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    Stand Up for Democracy

    Ukraine nightmare: Former Peace Corps worker explains why it's important to speak out now

    Claire St. Amant
    Jan 27, 2014 | 1:38 pm

    Ukrainians are no strangers to suffering in silence. When I served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Western Ukraine, I rarely heard my friends complain about issues that would send Americans right over the edge, like not getting a paycheck or having the gas shut off during the middle of winter.

    But the latest actions of the Ukrainian government crossed a line that the people cannot — and should not — overlook. A decade after the Orange Revolution saw democracy take a stronghold in the former Soviet republic, Ukraine president Viktor Yanukovych is leading the country back to Russia and away from the European Union.

    Protestors took to the streets in the capital of Kyiv last November, a few weeks before Yanukovych snubbed the EU and signed off on a $15 billion bailout deal with Russia. The demonstrations have been broadcast on news stations across the world, and photos of the increasingly violent police response have flooded social media. Last week, the first known deaths were reported when at least two protestors were shot and killed by police.

    The latest actions of the Ukrainian government crossed a line that the people cannot — and should not — overlook.

    When I spoke to my friend Svitlana in Western Ukraine on Sunday, she was exasperated by the deterioration of her otherwise peaceful country. "Instead of protecting us, our police work against the people," she says. "It's backwards."

    Not so long ago, simply acknowledging horrific acts in Ukraine would have been a huge accomplishment for the international community. In 1932, the Soviet Union carried out a secret famine genocide that killed around 5 million Ukrainians. Before the age of the Internet, Josef Stalin was able to lie to the world without accountability.

    To prove there was no famine, Stalin exported tons of grain, which he'd seized from starving Ukrainian farmers. In his campaign, Stalin amazingly fooled everyone from a Pulitzer-prize winning journalist at the New York Times to the League of Nations.

    The reality of the famine genocide, called Holodomor in Ukrainian, wasn't even officially recognized until 2006. The Ukrainian government seems to be underestimating the resolve of its people, who once waited nearly 50 years for the truth to come out.

    "Our people will stay in Kyiv as long as is needed," Svitlana says.

    The demonstrations in Ukraine, though portrayed as the actions of marginalized radicals, actually represent the interests of everyday Ukrainians. If the closer ties to Russia were as harmless as Ukrainian politicians say they are, then there'd be no need to shoot those who oppose them. There'd be no need to create new laws, as the Ukrainian government did in January, to restrict free speech and the right to peaceful assembly.

    As Americans, we can't go back to Holodomor and right the wrong that was committed. But we can stand up for freedom and democracy in Ukraine now, and we can do more than simply share a story or a photo on social media.

    The House of Representatives is set to hear a resolution on sanctions against Ukrainian politicians on Wednesday. The resolution supports the rights of Ukrainians "to choose their own future free of intimidation and fear." If you believe in the cause of democracy and the value of a free and open society, I urge you to contact your representative about supporting House Resolution 447. It's the American thing to do.

    -------

    Claire St. Amant is managing editor of CultureMap Dallas.

    Women beat on tin to motivate protesters.

    Protests in Ukraine
      
    Photo by Ilya Varlamov
    Women beat on tin to motivate protesters.
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    Editor's note: It's time to look back at the top Houston news of the week, beginning with two Houston universities earning global honors. Plus, America's best cities for 2025, and a local TV favorite's home hits the market. Get the details below, then visit our event planner to fill your weekend agenda.

    1. 2 Houston universities named among world’s best in 2026 rankings. Two Houston universities are in a class of their own, earning top spots on a new global ranking of the world's best universities. Rice University and University of Houston are among the top 1,200 schools included in the QS World University Rankings 2026. Ten more schools across Texas make the list.

    2. Houston loses top-10 rank in 2025 list of America's best cities. A just-released national report ranking the best cities in America has declared Houston is the 13th best U.S. city in 2025. Houston's new placement is three spots lower than its triumphant No. 10 rank in 2024. Still, the report hails Houston as a "coveted hometown for the best and brightest on earth."

    3. Houston fave Frank Billingsley's house hits the market for $1.5 million. Set just off Mid Lane is a beautiful, custom-built home with local celebrity ties. The four-bedroom, three-and-a-half bath home, currently owned by Houston broadcast veteran Frank Billingsley, is now on the market for $1.525 million.

    38 Hackberry Lane exterior38 Hackberry Lane, currently owned by Frank Billingsley, is on the market for $1.525 million. Josh Gremillion for Martha Turner Sotheby's International Realty

    4. Houston declines on list of best places for celebrating July 4th. A new national report delivers good news and bad news when it comes to celebrating the 4th of July in Houston. While the city is one of the most affordable places in the country for star-spangled celebrations, it falls behind overall.

    5. Chris Shepherd salutes his favorite Houston restaurant — and its new hot dog tower. Shepherd pens a love story to Brennan's, detailing his nine years working there and gushing about its exciting new bar.

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