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Will We Allow the Russian Invasion of Ukraine to Become the Silent War?
I worry I’m already seeing the signs.
Today was the first day I’ve heard someone outside of my family mention Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The conversation was short, a mere exchange between a cashier and me as she mentioned rising prices — and then her eyes grew a little sad as she said, “Well, we should be thankful we don’t have to leave our homes.” All I could do was nod in agreement as I found myself at a loss for what else to say.
As I write this, it’s been almost two weeks since the ongoing conflict escalated to spread beyond separatist regions of Ukraine. I must admit that I, as an American, was wildly naive about what had been happening in Ukraine since 2014. But in the days leading up to Russia’s latest attacks it was hard to ignore the warnings streaming across American news outlets.
Yet — no one around me, at least as far as coworkers and strangers are concerned, has said a peep about Ukraine or Russia. Oh, sure, I’ve spoken with people on the internet in the Discord channels and comments sections of articles — but real life? No. I’ve been expecting that first moment — the unease, the avoidant looks, the hushed tones — but it hasn’t come up.
