‘Human safari’

Dear Editor:

On Thanksgiving Monday my wife and I went on “safari”. We got in our vehicle and took a short drive and checked on a friend’s house while she was out of town. We then took a walk through a popular area in Elora and marveled at the number of people enjoying the peaceful afternoon and the good weather.

Years ago in our youth the term “safari” meant touring around in our vehicle wasting gas and time, eating chips and drinking Coke. We were humans and were on safari. Today if you research “human safari Kherson Oblast” the definition is one of horror and misery.   The term describes the practice of the Russian military using civilians as target practice in training of drone pilots. They then broadcast videos of the assaults openly as if it were great sport and entertaining. My understanding of such action meets the criteria of a war crime.

While among other tourists that day I noticed no one had to run from a grenade dropped from a drone, no emergency responders were present, and those looking up were admiring architecture (with no damage caused by artillery shells, etc.) or checking out the clear and sunny skies.

It was Thanksgiving, and I’m sure most of us are thankful for what we have, but I also think there should be outrage at what is taking place in Kherson. The fact that it is not reported in mainstream media, and most people don’t know about it, I’m sure is one reason the general public is not upset over these atrocities. 

Perhaps more members of the U.N. need to take a “safari” in Kherson to experience what it means to go grocery shopping, or to school or to church…

Al Hayes,
Fergus