Moral equivalency?

In a recent interview on Fox News Bill O'Reilly questioned President Trump about his self-claimed respect for Russian President Vladimir Putin. O'Reilly challenged Trump's respect for Putin by saying that "Putin is a killer." Trump's response was that "there are a lot of killers. Do you think our country's so innocent?" The president is saying there is a moral equivalency between the U.S. and Russia, and the U.S. government functions under the same standards as Russia.

This again raises the question of why President Trump refused to accept that Russia was involved in hacking into American computer systems in an attempt to influence the last election even though 17 separate federal agencies say that is what happened.

Anyone who has any familiarity with Russian and Soviet actions since World War II must be offended by saying there is a moral equivalency between our two countries. Yes, we have made mistakes in international affairs, but the question is whether our intentions were the same as Russia's. Russia has led its forces to invade Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Afghanistan, Crimea, and they continue to fight the government of Ukraine. The Soviets built an armed and closed border across Europe, and tried to force the U.S., Great Britain, and France out of Berlin in defiance of the Potsdam Agreement after World War II. Trying to leave Soviet controlled Eastern Europe or East Berlin would place the escapee in danger of being killed by border guards. They have jailed or executed those who have expressed disagreement with Russian policies.

It would be a positive if the U.S. and Russia could reduce tensions between the two nations. It is not, however, worth sacrificing our belief in freedom in order to appease Russia. As tensions have increased, NATO has sent troops and equipment to stand as a deterrent to a potential Russian invasion of Eastern Europe.

President Trump should give his respect to those nations who stand for freedom with us rather than with a nation with a history of no respect for human rights.

Jack Dragoni attended Boston College and served in the U.S. Army in Berlin and Vietnam. He lives in Chaffee, Missouri.