Editorial: Fight for independence far from over

Last night’s Roman candles have gone cold.

The last scraps from the big booms have washed up on the shore or sunk to the bottom of the lake. The firecrackers have all cracked. The sparklers sparkle no more.

But 5,381 miles east of Coeur d’Alene, explosions and flashes continue. Though the symbolism of independence is similar, what’s happening in Kyiv and the rest of Ukraine is a matter of real-time survival.

Survival of democracy, of a way of life that Russian invaders are determined to take away. Of freedom itself for the people of Ukraine.

It’s been more than 16 months since Russian President Vladimir Putin unleashed his military on his neighbors, many of whom share blood ties with their assailants. Putin’s strategy, some experts agree, is to protract the conflict until Ukraine’s military resources and perhaps, its patriotic resolve, are gone.

If you reading this small-town editorial detect cracks in your own support of the Ukraine cause, that’s understandable. A May 19 report by the Kiel Institute for the World Economy estimated that the U.S. had already spent more than $75 billion on military, financial and humanitarian aid for Ukraine. It is not irresponsible to imagine how far that $75 billion could go had it been directed to financial and humanitarian aid for U.S. citizens.

But there’s so much at stake here that even if you feel no personal compassion for the spirited, courageous people of Ukraine, you might think about yourself. Putin’s insatiable thirst for valuable real estate and resources won’t be quenched once he’s swallowed Ukraine. All of Europe is threatened, which is why Finland has joined NATO, Sweden is attempting to and nations around the world are backing Ukraine in whichever ways they can.

Because they know no matter how far away they might be, Russian expansion with Chinese backing is a threat to freedom everywhere.

Remember that our own quest for independence lasted much longer than 16 months. The Revolutionary War was won only after more than seven years of bloodshed and resource depletion. Remember that American loyalties were largely divided into two camps; those loyal to the British Crown wishing for peace and those whose determination for self-rule and free choice made the risk of death worth taking.

Just as Ukraine desperately needs its friends now, so was the patriot cause fortified by support from France, Spain and the Netherlands 250 years ago.

One big difference is that today, Ukraine is shedding its own blood, seeking help from allies only in the forms of money and material.

So yes, America is paying a high price for its commitment to as much of a free world as possible, but Ukraine is paying the ultimate price day after day after day for the same goal.

Please think about that the next time you hear a politician trying to score points by putting pocketbooks ahead of principles.