Thread by @terrelljstarr

To my fellow Americans:

I am gathering thoughts on how to best report what's happening. But the first thing that comes to mind is self-reflection. The fear Ukrainians and I have about Russia are the very fears many around the world have felt of U.S. invasions.

The fear I have to pray and work through and the fears and tragedies Ukrainians must endure from Russia are the very traumas America has inflicted across the world. This is a horrible feeling and I never want anyone to experience what is happening here.

My job is to report, but it is also to reflect. I have devoted my life to challenging Russian imperialism, but I cannot help, in this moment, not to reflect on peoples around the world who have lived in fear because of my country's military.

As I work through a first-person piece that was due days ago, I cannot help but think that we, as citizens, must redefine what safety means. Just as we are demanding that Russians stand up against Putin, I hope we in America can stand up against our own military overreach.

This is not a good feeling. No reporter should have to cover conflict. No civilian should live through this. All of this is madness. Pure madness.

Please, fellow America citizens, reflect on yourself and what you allow your country to get away with in the world.

I must write now to capture what is happening.

But since you are safe in the U.S., please take time to reflect on the horrors of war. No one deserves this. Ukraine does not deserve this.

At first I was angry, but now I am just hurt. Very hurt for Ukraine and my loved ones here. What is happening is cruel and inhumane. There is no fancy language to describe it any other way.

None of this is healthy.

Putin is evil and inhumane. This is madness and the world must act to protect not only Ukraine, but the rest of the free world. Putin is not diplomatic with his own people; why would he show diplomacy to foreigners?

He is evil. Plain and simple.