envisioned the Russian people hungering and thirsting after righteousness and ultimately being satisfied when their country will see justice for all. Navalny loved his country and stuck by his values. Even when it killed him. He was a nonviolent activist standing up to power.
Jesus was also a nonviolent activist who stood up to power. His mission included freeing the oppressed and calling out the religious leaders and Roman rulers who oppressed. He never wavered. And they killed him.
While I am heartbroken over Navalny’s tragic death, I take comfort in the fact that even when activists are killed, their ideas live on in their followers. Even now, his wife is preparing to step into his shoes. May Alexei Navalny’s hope in democracy live on and ultimately change his beloved country into one “full of dignity, justice, and love.”** May his ideals and tenacity live on in his followers. May his death not be in vain. Hope is a powerful force.
*Alexei Navalny as quoted in the 2/19/24 New York Times article Inside Aleksei Navalny’s Final Months, in His Own Words
**Yulia Navalyana, Navalny’s wife, as quoted in a video from the 2/19/24 Washington Post article Navalnaya steps up to lead fight vs. Putin as morgue retains her husband’s body
ALSO IN THE NEWS: Two other recent news stories caught my attention.
1 - On February 10th, the Washington Post reported Trump as saying that he would encourage Russia to do “whatever the hell they want” with NATO member countries who did not pay their fair share of dues. Trump apparently does not understand NATO. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization was created in 1949 as a defense against Russian aggression. Member states include the US, Canada, and 29 European nations. Sweden is set to join soon to bring the total member count to 32. NATO stipulates that an attack on one member country is an attack on all NATO countries. So, for Trump to invite his favorite dictator and mentor to launch a war against a NATO country is treasonous, for it encourages a foreign power to effectively attack the US. Our national security, as well as that of all NATO countries, has been unnecessarily put at risk.
2 – Also in the news is the Alabama State Supreme Court’s ruling that frozen embryos created during in vitro fertilization (IVF) are people and anyone who destroys them is liable under the Wrongful Death of a Minor Act. This caused Alabama clinics to halt IVF for patients in the middle of the process and turn new patients away. In issuing the ruling, the Alabama State Supreme Court Chief Justice Tom Parker, as quoted in the Washington Post on February 19, said, “Human life cannot be wrongfully destroyed without incurring the wrath of a holy God, who views the destruction of His image as an affront to Himself.” By invoking his own religious interpretation of when human life begins, Justice Parker overstepped the boundary between church and state and has imposed his personal view on all citizens in Alabama. The Alabama state legislature disagreed with this ruling and passed a bill protecting IVF. Supporting IVF is popular with the American people where 1-2% of all births are conceived using IVF. It is a vital solution to the heartbreak of infertility. But interestingly, support for IVF backs anti-abortion GOP legislators into a corner in two ways. When they say they support IVF, how does that square with their anti-abortion stance based on their definition of when life begins (at conception)? Is contraception their next target? And secondly, if they say they support IVF, why did GOP senators strike down a US Senate bill in 2022 that would have protected IVF nationally and on February 28, block the bill from being reintroduced in the Senate? The fall of Roe v. Wade has far-reaching tentacles into the personal lives and medical treatments of many Americans. Blurring the lines between church and state is something the Founder Fathers rightly tried to avoid. This is just the beginning of the slippery slope in a post-Roe world and an example of what can happen when a minority of white Christian nationalists try to impose their views on the majority.
Whew! February was a busy month! Thanks for reading!
Text and photograph copyright © 2024 by Dawn Dailey. All rights reserved. Photo of the Pigeon Point Lighthouse built in 1871 near Pescadero, CA. It is the tallest lighthouse on the West Coast.
March is Women’s History Month. Check out these websites to learn more:
https://womenshistorymonth.gov/
https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/womens-history-month.
Not a subscriber to the monthly blog posts? Click here to subscribe. Subscribers receive an email each month that includes the post with the lead photo as well as bonus photos not posted on the website. Email addresses are never sold or shared.
A NOTE ON SOCIAL JUSTICE:
Jesus says the greatest commandments are to love God and to love people (Matthew 22:37-40). The Christian faith boils down to these two precepts.
Social justice puts that love into action by helping individuals who are oppressed, mistreated, or suffering, and by pursuing ways to dismantle systems of oppression. How we treat others, particularly those less powerful in society than ourselves, matters (Matthew 25:31-46).
Racial justice is one aspect of social justice. Check out my web page on “Justice Matters” to find resources and to connect with organizations engaging in the cause of racial justice. Click here to learn more.
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