As Putin’s War continues in the Ukraine, more and more refugees are fleeing what is left of their homes. President Biden has agreed to welcome up to 100,000 Ukrainian refugees into the U.S., but bureaucratic issues with visa applications at US Citizenship and Immigration Services and in Homeland Security are making it harder for refugees who arrive to be properly settled into anything like a normal situation.

4.5 million refugees have fled Ukraine, so far. Poland has taken in the vast majority of them, while others have gone to Germany and France, or other countries where the fleeing Ukrainians have family or friends, who have done a wonderful thing to help these lost souls.

I am a strong supporter of President Biden, but let’s face it, this War is a exercise in nuclear terrorism. I think the closest an American President has come to experiencing this type of nuclear terrorism previously, was when John F Kennedy and Russia had the stand off over the Cuban Missile Crisis. I will say, again that 100,000 refugees is not enough. America needs to be taking in at least five times that.

The other problem I have is that it isn’t happening fast enough. We should have opened up humanitarian routes to the United States long before this. It is the right thing to do, it’s just a day late and a dollar short.

On the other hand, Biden is moving to do it, and it will help some refugees.

Ordinary Americans can help by sending books and text books and stuffed animals to the refugees. A lot of these items, in particularly the stuffed animals which are such a comfort to children, were lost in the flight across the Ukraine border. Coloring books and crayons, games, clothes, winter pajamas — all the items we take for granted for our children can be donated through the Red Cross, UNICEF and many other local and regional refugee assistance organizations. The American Federation of Teachers, which I mentioned in my blog yesterday, is also an excellent resource.

I know that UNICEF and International Red Cross would also appreciate any moneys that people would wish to give towards medical care and food.

Namaste,

Idealisticrebel