Photo Credit: Artem Kovalev / Unsplash.com
I’ve been putting off this blog for weeks now, which is ironic, considering how passionate I am about the subject. I love Russia. I lived in Russia. I have a ton of Russian (and other Eastern European) friends. I’m fascinated by the history. So what stopped me?
I think I was scared. It’s intimidating, when you’re finally offered the chance to do something you’ve always wanted to do, especially when it’s on such a level of importance as national security. I’m not saying that I, a meager student reporter, could possibly sway public or government opinion of Russia. I’m just saying that it’s the kind of thing that makes you wonder.
What if I pour my heart out on this blog and nobody reads it? Or worse, what if I pour my heart out and spend hours writing about a country and people I love, only to find out that my facts are wrong, that I had the wrong image of Russia all along?
Well, I think that’s the problem with me, and people, in general, which is why I’m starting out this blog with this piece. Instead of running, I’m facing my fear.
I am a huge advocate of believing in people. I definitely fall short sometimes and make snap judgments based on someone’s brief behavior or appearance, but I strive to be better. I strive to live by the – wait for it – American adage that someone is innocent until proven guilty.
This is not an ideal that pertains only to select individuals. You can’t pick and choose who is innocent and who is guilty before the trial. If you’re going to embrace and live by it, you need to remember it every time you hear about someone doing something wrong.
And that is why I write about Russia: Because I have faith in people. Perhaps I’m naive; I’ve certainly been called that before. Perhaps I’m ignorant, but the very act of me making this blog is in admission to my ignorance and a statement of determination that I’m going to change it.
The things I hear about Russia here in America bother me. They don’t match with the people and the land that I hold so dear to my heart. Well of course, you may say, you only interacted with the normal people. But the officials, the government, the Kremlin, Putin: They’re all corrupt. They hacked us. They sought to undermine the election. Putin is the aggressor, seeking to take over America, and we need to stand up to him before it’s too late.
I’m not saying I know for certain whether or not Russia, let alone Putin, is behind the DNC hacks (more on that in another post). But what I have seen, read, and heard about Putin, to me show that he has a strong sense of morality, and is honestly trying to do what is right for his people, even if we as Westerners don’t or can’t agree with him.
Really, who is Putin? Who is Russia? Why is it so hard for many Americans and many Russians to see each other in a positive light? What is so different about us that separates us?
This is why I write about Russia. Follow me as I find out.
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