Editorial: Rarely in our lifetimes have we faced so strong a need to come together

Let's all of us in America - all of us, regardless of the broadcast media we follow or the social behaviors we resent - acknowledge that this is singularly serious.

Serious in a way we have not seen since perhaps the end of World War II.

Vladimir Putin's brazen and unprovoked decision to bring death and destruction to the people of Ukraine threatens the security of all of Europe and indeed the whole world.

And he, as he boasted this week, considers this a good thing.

His stated goal is nothing short of the reconstruction of the former Soviet Union. That makes the Ukraine invasion a problem not just for NATO but for all of the West. For many, Putin's vision invokes images of a renewal of the decades­long Cold War, which of course would be bad enough. But, considering that most of the countries of the former Soviet Union cherish their independence, the natural consequence of Putin's actions could roil the world in years of bloodshed and conflict even more pervasive and disruptive than we've seen so far.

Under such a threat, Americans must realize that this is a time for a kind of consensus we have not been accustomed to in recent years - indeed, that many politicians and private and public interests have actively sought to deter.

We must recognize that all the social and political squabbles that discolor our relationships pale under the specter of what may lie ahead. We must at last stand up for the one concept on which we all agree and whose fundamental outlines are without dispute - the right of a free and peaceful people to thrive unmolested.

If ever there were a time in America for statesmanship rising beyond politics, this is it. If ever there were a time for unity among our people, this is it.

We are faced with the responsibility to acknowledge without dispute that entirely unprovoked acts of aggression must be challenged, and to demonstrate without reservation our commitment to that cause.

Of course, we may argue at times over what form our challenge should take and how our strategy should unfold. To be sure, the path forward is not completely clear. But we must be collaborative in figuring it out and supportive of measures designed to withstand the forces of aggression and expansionism.

Are the actions announced so far by NATO and President Joe Biden enough? Will more be needed? Such questions are, of course, premature. The days and weeks ahead will give us much to consider and evaluate.

But what cannot be left to speculation is our united resolve to support principles that we know resist violence and promote the welfare of individuals and nations.

At the core of our response, we must stand unequivocal on the foundational ideals of our country. Sadly, the people of Ukraine are enduring the immediate suffering, but throughout the free world, and certainly here in America, the threat to our larger values has rarely in our lifetimes been more dire.