What Gov. Kim Reynolds should say in her State of the Union response: The Russian people are not our enemy

Gov. Kim Reynolds tonight will deliver the GOP response to President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address.

Reynolds no doubt was selected by fellow Republicans to tout her conservative achievements on the domestic front. But as Reynolds prepares to address the nation, those issues are obscured by the specter of global war between nuclear powers. The Russian invasion of U.S.-backed Ukraine is the issue of the day.

Reynolds should use her unique platform to speak to the international crisis at hand — pressure Biden to welcome Ukrainians, Russians and all other freedom-seeking people around the world to the United States. Declare that Iowa stands ready to help them.

Reynolds should state unequivocally that America’s beef is with Putin, not with the Russian people.

The attack on Ukraine has already resulted in hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian refugees. Most of them will seek refuge in Europe, but Americans ought to accept any who want to come here.

On the other side of the conflict, a large portion of Russians are opposed to leader Vladimir Putin’s aggression toward the west. They too should be met with open arms. In particular, taking in defectors with special expertise would undermine the Russian regime by siphoning off talent.

Reynolds should state unequivocally that America’s beef is with Putin, not with the Russian people.

That should be obvious but apparently it is not. California U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell — an Iowa native who briefly ran for the Democratic presidential nomination last cycle — last week on CNN said the U.S. should consider “kicking every Russian student out of the United States.”

Take a moment to think through how unthinkably foolish that would be — we would take promising young people who clearly have some affinity for the U.S. by virtue of their choosing to be here, and squander the educational resources we have invested by sending them away to a hostile power. That’s no way to win World War III.

The governor risks getting caught up in the same fervor. She announced on Monday that she is directing state alcohol regulators to halt distribution of Russian vodka and calling to end Iowa’s sister state relationship with Stavropol Krai, Russia.

Reynolds’ experience with foreign policy is limited, as you would expect for a county treasurer turned executive of a landlocked state. She would be wise to look to one of her GOP forefathers for cues on how to address the current international crisis.

Former Iowa Gov. Bob Ray in the 1970s led a national effort to resettle refugees from the Vietnam War, working with presidents and governors from both parties. He became a national spokesman for resettlement and astutely recognized that offering refugee assistance was not only the humanitarian thing to do, it was a boon for our economy and culture.

“These people have become productive, contributing members of our society, paying taxes and earning their own way,” Ray told Congress in 1979. Lord knows Iowa could use some more of those now.

With the world facing another moment of grave strife and uncertainty, America needs another Iowa governor to deliver this important message: Our country is open to all who strive for peace and freedom.

(319) 339-3156; adam.sullivan@thegazette.com