It has been 3 years since the Russian Invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022. Approximately 3 weeks after that infamous day, my family and I flew to Washington DC. It was my two-year delayed 70th birthday celebration and I was being treated to a week-long visit to our nation’s capital. One of my favorite cities. Our arrival coincided with “peak” cherry blossom season, a sight that eluded me during all my previous stays. What a treat.
Touring this marvelous city as anyone who has visited knows, requires a marathon amount of walking. So, walk we did. Visiting as many of the monuments, museums, historical venues as was humanly possible. It does not matter how many times you walk the stairs leading up to that bearded man sitting in a chair, you get goose bumps. A bit teary perhaps, if your anything like me.
I had not yet seen the WW ll Memorial, the Martin Luther King Memorial, the National Museum of the American Indian, nor the meandering FDR Memorial. They added additional heft to a city already teaming with excitement. The shining city on a hill that serves as a beacon of hope for those yearning to be free or seeking a better life. People like my grandparents and numerous others that made up a sizable portion of my home town and many other cities across America.
At the time my two grand-boys, Graydon and Owen, were 13 and 11 and I could not have felt more alive, walking along the National Mall or the Halls of the Smithsonian or straining to read the words of our founding fathers so brilliantly illuminated in The Declaration of Independence or our Constitution. Our truths, our successes, our failures, and everything else that defines our great nation. All are on display for us to interpret and to pass judgment. Any sugar coating that may have once existed seems to have vanished.
We made the trek over to the Vietnam War Memorial in part to locate 3 Batavia boys I knew that paid the ultimate price. Hoisting Owen on my shoulders to pencil-scratch their names onto a white sheet of paper. A common tradition. We made our way along the memorial wall containing the names of over 58,000 Americans, mostly in silence, broken suddenly by my oldest grandson, Graydon. He verbalized what we all may have been thinking. “Every one of these soldiers comes from a family. They have parents and brothers and sisters, uncles, cousins, and friends.”
The magnitude of the loss associated with each name, each person on that wall, will never be the same for me. Toward “my generation’s war” or any other. Out of the mouths of…
One of the highlights of our trip was an arranged tour of the Pentagon. At the time the Pentagon was not conducting tours. We, however, had an inside connection. Michael, a good friend of my daughter, just happened to be the head of Cyber Security for the Army. Michael stood out in High School for a variety of reasons including his good manners and respect for his elders. To this day he calls me Mr. Tolejko. Or he would anyway, up until he presented me with a pair of Department of Defense cufflinks at my birthday dinner one evening and I absolved him of that formality ever more.
Our Pentagon tour was supposed to be a surprise, but went public because the DOD needed 48 hours to complete their “background checks”. The phone call requesting my SS#, d.o.b etc. caught me by surprise, then added quite a bit of excitement to my day.
The three of us Uber’d over to the Pentagon 2 days later, arriving promptly at two. I had driven near the Pentagon several times before and had seen it from a distance. But up close, walking toward one of the entrances, it was truly massive. After passing through two metal detectors and a few scanners, we arrived at the actually security area. Questions were asked by one of numerous military personnel under the watchful gaze of dozens of cameras. Muscled young men with thick necks and the alertness one expects from our nation’s finest. The men “we want on that wall, the men we need on that wall.”
Michael greeted us once we were approved for entry and the tour commenced. What a place. The Pentagon is a not so small city with all the amenities that make living there 24/7 quite comfortable. I had heard that there were two floors beneath the 5-story structure. Presumedly top secret areas where really important things happen. Off limits to all but a select few. Michael would only confirm that “there are 5 floors above ground”. The tour was something I will always remember. I will cherish the many memories shared with Graydon and Owen. Toward the end as we gazed through an office door and out the window, noticing we had an unobstructed view of Arlington National Cemetery. Michael informed us that this was by design. Nothing stands in the way between the two. This alley reminds everyone working in the Pentagon that their actions have consequences. The 400,000 and counting veterans interred there are the real-life cost of decisions made by those working just a few miles away. Whew.
It was Sunday, our last day in Washington and our flight out of Reagan National Airport was later that afternoon. There was still time for last minute sight-seeing. We drove up to the National Cathedral and wandered around this marvelous treasure. The sight of so many significant events throughout our nation’s history.
Then, it was time. As agreed, Cameron would park a block or so away and everyone would remain in the vehicle while I doubled back to pay my visit and speak my piece. To do whatever. I had no idea what to expect.
It was a little over one month since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and I was angry. As I approached the Russian Embassy, I was surprised to find that I was all alone. Not a soul in sight. No tourists, no protestors and no one in the guard station. Just me standing in front of very tall iron gates. I did notice three or four police cars discretely parked across the street and mostly out of view. Okay, now what?
I noticed an intercom/buzzer/doorbell near the empty kiosk. I walked over and pushed the button. A few seconds later a voice with a thick Russian accent responded: “Mei Ai khɛlp yoo?” Wow, this was my luck day. I let this faceless man know exactly what I thought about Vladimir Putin. I was brief and to the point ending with “Putin is a f*#&ing war criminal.” Did you get that, I asked? After a brief pause, he said yes, thank you. I raised my arm to wave goodbye, instinctively extending my middle finger, and returned to my family. I was very pleased and satisfied even if my efforts were only symbolic.
The exact opposite atmosphere greeted us only 10 minutes away at the Ukrainian Embassy. The gates were wide open, and the fences adorned with hundreds of floral bouquets. People were milling about basking in the sunlight illuminating our solidarity with the government and the people of Ukraine. A fitting way to end our trip.
A few weeks later I was thinking about our week in Washington, DC. The experiences we shared as a family and the lasting memories they will create. As I sat alone in my living room, I began to feel a warm, comforting sense of satisfaction. A calmness I will associate with security. The realization that all is well. I am safe. I am secure. A big part of that feeling were my take away’s our trip. What I had seen and experienced that week left me with a re-kindled pride in our nation. A profound respect and gratefulness for all who came before. The many that paved our way. Their dedication, hard work, and the sacrifices they made resulted in the creation of the world’s oldest democracy. A system of government that is nearing our 250th birthday. A nation that continues to be that shinning city on a hill. A beacon of hope for all around the world yearning to be free.
I felt our institutions were strong and enduring, while our commitment to the rule of law, was solid. The fundamental building blocks guiding our country; The Constitution, The Bill of Rights, the Separation of Powers are at the heart of our democratic structure and functioning pretty darn well. As always however, the weak link is not our guiding principles or our institutions. It is us. We the people. Those charged with interpreting, honoring, and protecting our constitutional building blocks. We are the challenge. We are human. We make mistakes.
Building, guiding, and protecting our Democracy and our way of life is difficult. It always has been. I imagine our parents would have preferred to skip having to save the world from the likes of the Nazi’s, Fascists and other empire building lunatics. Our grandparents while repelling a burgeoning Communist movement and the likes of the KKK were rewarded with the Great Depression. Need I mention the Civil War and a slew of other disruptions to our way of life to make my point? Good. I was confident that we would step up to the plate. By we I mean everyone, all of us.
Regardless of our differences, at the end of the day we are all committed to the ideals supporting our democracy. The balance of powers resulting from the three independent branches of government and a firm belief in the rule of law are something we all agree upon. Right? We will defend them at all cost. Won’t we?
Post Inauguration
Events over the past few weeks have shaken me. At times I feel confused (unrelated of course to age), sad, angry, and rudderless. I frequently remind myself to remain calm, do not panic and do not over react. After all Donald Trump was elected fair and square. He is our President. A leader with the vision, intellect, and strength to put us back on the “correct footing.” Right?
Then another mind-boggling announcement and I say to myself surely someone is doing something about all this, to put a halt to what intuitively feels wrong. The ideological gutting of our government. Then it’s back to worrying more for my daughter and her family.
Okay TJ. Get a grip. Remember your faith in our Government and our Institutions. This too shall pass. Perhaps but not right away and not without lasting damage to the United States of America and countless others around the world. Certainly not without a fight. So given that I must vent. Get my yaya’s out. Speak my piece. Then I can return to my more rational self. I swear. I also promise to be brief.
On the home front:
Unqualified, inexperienced loyalists have been appointed to Cabinet positions within the Executive Branch. Everyone of them seems hell bent on destroying their department even though most know little or nothing about the work they oversee. Mass terminations conducted in a callous, disheartening manner. Even if incompetent, “clowns with flamethrowers can do a lot of damage”.Internationally
After decades of a successful, relatively stable, even if imperfect, world order is in the process of being destroyed. Reconfigured if you’re an optimist. The London Times said it best: “In the past 10 days Trump has all but incinerated 80 years of Post-War American leadership. Instead, he has become an unabashed predator, allied with Russia.”
Fareed Zacharia citing a book titled “The Internationalists “, by Oona Hathaway and Scott Shapiro noted: “Between 1816 and 1945 there were 120 territorial conquests or one nearly every 10 months. Since WW ll with the establishment of a system of rules and norms, with the United States firmly allied with Europe, territorial conquests have practically disappeared.” Russia’s invasion of Ukraine being a notable exception. A stable world order is important.
Donald Trump is currently operating a “Protection Racket” to extract mineral rights from a war-ravaged Ukraine. Could you even imagine Dwight Eisenhower demanding money from the French in order to proceed with the D-Day Invasion? Unthinkable.
I am almost done. Just one more rant.
My Personal Thoughts about Donald Trump.
Wow. Slow down, take a deep breath. Remember what Deborah (my wife) said about taking the high road. Do not stoop to the level of those currently in power. Do not lower yourself by resorting to name calling. Okay. Okay. I get it. Given these guidelines I offer up the following:
Donald Trump is a lying, cheating son of a bitch. A carnival barking con-man who cares only for himself. He appears to be a pathological liar devoid of any moral compass.
He is a convicted felon who continues to behave as a Gangster, utilizing fear and intimidation to achieve his ends. A vindictive tyrant.
He is a traitor to his family, his constituents and to his country.
Donald Trump is not a good person. He is not a good man.
There I have gotten it out of my system. At least for today.
Earlier I said that upon my return from a week in Washington, DC I felt our institutions were strong, enduring, and our commitment to the rule of law was solid. Well, I still believe this to be the case. We will, however, be tested, perhaps as never before. If we are anything like the brave men and women that paved the way for us, then we are in good hands. If Donald Trump is successful at anything in the near future it will have been in AWAKENING A SLEEPING GIANT.
Thank you for your patience.
Paul
I left my home in the small Western New York city of Batavia in March 1977 vowing never to shovel snow again. Never say never. Settling for 38 years in what was for me the "promised land" of Santa Barbara, California. I married, helped raise a family, started a business, traveled and live a wonderful life. We spent the last 10 years of our west coast journey in the small, quiet, picturesque town of Ojai. My oldest friends call me TJ.
My wife Deborah and I moved to Colorado in 2015 to be near our daughter, her husband and 2 growing grand-boys. Add 2 bulldogs (French & English) to the mix and our hands and hearts are full. We all reside in Niwot, a small quaint town 15 minutes north of Boulder. The mighty Rocky Mountains are at our doorstep.
I am a man, son, brother, cousin, friend, husband, father, uncle, grand father, in-law and mostly retired Coloradan. You can read more about me on the About Page. If you are curious about my professional life you can visit my Career at Venture Horizon.
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Hi Paul, agree with everything you said especially about DJT. Loved your thoughts on your visit to DC. It is/was an amazing place. I have read a lot and try to understand how we have so quickly slid into fascism. The American people voted for this (at local, state, and federal levels) despite the tremendous harm it will cause to so many in the US and abroad. I don’t understand. But I have read that the Black and White mindset (I read Natalie’s blog and it is also very good … be kind and generous and know that is truth) is difficult for an individual to change. Something I read was that that would be admitting they were wrong and that isn’t doable no matter the new information. I don’t know if that is true but it makes sense to me. I also read a very good national writer say that if there was somewhere in their mind that they could make a little space that they have been lied to and conned and believe that it would make a difference.
Thanks for your blogs. I love.
Wowsers TJ, how do you really Feel!? I’m seriously impressed, you are very articulate and I agree with you completely. Is this what America really is? Having worked in the trades and spent most of my life in Batavia I’m not surprised by the racism, homophobia, misogyny and “othering” that so much of the population harbors but I wouldn’t have expected their embrace of a presidential candidate who promised to be a dictator. We are truly in dangerous times my friend. Hope you are well, it’s been years eh ?
I am testing the comment system.
Paul, Louis Cecere here. This is the first of your articles I have read. I am with you. I agree with you completely
Hi Louis,
Great to hear from you. I trust all is well.
Stay tuned and thanks for listening.
TJ
TJ – Sadly, I am in complete agreement with your observations regarding Donald Trump and his administration. Maintaining anything resembling an even keel is a difficult, day by day challenge. Friendships help a lot, don’t they?
I so hope you are right about we the people and those institutions. Your optimism currently outstrips mine. However, as you have long known, I don’t shrink from a fight I feel is just, so I, for one, will be standing strong for American values. We may not live up to them, but they are a worthy goal.