Guest opinion: The art of being fearless
by GM Jarrard
In 1996, at the urging of my oldest son, Jeff, I took the opportunity to accept an assignment from the International Republican Institute (IRI) to fly to Russia (by then, no longer the Soviet Union) and share my experiences in creating âpaid political messagesâ with a group of democratic party workers in Rostov, Russia.
It was bad timing. Our small Salt Lake City-based advertising and public policy agency was in the midst of several political campaigns ourselves, including the re-election of Utah Governor Mike Leavitt and Congressman Jim Hansen (Republican from Utahâs First District). Two of my four sons who were working for me, Jeff and Joel, as well as the rest of my staff, all said they could handle things until I returned in 10 days.
I trusted they could. So, looking over my shoulder, I flew off to Moscow.
What I found to my surprise was a dichotomy, old and new, the past and the present, all existing side by side. I had expected to see something like East Berlin. In 1967, after passing through Check Point Charlie, I spent a day walking through that imprisoned city, window shopping, staring at little to nothing, browsing in a dusty bookstore and finally finding a sad little Gaststätte where I could order a brat and a slice of Mischbrot.
That wasnât Moscow in 1996....
We were invited to a reception hosted by our students. Very few of them spoke English. Our chief translator was a major in the Russian Army, an impressive hulk of a man on leave for a week to make a few hundred dollars for his work. (I still regret not sending him a copy of John Stuart Millâs âOn Libertyâ that he asked me to send him, but thatâs a topic for another day.)
With the majorâs help, we were able to make friends and conversation with our eager-to-learn students. Toward the end of the evening, an older, impressive looking woman asked the major to translate our conversation. She wanted to know where I was from, what it was like to live in Utah, what I did for a living and why I had come. I answered as best I could. Then I asked her why she had come and what she expected from the seminar. She paused, looked at me, then with her eyes full, she answered, and the major translated:
âWe want what you have.â
I was puzzled. Not sure if she was referring to all the abundance we saw on display at the small shop in Moscow or other benefits of a free market, I asked: âWhatâs that?â
She spoke, and he translated again:
âThe Rule of Law.â...
Trying times demand people of great courage and ability. Churchill was the man of his hour. In The Splendid and the Vile, Larson places Churchill on a pedestal, displaying him as a prototype to present the essence of âArt of Being Fearlessâ before a worldwide audience.
Today, that role is being portrayed before our very eyes again by a man who is no stranger to moving performances either, the erstwhile comic who gained fame and fortune first in Russia proper, and now as Ukraineâs president, reprising the very role that projected him into the office in the first place: Volodymyr Zelensky.
If you want to see living proof of what âThe Art of Being Fearlessâ is in the 21st-century, look now further than Zelenskyâs own Selfies that he has posted on social media: âHolding the camera, he looks straight into the lens, conversing with the viewer, seeming to nullify the distance between himself and his audience. He looks weary. He looks angry. But he does not look defeated. He looks, in short, the way many of his constituents do right now. Ukraine, Zelensky said last week has been âleft alone in defense of our state . . . and Iâm still here.â Zelensky, wife his cabinet and parliament members are all prime target for Russian aggressionâPutin has even promised public executions. Whether President Volodymyr Zelensky survives or not, one thing is certain: the Ukrainians who still remain will surely stand and fight, now that they can appreciate the Rule of Law and have learned âThe Art of Being Fearless.â (Read More)
News Releases
John Curtis on President Zelenskyyâs speech
"I listened to President Zelenskyyâs speech this morning, surrounded by my other colleagues in Congress. It was moving and empowering to hear from this leader.
We need to do what we can to help Ukraine and, as I have called for already, we must give them more weapons and resources to defend themselves and increase sanctions against Russia. By supporting Ukraine, along with our European allies, we can show Putin he will not win this unprovoked invasion.
Ukraine is fighting for their right to self-determination, and I am incredibly moved by their citizensâ bravery, love of country, and willingness to fight for the values they believe in."
Rep. Stewartâs statement on President Zelenskyyâs address to Congress
Rep. Chris Stewart (R-UT) released the following statement regarding Ukrainian President Zelenskyâs address to Congress.
âUkrainian President Zelensky has proven to be the man for the moment as he rallies his country and the world to resist Putinâs aggression. This morningâs remarks were a powerful reminder of what it means to fight for freedom. It is clearly a moment for Congress to speak with one voice by passing strong, bipartisan legislation that cripples Russia and delivers humanitarian, security, and economic assistance to Ukraine. (Read More)
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