OPINION: America, pay it forward by supporting Ukraine

As Americans gear up to celebrate the 250th anniversary of our Declaration of Independence, we must never forget those stirring words: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” The signers knew that full equality did not reign at the time, but the words gave inspiration and direction to future generations to accomplish that goal. We are still a work in progress.

King George III and Great Britain were highly incensed by the Declaration and were not about to acquiesce. They moved to put down the rebellion, increasing their forces and the ferocity of the violence as time went by. The Patriots were aware that they needed powerful allies for the revolution to succeed and sent Benjamin Franklin to Paris to enlist the French in our cause. The colonials had fared rather poorly in the early stages of the war. The French were reluctant to commit until it could be shown that the colonies had a reasonable chance of winning. The Patriot victories at the two battles of Saratoga in the Fall of 1777 provided that showing.

The French officially entered the war early in 1778 and declared war on Great Britain later that year. That was the beginning of the end of Great Britain's war of oppression. The cost of defending its world-wide territories eventually became too great for the British to continue their war.

The Revolutionary War provides a powerful narrative. A feisty little wannabe nation tirelessly fighting to throw off the yoke of a powerful oppressor, willing to risk it all for freedom and self-government.

There is an interesting parallel between our revolution and the genocidal war that Russia’s dictator, Vladimir Putin, has been prosecuting to subjugate Ukraine. The Ukrainians, much like the American Patriots in 1776, are not willing to live under a dictatorship. The people of that pugnacious country have consistently demonstrated that they will risk everything to determine their own fate.

During the course of the past year, the U.S. government has pushed the Ukrainians to cave to Russian demands to cede territory and take other needless actions that would endanger their ability to maintain their freedom and self-determination. Their president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, was told in the White House that he had no cards to play.

Zelenskyy and his Ukrainian patriots were having none of it. They essentially channeled Patrick Henry’s historic words, “Give me liberty or give me death.” Since then, they have intensified their efforts, innovated new battlefield strategies, used cutting-edge technology to develop remarkable new weaponry, and started to turn the tide against a lumbering, exhausted Russian military. They have indeed shown that they have the will and staying power to eventually maintain their freedom.

Ukraine is the epitome of that feisty collection of American colonies, risking all to preserve their way of life and showing they have the desire and ability to prevail. Now is the time for the United States to pay it forward by providing Ukraine the resources and support it needs to follow in the footsteps of our great nation. Like us, they strive for a future where they can enjoy life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

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Jim Jones is a Vietnam combat veteran who served 8 years as Idaho Attorney General (1983-1991) and 12 years as Justice of the Idaho Supreme Court (2005-2017). He also publishes at substack.com/@jjcommontater