So what do the alleged Russian spy, Anya Kushchenko (aka Anna Chapman), and Independence Day in the USA have in common? Plenty.
Here’s one: Anya (Anna) was publicly arrested, and the news of her plight has by now traveled around the globe. Not only that, but she has and will receive a speedy and fair hearing in court. Try getting arrested for being an American spy in Russia and see how it goes for you. Chances are that, not only will your case never be heard, but you will never be heard… from again.
Here’s another: I doubt that a soul on Earth is concerned that Anya is being tortured, raped, mutilated, beaten to smithereens or in any way mistreated during her stay in a Brooklyn jail cell. No, chances are that she is being fed regular, nutritious meals and treated courteously in every way. The preferred method of treating spies caught in Iran is a public execution, rather than a public trial.
One more: During her stay in the United States, Anya was allowed to travel freely, to conduct business and to speak with anyone she wished. In short, she was given dignity and respect. I’ll wager that there are plenty of folks who came to trust and admire the vivacious and spirited Anna Chapman… and some who are wondering whether they might have inadvertently passed on information that could be used to harm their country.
Come to think of it, If Anya had wanted to, she could even have become a citizen of these United States. She would have been welcomed into the dynamic mix of ideas and ambitions that define and shape us. Moreover, she would have received a guarantee better than any other–the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. But that is a big “if only”, isn’t it?
You see, if the charges against her are accurate, then Anya Kuschenko traded the surreal life of international globe-trotting and fast cash for the life that could have been–the one she truly wanted. It goes like this…
If you can imagine it, you can achieve it; if you can dream it, you can become it.
I know, she’s still young and likely has plenty of years ahead to enjoy her fame and live the life of her Dreams. Chances are that there is going to be a bit of a delay, though, before she regains the freedom to do that–the very freedom that she did her best to sabotage. The very freedom that we, who know its value, will celebrate on July 4th, better know as “Independence Day.”
I’ve enjoyed the light side of the Anna Chapman story–the racy photographs and the spirit of adventure, but I can’t help but think of an American citizen who is right now languishing in a sordid North Korean gulag because he had the audacity to care deeply about the impoverished and starving masses caught up in a brutal system that denies freedom and punishes independence. I’ve no doubt that Aijalon Mahli Gomes would trade cells with Anja Kushchenko in a New York minute.
Then again, Aijalon knows the value of freedom. I don’t think that he would treat her like that.
May God bless you richly and may God continue to bless the United States of America.
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