Putin, Russian Federation are enemies of freedom and must be stopped

INDIANAPOLIS – The column below was released today by State Rep. Dan Forestal (D-Indianapolis) and submitted for publication:

In past years, Indiana lawmakers have put aside partisan differences to make bold policy statements against countries that have made violations of human rights among the cornerstones of their existence.

Our tool of choice has been to refuse to invest any taxpayer funds with any company that does business with these repressive regimes. More specifically, we will not use the hard-earned pension funds of Hoosier public employees and teachers to invest in these countries.

We have acted in this manner against the countries of Iran and Sudan. We have even taken steps against those businesses that choose to boycott Israel.

Why, then, are we choosing not to take the same actions against The Russian Federation?

By any standard that you care to offer, the government of gangsters and thieves run by Vladimir Putin ranks among the worst this world has to offer.

Take the forced takeover of Crimea, which has resulted in the deaths of more than 10,000 people. Or the growing awareness that Putin’s agents took an active role in the 2016 presidential election. Or even the fact that the gangsters who work for the Federation work constantly to undermine the good works of people across this globe, all for their own self-preservation.

Clearly, these thugs are enemies of freedom. Their existence is drenched in the blood and ruin of millions and millions of innocent lives. They are an affront to humanity, and they must be stopped.

So, on Thursday (March 23), an amendment was offered by Indiana House Democrats that would have required our state to divest any pension interests from companies that have active business operations or investments in strategic industries with the Russian Federation or any territory currently occupied by the Federation.

We have the means to strike back. It is not a symbolic gesture, but rather a chance to avoid a monumentally bad investment for our retirees.

Yet the House Republicans who control our chamber said no. By a 57-27 vote, they rejected our proposal. Not a single House Republican agreed that something should be done.

This was not designed to be a partisan issue. It was offered as a chance to stand as Americans and tell a gang waging an undeclared war on our country that we will not stand for their tyranny.

What a shame that the House Republicans felt otherwise.