Saying you didn't know won't wash blood off your hands

To those following the narrative on state controlled Russian Television....

Saying you didn't know won't wash blood off your hands

Ordinary citizens in Nazi controlled areas during World War II had no internet or satellite TV or relatives in the Jewish ghettos telling them on mobile phones about the attrocities. You do. 

Telling the world that national TV told you Ukrainian nationalists displaced 10 million of their own people, including half of their children will not get you a pardon. Believing that the Ukrainians flattened several of their own cities, including hospitals, schools and historical treasures while the civilian population was still in it, will not get you any forgiveness. Repeating nonsensical narratives that Ukrainian nationalists dressed up as Russian soldiers and executed indiscriminately grandparents, children and ordinary mothers and fathers will not wash the blood from your hands. 

Journalists from the rest of the world have visited Ukraine and seen the carnage, dead children and mass graves. So has the leader of the European Union and many other leaders. They have done this because the Russian speaking, Jewish, Ukrainian president let them. Some of his Jewish family members died in the holocaust. Some others fought against the Nazi invasion in world war two. So he is very passionately against such atrocities. 

Countries all over the world have taken in millions of Ukrainians. We have heard their cries, seen their tears and touched their wounds. The truth is deafening. But the worst wounds cannot be heard, seen, touched or even healed. They have the trademark signatures of death and distruction of a Putin war machine. 

Many brave Russians have stood up and been counted. The world is watching. You will be measured by your kindness or lack of it. Everyone understands that there are consequences if you protest openly in Russia or even describe the invasion of Ukraine using the word "war". But staying quiet is not acceptable. It is complicit, makes you partially responsible and puts blood on your hands that will take generations to cleanse. But you don't need to be arrested. You can be heard without being seen. You can drive into your city center every evening at 6pm to clog up the streets. If that is banned, you can beep your car horn from home. You can distribute information leaflets. You can anonymously leave a sign wherever you can that represents peace in both Russia and Ukraine. You can do all these and so much more. Stop this madness which will take the lives of tens of thousands of young Russian men. It will take the hopes and dreams of MILLIONS. You can do something. Yes you can.