BRAMA, July 11, 2012, 9:00 AM ET
Letter
An Open Letter to Ukraine’s President on the Language Bill
By Bishop Paul Peter Jesep
Dear Viktor Fedorovych:
As you know, any time I share my thoughts with you it is done as an individual, not as an official representative of any Church. It’s been a very rocky tenure for you. The economy teeters on a tight rope. You were snubbed by many world leaders who boycotted the Euro games. Yulia Tymoshenko is the gift that keeps on giving, though not the kind you want. Corruption has been heavily fertilized by members of your Administration.
Now the parliament is in chaos over the passage of the Russian language bill. You allowed it to happen in the most undemocratic way forcing the Speaker to resign. You campaigned on bringing stability (with a greasy iron fist) to Ukraine. Well, Viktor Fedorovych, it appears the authoritarianism you packaged as stability is in serious trouble. Things have been simmering for quite some time. But this time you really, really did it. You blew the lid off the pot with misguided cultural policy that speaks to the heart and soul of Mother Ukraine.
Does dividing the nation come naturally to you or do you work at it? Truly, Viktor Fedorovych, why do you keep walking into walls like a blind man? If you keep this up you’ll end up taking a long walk off a short pier. Considering how heavy your pockets are with perks you’ve availed yourself to at the expense of the Ukrainian people you'll stay at the bottom. Unless you plan to orchestrate massive voter fraud it appears that your party will lose control of parliament. Adding to your problems are poll numbers that clearly indicate you won’t get a second term.
As you know, or at least I believe some of your advisers know, I’ve never been a big fan of yours. Yet, I’m willing to offer you a sincere piece of advice that will stabilize things, neutralize the political opposition, play a small role in trying to lessen divisions, boost your party’s chances in the upcoming parliamentary elections, and perhaps even elevate your standing in the polls. Here it is … are you ready?
Don’t sign the Russian language bill into law.
I never understood why you ever allowed its introduction. Your political base in Eastern Ukraine is secure. The Russian language is widely spoken there and no one is penalized for doing it. In addition, Russian seems to be the preferred choice of many business people since it is not colorful, literary, and expressive like Ukrainian.
If you choose not to support the bill you’ll release a great deal of political steam coming from the opposition party. It would be good for you, your party, and let’s not forget Ukraine as one nation. Language, in this case Ukrainian, should be used to unite the country as one people. Encouraging the use of Russian in judicial and governmental activities in the East and Crimea will further a social and cultural divide. Your job as a national leader is to bring people together, not play them off of one another.
In addition, by not encouraging people in the East and Crimea, including yourself, to learn Ukrainian you make it much more difficult to integrate into the European Union. Remember, Ukraine is firmly planted in Europe. Russia is Eurasian.
The Russian language will always have an important place Ukraine. But don’t, Viktor Fedorovych, allow it to further divide your people. You also need to think long-term. As it stands now you won’t leave a positive legacy. Viktor Fedorovych, you keep making these social, cultural, and political messes. It’s worse than a child coming into the house after playing in mud puddles. Your latest mess is easy to clean up. Don’t sign the Russian language bill into law.
Peace and blessings,
Paul Peter Jesep, JD, MPS, MA
Bishop, Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church
* * * * *
Related:
Apr 22 12 - Op-ed: Aiding and Abetting the Moscow Patriarchate
Mar 23 12 - Friends of Ukraine Take Action
Feb 24 12 - Will Ukraine have Its First Modern Political Martyr?
Jan 23 12 - Holocaust Remembrance Day
Dec 30 11 - Ukrainian World – Praise for Major Archbishop Shevchuk
Dec 21 11 - Lessons from Muscovy
Aug 10 11 - Russian Truth
Apr 14 11 - President Yanukovych's Chance to Show Leadership
Mar 14 11 - An Open Letter to Viktor Yanukovych
Aug 27 10 - Independent Ukraine 2010
Jan 31 10 - Remembering Ukraine's Jews
Jan 15 10 - Orange Forever!
Aug 27 09 - UAOC Mourns the Passing of Senator Edward Kennedy
Jan 14 08 - UAOC Bishop Condemns United Fatherland and Union of Orthodox Citizens
Oct 25 07 - Bishop calls for Annual Holocaust Memorial Day
May 28 07 - Priests try to end anti-Semitism
Feb 12 07 - Statement on Anti-Semitism
Feb 5 07 - Kyiv Patriarchate Appoints U.S. Director of Public Affairs
Nov 23 05 - Archbishop Husar's Orange Revolution of Faith
Sep 12 05 - Yushchenko showed leadership
Sep 7 05 - Metropolitan Mefodiy of Kyiv to visit America
Sep 2 05 - UAOC issues strong condemnation of anti-semitism
Apr 28 05 - Yushchenko at the Kennedy Library
Apr 1 05 - Diaspora rebirth begins in dialogue
Mar 11 05 - The Politics of Orthodoxy
Feb 11 05 - The Diaspora's Future
Jan 21 05 - Ukraine, Orthodoxy, and the Greek Prelate
Dec 22 04 - Has the Diaspora failed? Can more be done?
Dec 22 04 - Russia will not leave Ukraine alone
Dec 14 04 - God, Faith and the Orange Revolution
Dec 8 04 - Ukraine must run the extra mile
Dec 1 04 - Cage the Russian Circus Bear
Nov 24 04 - Support liberty - Practical things you can do
Nov 22 04 - Ukraine's Election - NOW WHAT?
Oct 11 04 - Catholic Patriarchate in Kyiv
Sep 29 04 - Kuchma and the American presidential election
Aug 13 04 - Op-ed: Foreign churches cannot dictate a unilateral non-Ukrainian spirituality in Ukraine (Patriarch Filaret and Ukrainian Spirituality)
Jul 26 04 - Op-ed: Viktor Yushchenko and Ukraine's future (Ukraine needs a patriot as its next leader)
Mar 18 04 - Ukrainian influence in the 2004 American presidential election
Email: VladykaPaulPeter(at)aol.com.
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