We Learned Absolutely Nothing from the Discrimination in the Past Several Centuries. Proof: You Probably Hate Russian People.
So… have you heard about what Russia did to Ukraine? About Vladimir Putin vs. Volodymyr Zelensky? How about how many Ukrainian people have died or had to seek refuge in other countries? If you haven’t you must really be living under a rock.
In case you do live under a rock, Russia and Ukraine have had a rocky relationship (to say the very least) for at least several years. Actually, you can say that about Russia and any other former Soviet country (ex. Georgia), but let’s get back to Ukraine. A lot of you have heard about Russia invading Crimea (which is supposed to belong to Ukraine) several years ago, right?
Well… Russia kind of went even further and invaded the entire country of Ukraine, and everyone (especially those in America) lost their minds. So much so that almost every news outlet stopped being so anal about Covid. Even my mother and grandmother stopped caring about Covid once Ukraine took over the news, and they were super anal about masks and vaccines. But again, let’s get back to the news at hand.
Hundreds of innocent Ukrainian people have died due to this unnecessary possibly-WWIII-incident. However, that does not excuse the attacks and discrimination against innocent Russian people. Yes, innocent Russian people who have nothing to do with this war or the Russian government are being attacked and discriminated against because they are Russian.
What do I mean by this? Well, many businesses in places like Georgia (a former Soviet country Russia has had issues with) are imposing restrictions on Russian citizens who are fleeing their country for a safer place to live in. The sanctions that western countries (like America) have put in place are hurting innocent Russian people who are just trying to survive, and yes, that means blocking the banks. These people can’t pay for transportation, groceries, and other necessities. Not only that, but several restaurants in Europe have been discriminating against Russian people, too.
Athletes who were born in Russia but play for another country are also facing discrimination for being Russian, and scholars who oppose the Russian government are handed rejection letters, cancelled invitations, grant withdrawals, and so much more- all for being Russian. A university in Milan tried to cancel a lecture on Russian novelist Fyodor Dostoevsky to spite Putin. Dostoevsky was literally sentenced to death for antigovernment activities in his own country- Russia! Do these people not see the irony in all of this?!
Even without the widespread discrimination against Russians, there are still people attacking them and their properties for their ethnicities. For example, a guy’s car was trashed because he was Russian. Some governors in America have stopped selling Russian vodka to stand with Ukraine (despite those products being a mere fraction of sales). Teenage hockey players born in Russian and Belarus are being banned from the Canadian Junior Hockey Leave’s upcoming draft. Russian-owned cats are banned from international competitions- cats, for crying out loud! A Russian community center in Vancouver, British Columbia was vandalized with the colors of the Ukrainian flag. A church in Victoria (also in British Columbia) was also vandalized. A Russian pianist’s concert was cancelled because of the Ukrainian invasion.
Children in Atlanta who speak Russian are being bullied in schools for doing so- children in elementary schools! A Russian student studying at the University of British Columbia has been unable to access his funds due to the sanctions. There have been allegations of Russian students being expelled from several European universities just for being Russian. The United States has especially been vicious about expelling Russian students for being Russian. Isn’t that right, Eric Swalwell? Ruben Gallego? Mike Sington?
“Emily, what does all of this have to do with the discrimination some people have faced in the past?” you might be asking. I say that all of this has to do with a lot of the title of this article. It’s proof that we’ve learned nothing from the past. We’ve learned nothing from the attack on Muslims after 9/11. We’ve learned nothing from the internment camps against Japanese-Americans during World War II. We’ve learned nothing from the propaganda leading to the Holocaust. And we’ve learned nothing from the Red Scare.
What is all of this going to prove? What is this going to accomplish? Do you really think that all Russian people support Putin’s invasion on Ukraine? If so, then that’s a stupid and awful take. It’s like saying that all Muslims support ISIS and/or Al Queda, all North Koreans support Kim Jong-Un, all Chinese people support the Chinese Communist Party, all German support the Nazis, and all Japanese people support the bombing of Pearl Harbor. It’s ridiculous and bigoted to say so!
Do you honestly think that the average Russian person supports this war, let alone has anything to do with what Putin’s doing? Because- newsflash- they don’t! Your average American citizen has little to no influence on what the government does; what makes you think that your average Russian citizen has any influence on an authoritarian government like Putin’s? Do you know how many Russian people were arrested for protesting this war?! Hundreds, maybe even thousands! Russia isn’t considered a free country for a reason, you know!
Look, if you want to condemn Putin and the Russian government for what they have done to Ukraine (and other neighboring countries), then be my guest. Putin and the Russian government fully deserve it. But, for the love of Christ, leave the average, innocent citizens out of it! They have little, if any, influence on the Russian government, and attacking and discriminating against them is unfair and makes no sense. We need to learn from the past. We need to realize that not everyone from a certain area or religion agrees with what the government there does.
