Lighting a candle for Alexei Navalny |
"Gleanings" is Rosemary Ganley's new book. You can purchase directly from the author at [email protected] or from >Amazon< |
Rosemary,
I have a dear friend who is Russian born and emigrated to Canada 30:years ago. Because of her, I learned about Alexei Navalny and came to appreciate the grim and daily struggle for democracy in Russia. My friend, who loses her capacity to access her English when emotional, is increasingly uncomfortable in her Russian skin since the invasion of Ukraine. She shushes her daughter in public, when she communicates in Russian. She talks politics, even with me in the privacy of her own living room, in hushed tones. Navalny was a light of Hope. His death has been a devastation to her but not a surprise. I found myself angered by her resignation….where was the anger, the indignation, the demand for justice?! For her, oppression has become such a well worn groove in her heart and this makes me sad. So, thank you for your column this week…for paying homage to a beautiful, brave man who represented hope and light at a time when both can feel hard to find.
Linda I feel deeply for your friend in her anguish.
Please tell her she can find pride in much that is Russian.
I visited there five years ago.
The art, music , literature, history of suffering under the.Nazis all touched me.She need not feel shame for a few oligarchs and madmen .America has its share..she can speak Russian wherever she likes.Best
Rosemary
Thank you for your wise and insightful column - and for making us more aware of Canadian ties to this brave man.
Dear Rosemary, Thank you for this important article. I watched reports on TV and was so moved at the obvious support of his wife for his actions, that led to his ultimate sacrifice. I would love to be in Putin's head when he makes these dreadful choices. Is it because of a deep commitment to communism, that he is threatened by people who propose an alternate way . What in his previous life has formed his world view.