Alexander Vindman, Jewish staffer who testified in impeachment ...
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In a time of deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act.
--George Orwell
National Security Council staff Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman lost his position and was escorted out of the White House for having the "temerity to object to Trump's 'perfect' phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and then committed the unforgivable sin of telling the truth about the matter when the House impeachment investigation sought his testimony," according to Benjamin Whittes' article, "The Crime of Doing the Right Thing" in the Atlantic.
Whitte continues, "The conduct for which his career has been attacked, what the president calls Vindman's "insubordination," was exceptionally brave truth-telling, both in real time and later when Congress sought to hear from him. When that happened, Vindman did not shrink from the obligation to say what had happened."
And thus did Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman join a very special club, a motley crew of public officials who have drawn the public ire of a president of uncompromising vindictiveness for the crime of doing the right thing... Membership in this ever less exclusive club entitles Vindman to a number of, uh, benefits: unending, random attack by the most powerful man in the world using any of his available means of communication with the entire globe; mockery and derision by his associated media outlets, a category of abuse that in Vindman's case includes anti-Semitic insinuations and frivolous allegations of inappropriate liaison with a foreign power; the security threats that inevitably come with such unwanted attention; damage to a distinguished career, ... - Benjamin Whitte
The timing could not be better, since nominations for the John F. Kennedy Profiles in Courage 2020 award are accepted through February 15. These awards are typically for living individuals, and the site says, "an emphasis will be placed on contemporary acts of political courage. "
Any citizen can make a nomination here.
This is a good time to send a message to truthtellers that we have their backs. Trump tried to make an example of Vindman by having him publicly humiliated with an escort out of the White House. Time to turn that little bit of karma back on the perpetrator. It would be great if the number of Vindman nominations was so huge that it made the news.
Vindman was born in Kiev, Ukraine, and relocated to the US with his father and brothers at age three after the death of his mother. He was educated at Cornell and Harvard and his awards and decorations include: Purple Heart Defense Meritorious Service Medal with bronze oak leaf cluster (2nd award), Meritorious Service Medal Army Commendation Medal with three oak leaf clusters (4th award), Army Achievement Medal with two oak leaf clusters (3rd award), National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Korea Defense Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon Overseas Service Ribbon (4th award), Valorous Unit Award Navy Unit Commendation, National Intelligence Meritorious Unit Citation and Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation. He is a recipient of the Combat Infantryman Badge Expert Infantryman Badge, Ranger Tab, Basic Parachutist Badge, the Presidential Service Badge and Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification Badge.
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