It’s not because they have eight children. It’s not because they’re right-wing conservatives. It’s certainly not because they’re Canadian, or because they’re farmers. Or even because they’re anti-LGBTQ. I’m a firm believer that each and every one of us has a God-given right to his/her/their opinion on everything. But these people have done something so incredible, so unbelievable, so unimaginable, that it can only be classified as absolutely, positively, unequivocally STUPID.

And now you’re wondering “Who?” “What?” “Why?” Well, hang on to your hats, because this one really is hard to believe.

Meet the Feenstra family from Canada, who, in their haste to escape the perceived “LGBT ideology” of their formerly beloved country, decided the best place on Earth to live would be the one place that has the most stringent anti-LGBT laws, and where they would feel safe from the “Western influence” . . . the place they have called “the land of opportunity” . . . RUSSIA.

Yes, I said “Russia.”

I honestly don’t know how to feel about this. On the one hand, it’s so bizarre I want to laugh. But it really isn’t funny. This couple, in their misguided belief that their way is the only true way, have consigned their eight innocent children to a life in what can only be described as Hell on Earth.

Emotions aside, suppose we just examine this a little further, without in any way passing judgment on their religious or moral beliefs. Those are strictly personal matters, and as I said, to each his own. But from a purely logical point of view, I have to ask: WHAT HAVE THEY DONE??!!!

They look like a nice, average family, don’t they? Dad (Arend) was a beet farmer in rural Canada, while Mom (Anneesa) has obviously had her hands full caring for their substantial brood of really cute kids. And they’ve carefully raised the children according to their conservative Christian beliefs. Life has been good to them.

Then one day, the kids find out that Mom and Dad are selling the farm and they’re all moving far away . . . really far, halfway around the world to another country where the way of life is different, the laws are different, the people are suspicious of foreigners, and most people don’t even speak English. It seems logical that the older ones will have asked why this is happening, and I have no idea how I, as a parent, would have answered them. “Because life is better there”? “Because we can have more land there”? “Because they don’t allow gay people there”?

Wait . . . WHAT??!!! What was that last one? Oh, yeah . . . that one was the truth. Because Russia does have the most stringent laws against promotion of “deviant” sexual identity, and we need to protect our precious children from the evils of “wokeness” and LGBT’s “corrupting influences.”

Well, if that was their goal, they could not have chosen a better destination (although Hungary is working hard at trying to catch up). In fact, they had received advance assurances from Russian officials that they would be given the help they needed to get established there. And they believed it.

But if they thought life in their new home was going to be paradise, or even easy, well . . . to put it bluntly, their new reality sucked. Big time.

First they found that their new Russian bank account, containing the proceeds of the sale of their Canadian farm, had been frozen as being “suspicious.” Unable to find anyone who spoke English to help them, Anneesa flipped out and went into a rant on YouTube, saying she was “very disappointed in this country at this point . . . I’m ready to jump on a plane and get out of here. We’ve hit the first snag where you have to engage logic in this country and it’s very, very frustrating.” [Will Potter, Daily Mail News, Feb. 22, 2024.]

Wow!

Well, you can just imagine how that went over with the folks in the Kremlin. The details of what followed aren’t readily available, but the video was taken down from their YouTube account, and Arend “shared a groveling apology video where he said their ‘thoughts aren’t always conveyed properly.’” [Id.]

Then a follow-up video was posted on February 11th, in which Arend said their funds were no longer frozen, and that they intend to stay in Russia “for the long haul.”

Further kowtowing ensued, in which Arend went so far as to say:

“Western media for the most part is very biased, corrupt probably. Lots of lies, lots of nonsense being spread around the West about us. We are perfectly happy here, we’re not planning on leaving here, we’re not stuck here, we’re not hostages.” [Id.]

He even went on to encourage others to follow in his footsteps, claiming that officials “make it easy for Americans to move to Russia. Especially large families, Christian farming families, conservative people, and they want them here . . . there’s tons of land and opportunity here.” [Id.]

Ah, yes . . . it seems the good old “workers’ paradise” from the days of Lenin and Stalin has returned to Mother Russia. And it didn’t take long for the propaganda machine to take hold of the Feenstras, did it?

*. *. *

As for the kids, who will no doubt learn Russian fairly quickly, as kids usually do . . . well, the school system will take care of their essential “re-education.” Though I’m not sure what’s going to happen to their earlier Christian religious upbringing. Perhaps they’ll be allowed to join the Young Pioneers instead. What fun!

Желаю удачи, дети: “I wish you luck, kids.” I really do. I’m afraid you’re going to need it.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
2/28/24