(#4976) The gift of democracy is priceless

      There is no other value that I can place on democracy than to say it is priceless. The reason being is the effort and resolve that is needed to procure it is immense and chock full of hardship and pain. You can easily see an example of that by watching what the Ukrainian people are enduring, First off they had to decide as a society that democracy was worthy of dying for. Let us pause here and examine that part. The Ukrainians have already known what it is what like living under the heavy influence of an occupying force. The Crimea peninsula and Donbas region were effectively annexed by Russia in 2014 and were under the authority of the tyrant putin.
     So up close and personally they know what authoritarianism can do to their lives and society. Having for a short time in history experienced some of what democracy is, they were able to conclude which route they wanted for their future. They overwhelmingly chose democracy. Then came putin to tell them that what was left of their nation could no longer exist ass a sovereign nation. That was the pin being pulled from the grenade similar to our own Boston Tea party stand. The explosive response to the Russian dictator putin, who had amassed a huge military force at their border, was to fuck off! So at that moment democracy became Ukraine's rallying cry for self determination.
     When you are willing to fight to the death to protect your way of life you are truly worthy of the gift of democracy. Those who take democracy for granted and cower from fighting to protect it are the ones who allow for dictators and authoritarianism to flourish. Not in this case with Ukraine. They, for most all of them, are willing to fight to the death to preserve the freedom and liberty democracy demands. Which is why the gift of democracy is priceless. Because there is no cost not worth spending to protect and advance it. Too many who have fought and died are our reminders that nothing in this world is free and if anyone who lives is not aware of this then we must make them understand!