I don’t like Putin. The Russian legal system is suspect. The Russian Orthodox Church is way too cozy with the Kremlin. Human rights really are in jeopardy. The two year sentence of Pussy Riot performers is far too harsh. But if some masked rap/rock troupe invaded the Holy Eucharist at the Washington National Cathedral, interrupting worship to chant and dance against the president (regardless of party), I, and presumably you, would be horrified at such a desecration of holy time and holy space. Tried and convicted within minutes by television and talk radio, harsh penalties would be demanded and expected. And if some other country attempted to instruct us on our shortcomings, it would be met with a bellicose response.
I don’t think we need to worry about it. The American way to invade holy time and holy space is with a gun, and it’s usually not about politics, but about some personal grievance. We quickly label the invader as crazy and wonder why we don’t do something about crazy people. The idea that we might do something pragmatic and sensible about gun control is verboten. We can’t even talk about it without the gun lobby going ballistic (so to speak) about the only part of the Constitution that means anything to them, and the gun toting public demanding to carry more guns wherever and whenever they want, even into holy time and holy space. But I digress.
Shame on those Russians.