To the editor:

“Pray that your loneliness may spur you into finding something to live for, great enough to die for.” These words, written by Dag Hammarskjold, the Secretary General of the United Nations in the 1950s, came to mind as I read about the people who plotted to kidnap Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

One of the men admitted in court that he was hoping to die in a shootout with the police. He was a lonely, unhappy man who thought he had found a worthy cause.

Likewise, the crowd that stormed our Capitol on Jan. 6 believed in the righteousness of their actions. These people had chosen to follow a poor leader in a false cause.

The Russians who support Vladimir Putin in his war against the people of Ukraine are also being misled. Unlike Americans, Russians do not have a free press, and truth is referred to as “fake news.” Sound familiar?

In stark contrast, the people of Ukraine are following a great leader in a fight for the very existence of their country. President Zelensky is inspiring people all around the world, reminding us that freedom is fragile when confronted by abusive power. He is a hero who appeared just when the world needed him.

While we support the Ukrainians in their righteous suffering, we Americans have a cause worth living for. Anyone worried about the state of our nation can be inspired by Senator Cory Booker’s speech in support of Supreme Court candidate Ketanji Brown Jackson. Let us choose to rise above our fear and resentment in order to become a multicultural, pluralistic republic.