On this Thanksgiving Weekend Ukraine and USA Share Two More Things: Thankfulness and Violent Death Rates

At this time of Thanksgiving in the USA it’s intriguing to reflect on the reasons to give thanks in the USA even as we suffer a rash of mass shootings. Similarly, Ukraine would seem to have little to be thankful for given the war, power supplies under attack, etc. Americans can give thanks for steady power supplies, fresh running water, plentiful heat, and no missiles overhead. Ukrainians can be thankful I suppose just to be winning the war.

One of the most striking things people take away from watching Trek to Bucha is just how thankful Ukrainians are. Most interviewees in the film are thankful to have their family, friends, homes, and country survive. Not all though. The tragedies and atrocities mean that many, many people’s lives will never be the same again. Same for those who have lost loved ones to USA’s ubiquitous gun violence.

As I prepare to kick off Trek to Bucha’s promotional tour in Ukraine in January, I took a look at the #1 issue people understandably bring up when I tell them I’m going back: “Isn’t it dangerous?” To which I reply: “No more than here.”
Bottom line? It is just as likely someone will be killed in the USA by gun violence than in Ukraine from a missile strike. Here are the dismal statistics.

• In the USA there were 19,384 gun murders in 2020 Gun deaths in the U.S.: 10 key questions answered | Pew Research Center. With a population of about 338 million that makes for a rate of 0.00006.
• In Ukraine, the number of civilians killed since the war began in February 2022 through October was about 2,525 in areas which were under Government control. This includes places like Kyiv, Kharkiv, Lviv, and Odesa. With a pre-war population of 43 million this equates to an identical rate of 0.00006 Ukraine: civilian casualty update 10 October 2022 | OHCHR.
• These numbers don’t include the deaths of those in frontline war zones. These places are much worse. For instance, the rate in Bucha at 419 deaths Bucha massacre - Wikipedia and a population of 36,971 is 0.01. 189 times higher.

The difference is that in Ukraine they are Putin’s murders. In the USA, it’s Americans murdering Americans; part of the gun environment we’ve made for ourselves. Ukraine’s situation will hopefully end sooner than later. America’s will likely go on.
One thing to be thankful for in either case is that the chances are slim of being killed this way if you stay out of the war zones. So, in answer to those that wonder if I’m worried or scared to go back to Ukraine the answer is: “Not much”.

I’m thankful to have the opportunity to go back. I look forward to updating the stories with fresh interviews and footage and shooting the sequel: Back to Bucha.

Besides, there’s always a chance I can make a difference and support the cause.

Want to help? Book a screening and/or make a donation.

​Thank You!