FACES AND PLACES: The Orange re-birthing (12/26/04)

FACES AND PLACES

by Myron B. Kuropas

The Orange re-birthing

The Orange Revolution has taken over my life. Like most Ukrainian Americans, I'm watching and waiting, fearing the worst, hoping for the best.

During these unprecedented times in our Ukraine, I've been on an emotional roller-coaster. Feelings change from hour to hour, day to day. I read everything I can, listen to and watch the news, and call family and friends in Ukraine.

My emotions run the gamut. There is angry disgust at the unholy trio of Putin, Kuchma and Yanukovych for their appalling behavior and criminal indifference to the will of the people. At the same time I am immensely proud of Ukraine's students, who led the revolution and refused to back down in the face of what appeared to be overwhelming odds.

I look at the before and after photos of Viktor Yushchenko and feel compassion and sorrow for the physical and psychological pain he is suffering in his quest to pull Ukraine out of Moscow's craven clutch.

I have also experienced deep disappointment, especially with Patrick Buchanan, a forthright defender of John Demjanjuk, and now an unwitting apologist for Vladimir Putin. A confirmed isolationist, Mr. Buchanan has charged the United States with meddling in Ukraine's affairs, providing ammunition, thereby, for the Mr. Yanukovych forces who argue that a Yushchenko victory means a CIA takeover of Ukraine. In a recent column, Mr. Buchanan accused the United States of "imperial arrogance and blind stupidity" for supporting the Orange Revolution and repeats a canard that appeared in the Guardian, a left-wing British gazette, that Pora is an illegitimate student group established and financed by Washington.

Writes Mr. Buchanan: "Our most critical relationship on earth is with the world's other great nuclear power, Russia, a nation suffering depopulation, loss of empire, break-up of its country and a terror war. That relationship is far more important to us than who rules in Ukraine." Mr. Buchanan feeling sorry for Russia? If I didn't know better, I could swear that those comments were penned by the editorial staff of The New York Times, and not a long-time conservative I've admired for years. Shame on you, Mr. Buchanan. You've been seduced by the superficialities of the 1970s when "détente" was "the hope of the world." Remember? We were led to believe that we had common interests with the Russians, that both they and we were superpowers with governments that wanted to live in peace and security. It was rubbish then; it's rubbish now.

I don't get it. Bush-bashers in our community have been screaming that President George W. Bush is ignoring Ukraine and that a "Chicken Kiev" II is happening before our eyes. One Ukrainian American activist, a long-time Washington hand with an obviously exaggerated opinion of the significance of our community in American political affairs, even called me and demanded that, as head of Ukrainian Americans for Bush/Cheney, I had a moral obligation to openly condemn the Bush administration for its "ignorance." I refused, of course, and he hung up in anger.

Now we discover that the Bush administration has been quietly funneling millions of dollars to various institutions in Ukraine to promote democracy. As reported by the Associated Press, moreover, Secretary of State Colin Powell rejected Russian charges of Western political manipulation in Ukraine's electoral process and suggested that Moscow was acting in bad faith by retaining military forces in George and Moldova. The AP wrote: "As for the state of democracy inside Russia, Mr. Powell said the United States is bothered by developments 'affecting freedom of the press and the rule of law.' United States officials have been particularly concerned about the absence of independent television news outlets in Russia.' "

Reflecting, no doubt, the beliefs of the Bush administration, House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill) declared that "in order for democracy to flourish, citizens must be able to exercise their votes freely, fairly and without intimidation. Hopefully, Ukraine's election [on December 26] won't experience the rampant voting problems, reports of fraud, and allegations of campaign corruption that marred last month's contest. Ukrainians have the right to be heard and their votes accurately counted at the ballot box."

Will the Bush administration get any credit for its deft handling of the situation in Ukraine? Probably not.

The most uplifting emotion for me, however, is the realization that the Orange Revolution was much more than "a political rally, part rock concert, part fireworks display." Writing in the Wall Street Journal, Adrian Karatnycky described it as a "religious experience" as well. "On weekends," wrote Mr. Karatnycky, "religious leaders held liturgies, prayer services for Orthodox Christians (whose adherents represent more than 60 percent of the population) Eastern Rite Catholics (10 percent) Protestants, evangelicals, Jews and Muslims." Patriarch Filaret of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church - Kyiv Patriarchate and Patriarch Lubomyr Husar - who described the Kuchma regime as "an immoral regime which has deprived the Ukrainian people of their legitimate rights and dignity" - and various Protestant and Jewish religious and community leaders were part of Ukraine's re-birthing process. The one exception was the Russian Orthodox Church, the largest religious denomination in Ukraine, which blatantly campaigned for the election of Viktor Yanukovych. Small wonder that so many Ukrainians still view the Russian Church in Ukraine as Vladimir Putin's Trojan Horse.

Many weeks ago, our pastor told us about the thousands of Ukrainian Catholics who were mobilized by Patriarch Husar to hold prayer vigils 24 hours a day for a fair election in Ukraine. Father Alex Kuzma asked us to pray and fast as well, and for his part, celebrated a liturgy for the people of Ukraine every night for weeks. Other parishes throughout the United States prayed as well, I'm sure, and it looks like all our prayers were answered. With God's help, we have overcome. Ukraine is free at last.

In this season of peace and good will towards men, what better gift can our people have received than this: a free, sovereign and independent Ukraine. A very blessed Christmas, dear reader, to you and yours.

Myron Kuropas's e-mail address is: [email protected].

| Home Page |