Author: Op-Ed

The Creative Arts have always been a bridge in times of trauma. They can inspire a population struggling with the daily impact of trauma, and teach lessons to later generations who were not alive during such times. Music and dance have also helped bridge cultural divides, and were some of the most productive cultural exchanges between the United States and the Soviet Union during the long Cold War. But with Putin’s brutal invasion of Ukraine and an international backlash to all things Russian, the dynamics of neutrality for the Arts has changed. The sins of a government are not...

In statements addressing Western leaders, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy has repeatedly asked for help fighting the Russians. But in a way very unusual from the American experience. He has asked to be armed with weapons. Zelenskyy said that no one needed to die for Ukrainians, they will fight for themselves. They will fight for freedom, just give them the firepower to do it. “If Western politicians are scared, we are saying: Let us do it. Give us, the Ukrainians, warplanes and fighter jets, which we can use to protect ourselves, our children, our friends, our parents, our cities,...