3/3/25

 

The past two weeks have been, relative to the current administration, uneventful. To the best of my knowledge, no serious official acts or Executive Orders have been carried out, meaning this edition will be able to cover a broader range of topics than previous ones.

To start off, Trump's recent meeting with President Zelensky of Ukraine, a key ally of ours, almost immediately devolved into a one way string of petty insults. He has threatened to end aid to Ukraine, and will likely act on these threats due to his sympathies for Putin's Russia. This is part of his broader strategy of distancing America from it's allies- In particular, his loud NATO skepticism has strained our relations with the largest and most powerful military alliance in the world. He claims that Ukraine attacked Russia and that American investment into Ukraine is too costly to maintain. Both of these claims are categorically untrue. The Russo-Ukrainian War began in 2014 when Russia invaded Crimea after the Euromaidan protests. Every escalation that followed was the result of Russian choices. When Ukraine tried to defend it's territorial sovereignty in the Donbass, Russia chose to send troops and weapons to the Donbass. When Ukraine had the audacity to use it's own ports in the Azov Sea, Russia seized her ships at gunpoint. When Ukraine refused to allow Russia to lay claim to Ukrainian oblasts like cuts of meat, Russia invaded with a force not seen in Europe since the Yugoslav Wars. Meanwhile, most of the money given to Ukraine by America is not money, but military equipment already produced. Not sending it to Ukraine would only allow it to grow obsolete and force it's decommissioning, which, speaking in the only terms Trump seems to care about, would be a financial loss. Aiding Ukraine in it's defense of itself from this hostile invasion is a moral and strategic imperative.

Fortunately, many in America feel the same way. Even among the traditionally loyal Republican Party had seen dissent, with Nebraska Republican quoted in Fox News saying, "The US is now on the wrong side of this war against freedom." The Democratic Party has hit back even harder, with Connecticut senator Chris Murphy calling the meeting, "An utter embarrassment for America." Popular support in America is for Ukraine, and the American house and senate need to hear that. If you have the time, call your senator and representative to express your support for Ukraine and remind them of their duty- To the American people. If you have the financial ability to, you can donate to SignMyRocket.com, a charity that crowdfunds trucks and drones for the Ukrainian military. If you aren't comfortable funding that sort of thing, then you can donate to United 24, a charity that repairs infrastructure and provides medical aid, including armored ambulances, which there is a tragically large need for.

Meanwhile, lawsuits against Trumps executive orders regarding immigration are still ongoing. To the best of my knowledge, there have been no developments in these cases, but the ramification of them are still happening. ICE is still acting as if they have legal approval for their actions, and are still deporting migrants that have a legal and moral right to be here. If you would like to support them, you can donate to the National Immigration Law Center, which provides legal aid to migrants. If you want to help people be more informed as to their legal rights, you can direct them to Know Your Rights, a group that provides legal aid and counseling, or provide them a red card, a card that can be carried in a pocket and lists the legal rights provided to all in this country. They are available in Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, English, and a number of other languages.

Lastly, you may have heard about the measles outbreak in Texas. It is no longer an outbreak in Texas, but a nationwide outbreak. As far as I know, states with confirmed cases include Texas, New Mexico, California, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Alaska, and Georgia. These cases have largely occurred among unvaccinated Americans, and have killed and unnamed child of school age. This is the largest outbreak of measles in Texas in 30 years, and is the first outbreak to kill someone in America in a decade. While measles does exist in America at a certain unavoidable level, cases throughout all of 2024 only numbered 285, with 0 deaths. In not even 3 months, 164 people have contracted measles because of this outbreak and one person has died. This has not been helped by the fact that 47 American states allow for non medical exemptions from vaccines. Many do not vaccinate their children out of fears of the dangers of vaccines, which have been repeatedly proven to be minimal. The most alarming study, which suggested a link between vaccines and autism, was so poorly written that the man who wrote it lost his license over it. But recent politicization of facts, especially after the covid pandemic, has lead many to ignore this reality and forgo a simple thing that could save their life.

An odd figure has emerged in support of vaccines- Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Yes, that one. On Sunday, he issued a statement on Fox News defending the effectiveness of vaccines and advising people take them. With his position as the department executive of the Department of Health and Human Services, he has promised to provide the resources of the DHHS to aid Texas as it struggles with the disease. While I applaud his new stance, however he arrived at it, I fear it will not stop the spread of this disease. The best way to do that is vaccine mandates, which will slow the spread and prevent deaths. However, RFK Jr lacks the authority to mandate this- That power lies in the state governments. Many of these governments are in states with resistance to these mandates in the public and political sphere, which will make passing these mandates all but impossible.

The responsibility for keeping individual Americans safe then lies in the hands of the individual American. I am not a medical professional, so I cannot offer you complicated information, but will offer what I can. Measles is carried by airborne droplets that come from people- Essentially, the disease can be spread by the breath of someone infected with it. When these droplets land on a surface, they still carry the disease and can be picked up by skin contact. The best way to keep from getting sick is to wear a mask to keep from inhaling these droplets and to keep from touching your eyes or mouth after going outside. You may recognize these as the same methods that protected people during Covid. Unlike Covid, however, a vaccine is available, and if you haven't already received a MMR vaccine, you should. Ultimately, most of these methods are only important if you live in an area with cases, so most Americans don't need to worry about them yet. However, with the rapid growth of this outbreak, I have to recommend you keep an eye on cases in your home state as this outbreak progresses.

God bless America.