A letter to my loyal readers in Russia

TO MY RUSSIAN READERS:

Cпасибо!

I want to thank my Russian followers for their loyalty for reading my humble blog, Views From the Edge.

Once again, you have shown that my blog is interesting enough for you to seek it out. Your readership has spiked my numbers and I appreciate that. In fact, recent metrics indicate that, once again, you have outdone my readers from other countries, including those from the U.S.A. 

My blog's metrics show readers in Russia: 785 vs. readers in the U.S.: 777. Well done!

I'm still not certain why you Russians are attracted to my blog. Is there an interest in AAPI affairs? In the world of blogging, Views From the Edge is only a tiny, tiny blip with only a few hundred loyal readers every day. Other bloggers have larger and more influential audiences.

Reader metrics for Views From the Edge, Oct. 17, 2017

I only hope that as you Russian readers go through the Edge that you realize that it is only through the U.S. Constitution that I have the right to express my views even if at times, they are critical of this country and its leaders. 

RELATED: Why are Russian readers reading my blog?

From what I have read, citizens of Russia do not have that same guarantee. Some of the leading opponents of your president have been jailed or killed for expressing critical views of Vladimir Putin.

In case you haven't heard, here are just 10 of your fellow citizens  that we know of who have suffered that fate:  Boris Nemtsov, Boris Berezovsky, Stanislav Markelov and Anastasia Baburova, Sergei Magnitsky, Natalia Estemirova, Anna Politkovskaya, Alexander Litvinenko, Sergei Yushenkov and Yuri Shchekochikhin.

You can read more about these Russian citizens, who died violently or in under suspicious circumstances, in this article by the Washington Post. I can't even count how many outspoken critics of Russia or Putin have been jailed or mysteriously disappeared.

I know my country is not perfect. (And since you consistently read Views From the Edge, you know that too.) There are a lot of shortcomings that the Edge points out, especially in regards to Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, the abuse of America's economic system by the wealthy elite, the health care system needs improvement to care for more of our citizens at an affordable price, the inequality and injustice that exists in some of its institutions, the privileges accorded to its white citizens ... oh, I can go on and on.

But, thank goodness that I can point out these imperfections without fear of being jailed or disappeared.

I can continue to encourage others to work towards making America a better country by living up to its ideals or bring attention to issues that the mainstream media tends to ignore.  In my little way, I like to think I can help build up the country to the values it likes to espouse instead of tearing it down.

As you report the contents of this blog to your superiors, (I hope they enjoy all the pop culture references.) Someday I would like to think that you and your countrymen will be able to speak up against inequalities that exist in your country, its foreign policy that includes interfering with the U.S. elections, how your country is fostering the racial divisions in my country and the exorbitant wealth being accumulated by Putin and his cronies.

Ordinary citizens in both of our countries, like you and me, must take a stand, speak up, vote out the crooked politicians and fight for basic human rights. At the very least, can you please tell your hackers to stop interfering with our elections? We are very capable of screwing up our own country, thank you, without the assistance of Putin's computer people.


Apparently, I can't stop Russian readers from checking in, for whatever reason. Blogspot appears to be unable to do anything to stop views from Russia.  I only hope that your hackers are not using the Edge as a way to hack other systems. That's not very nice.

 Спасибо за прочтение

Even though your readership skews my metrics, thanks for putting Views From the Edge on your reading list (I think). I hope you learn something useful about my country and its people. God bless, America! (but, not Donald Trump) and God bless Russia (but not Putin).

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