Will Putin use nuclear weapons in his war?
There is a huge debate going on as to whether Russia’s Vladimir Putin will exercise the nuclear option.
I lived through the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. I lived through the Cuban Missile Crisis in the 1960s. I am an avid student of history and why wars occur.
Why did the Japanese military junta attack at Pearl Harbor? Because in June of 1941, President Roosevelt imposed economic sanctions on Japan, and under international law norms the Japanese could believe that America declared war on Japan. To end American aggression, Japan bombed Pearl Harbor. An insane act.
In the Cuban Missile Crisis, Khruschev-Soviet Union was shipping missiles to Cuba. President Kennedy announced we will stop Russian ships and take the missiles, an act of piracy and an act of war. (Why did America declare war on Britain in 1812?) Kennedy also moved American defense readiness to DEFCON 2. One step before launching missiles on Russia. I thank the Lord that Khruschev was not insane and recalled his ships.
It is 2022, Putin has ordered his nuclear forces into high alert. He has threatened NATO and the U.S. Some analysts claim he is at Russian DEFCON 2.
Will he be insane like the Japanese military junta in 1941? Or have some sanity like Khruschev?
One more piece of history. In 1945 as Soviet and Allied armies closed in on Berlin, Adolf Hitler issued an order to Albrecht Spear, Interior Minister of Nazi Germany, to Destroy the infrastructure of Germany. The enemy would get nothing of value from Germany.
Hitler was insane. He was saying to Spear: “if I die, Germany dies.” Spear did not obey him.
Today, we are at a tipping point in history. Is Putin sane or just an egomaniac like Hitler who will bring on Armageddon? I think he has a little sanity and realizes the consequences.
William J. Fernandez, retired judge, Kapa‘a
Thank you Kaua‘i for bringing Riley back
We live in Colorado and during our family vacation on Kaua‘i, our son, Riley, got pulled out by a rip current, at the other end of Kealia Beach from the lifeguard tower.
This happened at 9:02 a.m. on Feb. 24, right as the lifeguards were setting themselves up for the day and before they rolled out their ATV from its storage shed.
I saw Riley waving for help and Andre (my husband) immediately went after him, right into that unforgiving ocean, me, not even considering his personal danger.
Riley had been tossed one too many times and I couldn’t see him anymore. Andre had lost sight of him as well. Finally, I spotted my beloved son floating upside down, lifeless. Andre, somehow with a divinely-inspired, superhuman strength got to him and brought him to the edge of the water.
Since I had my back to the beach, I had no idea what would happen now. I didn’t realize the lifeguards had already sprung into action, sprinting 300 yards or so and were already there to assist us in this horrific tragedy. They immediately assessed Riley, found no pulse and started CPR.
After a 2-minute round of compressions, they did a pulse check and Riley had a pulse! He was, however, still unresponsive, and inhaled seawater was coming out his mouth. I was begging Riley not to leave me, asking whoever was listening to please, please spare my son.
Many things happened quickly after that, in a blur. The ambulance and fire personnel arrived and they expertly established his airway with an endotracheal tube. A wonderful police officer comforted me with hope.
Riley was transported to the ER and from there to the ICU, where he was placed into an induced coma and on a respirator for 24 hours as the expert (and kind) doctors and nurses cooled his body per protocols that they have. When they reversed the coma, Riley awakened. Within hours, he was his normal smiling self! He did need an additional couple days of oxygen in the hospital. But even more than that, we received many experts’ attention, full of compassion and kindness.
We have our son back. We can’t begin to express how grateful we are for the systems that Kaua‘i has in place that allowed us to get him back. Systems that extend all the way from the sandy beach to the modern-day ICU and all the critical points in between.
I know there were dozens and dozens of people that helped us get to this point, many of whom I’ll never meet or have the opportunity to thank. I do want to especially recognize, Coco, Dr. Terdik, and Connie Nunemaker. Again, with unmeasurable gratefulness to all, thank you.
Mariann Bell, Colorado
