Don’t Say “Ukraine”
A quick rundown of words you can’t say on live TV:
Derogatory terms for genitalia
Slurs and hateful language
Anything that might make your grandma clutch her pearls in church
And now, a new addition: Ukraine.
During the hour-and-a-half Vice Presidential debate on October 1, 2024, candidates Governor Tim Walz and Senator JD Vance managed to avoid saying “Ukraine” even once.
This is despite an active conflict still raging between Russia and Ukraine and the looming question of whether the U.S. should keep footing the bill. Somehow, neither the candidates nor the moderators thought to bring up the ongoing invasion.
The topic, so masterfully avoided, left me wondering: Can we even say “Ukraine” out loud anymore?
If we don’t acknowledge issues beyond our border, do they disappear?
The debate kicked off with a question about Israel and Palestine. Governor Walz fielded a question on whether he’d “support or oppose a preemptive strike by Israel on Iran.” He delivered the usual Harris-Walz response: We stand by Israel and, by the way, Trump sucks at foreign policy.
Senator Vance chimed in with a tale about his childhood, some blind praise for Trump, and an ominous pledge to support Israel against “the bad guys.”
Then, after three minutes of vague talk about the Middle East, they drifted to China. But even here, the focus felt censured to discourse about tariffs, mostly. No talk of Taiwan, the South China Sea, or the fact that tensions between our two superpowers are hotter than ever.
At the start of the debate, Vance gave a nod to the viewers, admitting that VP debates usually don’t draw a crowd or change poll numbers. He thanked those tuning in for caring about the country.
So was anything gained for those watching who care about the nation's state?
Without a single mention of Russia, sanctions, Ukraine's dire situation, or the U.S. budget for supporting allies, how are viewers supposed to feel? Those who care enough to tune in to see a guy with perfect eyeliner and an ex-football coach sparring on stage deserve more than radio silence on our involvement in a war.
Or maybe there’s just a new rule for TV:
*Don’t say “Ukraine.”