Letters to the Editor | Feb. 19, 2026

Ukrainian skeleton athlete Vladyslav Heraskevych was disqualified by the International Olympic Committee at the Winter Olympics for wearing a helmet in remembrance of Ukraine’s war dead. He is considered one of the best in this sport and had a good chance of winning a medal.

This patriot summarized things precisely by saying that there are things “more important than medals.” As Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said, “Having courage is worth more than any medal.”

The IOC should be condemned for failing to realize that remembrance is not political propaganda. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha hit the nail on the head by saying that it is “Russians who must be banned, not the commemoration of their victims.”

Leo Iwaskiw, Philadelphia

The Winter Olympics in Italy are spectacular — as always, a world stage celebrating extraordinary human skill and potential — within the realms of good sportsmanship. How inspiring it is to witness the best athletes not only perform but also encourage and congratulate each other, sometimes despite their own personal ambitions as well as disappointments.

Yet, how disheartening that, as the fourth anniversary of the unprovoked invasion of Ukraine approaches, an issue has developed. Ukrainian skeleton competitor Vladyslav Heraskevych has been disqualified from the 2026 Winter Olympics by the International Olympic Committee for refusing to remove his “helmet of memory” with images of athletes who have been tragically killed as a direct result of Russia’s war on his nation — even as American men’s figure skating competitor Maxim Naumov continues to show a picture of his parents who were tragically killed in the plane crash over Washington, D.C., a year ago. What a double standard for these young people grieving heavy losses. Shame on the IOC for its blatantly biased ruling and its failure to honor basic humanity in each one of us.

Christine Fylypovych, Blue Bell

The Vietnam War and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Minneapolis War are forever linked by their utter depravity by three photographs seared in the soul of America.

Saigon Execution. During the Tet Offensive on a Saigon street, a South Vietnamese police chief standing arm’s length from a handcuffed Viet Cong prisoner pulls the trigger. The photo was snapped simultaneously with the gun firing, showing the prisoner’s head beginning to explode.

Napalm Girl. A 9-year-old girl is running naked, with third-degree napalm burns on a third of her body, arms outstretched, mouth wide open, a terrorized look on her face as if she were attacked by some unimaginable horror. Four other children are running in the same direction, one crying, all followed by soldiers strolling behind, seemingly unconcerned.

Lost in America. Liam Conejo Ramos, 5 years old, wears a blue and white bunny hat with a Spider-Man backpack, standing next to a dirty vehicle, looking hopelessly forlorn. A man in black stands directly behind Liam with a hand on his backpack, apparently proud that he captured a hardened criminal.

The pictures encapsulate how both wars are rotten to the core. The Saigon execution and the napalm girl photos helped stir a nation. Liam’s photo and Renee Good’s and Alex Pretti’s executions, along with the courageous Minnesotans, have done the same.

Gary Goldman, Newtown

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