What is happening in Ukraine right now is NOT RIGHT. They were peacefully disagreeing with wrongful actions of their leaders and the unimaginable happened. A dictatorship is on the rise, lives are being lost, freedom is being taken away. This injustice cannot be ignored. They deserve freedom! Will you help?
Proverbs 31:8 "Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves..."
What YOU Can Do This Week
I've compiled everything into one place, so this should only take you 10-15 minutes out of your day. Your voice DOES MATTER! The Ukrainian people are pleading for the US to get involved. They are NOT asking for troops or money--they are asking for our government to impose sanctions on those who are standing in the way of their freedom. THANK YOU in advance for standing up for the people of Ukraine during their struggle to build a free and democratic nation.
1) SIGN THIS PETITION - simply click here and enter your basic info to sign. This is just a basic petition to John Kerry that will hopefully get the president's attention for America to help Ukraine.
It says: Please immediately speak out against the Ukrainian Government! They are silencing free assembly and speech with draconian measures. They are choosing dictatorship over democracy. This must be stopped before more lives are lost. President Bush spoke out in 2004 during the Orange Revolution and his words helped to effect great change. The same should happen now.
2) EMAIL YOUR REPRESENTATIVES - below you will find a script that you can copy and paste to write your representatives. Send it to your US Senators and your US Representatives (Congressman/woman). Simply click here to find your representatives, then follow those individual links to get their contact info, then paste the script below into their email contact form.
Dear Senator __ or Representative __
Ukraine’s President Victor Yanukovych recently signed a series of laws that curb freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, the right to legal due process and freedom of association; severely curtailing civil liberties and political rights in Ukraine.
The laws implemented are intended to shut down the Euromaidan protests, which have underscored the determination of the Ukrainian people to live in a free, just and democratic society. Rather than engaging in constructive dialogue with its citizens, the government is silencing these protests through repression, censorship, and intimidation.
The signing of the so-called "Dictatorship Laws" have transformed the country overnight into a police state that many experts have compared to Russia, Belarus and North Korea. Equally concern is the fact that on the same day the "dictatorship laws" were signed by the President, he fired the Commander of the Armed Forces, the Head of the Presidential Administration, and appointed over 70 new judges throughout Ukraine in an effort to consolidate control over the military and judiciary in addition to the legislative branch and the executive.
I call on the government of the United States and its allies to impose SEVERE and IMMEDIATE sanctions against those who seek to strip the Ukrainian people of their freedom. I ask you to freeze the financial assets of those responsible for perpetuating the violations of human rights and freedoms in Ukraine. I ask that you warn Russia and its agents against any acts of interference in the events occurring in Ukraine.
Please stand with me in complete solidarity with the people of Ukraine in their peaceful struggle to build a free and democratic nation.
Sincerely,
___
A Brief Background if You are Completely LostOn November 21, 2013, peaceful demonstrations and protests began in Kiev after the Ukrainian government suspended preparations for signing an agreement with the European Union. The wave of demonstrations is called "Euromaidan," and have underscored the determination of the Ukrainian people to live in a free, just and democratic society. It has been characterized as an event of major political symbolism for the EU itself and has been called the largest ever pro-European rally in history. Thousands of Ukrainians continued to protest despite the sub-zero temperatures and a heavy police presence. On November 30, 2013, the government forces escalated the violence, which caused the number of protesters to rise up to the 800,000 mark. Even through New Year and Christmas celebrations, thousands of protesters stood strong.
On January 16, 2014, Ukraine's President Victor Yanukovych signed a series of laws that curb freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, the right to legal due process and freedom of association; severely curtailing civil liberties and political rights in Ukraine. The laws implemented are intended to shut down the Euromaidan protests. Rather than engaging in constructive dialogue with its citizens, the government is silencing these protests through repression, censorship, and intimidation.
The signing of these so-called "Dictatorship Laws" have transformed the country overnight into a war zone. At the time of me posting this blog, at least 2 protesters have been killed.
Will this Impact our Adoption
We have no idea...but it is certainly a possibility with all of the violence and chaos happening in Kiev (the capital) right now. We just ask for your prayers. For Ukraine. For our boys. For the process. And for us.
Thank YOU for standing with us for JUSTICE for Ukraine!
