View From the Editor’s Desk: Ukraine, Spring, New Positive Book

Spring is a trickster in western Virginia – air conditioning running one day, heat running the next. We’ve had snow days deep into April, and even though our safe frost date in the Shenandoah Valley is May 15, there was one year in the almost-30 that I’ve lived here when we had frost on May 16. In other words, don’t ever let your guard down. There were some very nice warm days last week and now we are facing freeze warnings for outdoor plants – at my house west of Staunton it’s 30 degrees this morning. My potted plants are snug indoors for the next several nights.

After a six-month delay, Speaker Mike Johnson finally let the Ukraine aid package hit the House floor for an up-or-down vote Saturday that passed overwhelmingly 311-112 (all nay votes were from Republicans). Let’s hope it’s not too late for our ally that has been mercilessly bombarded by Russia’s invasion for more than two years.

In Virginia, we have 11 Congressional Districts. Our delegation vote was 9 yea and 2 nay. The two who voted against aid for Ukraine were my representative Ben Cline (R-6th) and Bob Good (R-5th).

THANK YOU to Reps. Rob Wittman (R-1st), Jen Kiggans (R-2nd), Bobby Scott (D-3rd), Jennifer McClellan (D-4th), Abigail Spanberger (D-7th), Don Beyer (D-8th), Morgan Griffith (R-9th), Jennifer Weston (D-10th), and Gerry Connolly (D-11th). See Rep. Connolly’s House floor remarks (video).

Ukrainian soldiers on the battlefield were listening to the vote Saturday and when it passed a cheer went up as they held Ukraine and American flags.

America is not retreating. I’m proud of our country’s leaders who voted to do the right thing with echoes of Ronald Reagan’s “tear down this wall.” I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again … the parties are flipping. Democrats sound more like Reagan Republicans than today’s MAGA GOP.

Ukraine needs us … but we also need Ukraine to remain a free and independent country.

The Washington Post published a very good synopsis of why we need to help Ukraine in their battle with Russia (The Evolution of Mike Johnson on Ukraine). An excerpt:

Johnson’s son will be headed to the U.S. Naval Academy in the fall. ‘To put it bluntly, I would rather send bullets to Ukraine than American boys,’ he said. ‘This is a live-fire exercise for me and for so many American families.’ “

Books, books, books: So many excellent books to read and here is another: Character Matters and Other Life Lessons by Jean Becker, former Chief of Staff to President George H.W. Bush, who writes the stories shared by those who knew the President. What perfect timing for this book with its positive message at this time in history.

Keep the faith….

~Lynn

The post View From the Editor’s Desk: Ukraine, Spring, New Positive Book first appeared on Bearing Drift.