Right Wing Republican stupidity: Ukraine is fighting a real war for freedom

CantonRep.com

Echo opinion published in The Repository, in Canton, Ohio and in Yahoo News:

Evil!

All too often these days, we hear the words freedom and patriot bandied about by evil right-wing zealots. 

At one time, these stupid people used to be a minority, but have now become the majority of what was once the Growing Old Party (Republicans). They protest against government policies aimed at protecting citizens from COVID as an attack on their individual rights. Fox (aka Russian propaganda network), OAN - One American News (aka "only alternative news") and other propaganda networks feed the conspiracies that fuel this nonsense.

They are stupid. Indeed, they are delusional and see themselves as patriots saving us from tyrannical government overreach. 

Had they put as much effort into helping defeat COVID, perhaps we might have returned to normal and lives would have been saved. These are not patriots.

So, right wingers? You want to see patriotism in action? Look at Ukraine. They are fighting an invasion by a dictator hell bent on eliminating their freedoms and their country. You see Ukrainians rallying around their government to defend their homeland. That’s patriotism.

They are willing to fight and die for freedom, while the "Don’t Tread on Me" crowd here are unwilling to protect themselves, let alone anyone else, from COVID. They have shown a willingness to take up arms against our government when their chosen one called them to action like a wannabe dictator. That faux patriotism was on full display January 6, 2021, when our nation’s flag was used to bludgeon police in what they called “legitimate political discourse.”

While Ukraine is fighting a real war for freedom and their very existence, Trumpublicans are waging war on vaccines, public health, voter rights, civil rights, women's rights, transgender and gay rights, as well as books and history. Basically, they want the same thing Putin does — absolute control — as the flood of new laws that restrict or eliminate the above throughout the country shows.

— Michael Watkins, Jackson Township, in Ohio

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Letter to the editor: Look to Ukraine to see patriotism in action