By Jack Brewer

Senator Lindsey Graham put forth a genuine question to Russians living within Putin’s murderous regime. He asked: “Is there a Brutus in Russia? Is there a more successful Colonel Stauffenberg in the Russian military? The only way [the invasion of Ukraine] ends is for somebody in Russia to take [Putin] out.” While this caused a firestorm on Twitter, I — who has his fair share of disagreements with Senator Graham — took no issue with his statements. Though I may not had said it in the same terms, it definitely highlights the double standard and deep bias that exists in the depths of the hearts and minds of millions of people. Millions who support American invasions and wars that were aimed at men that they deemed to be terrorists.

So what is the difference between Putin’s all-out attack on innocent Ukrainians and the sins of the terrorist from Middle East and African countries? I need someone to answer this question with truth.

Many of our most influential leaders and pundits decided to not only attack Senator Graham for his statement but to suggest other congressmen and women needed to condemn Graham’s comments and even force him to resign. While ostensibly irrelevant, this argument is dangerous, as it serves not only as pro-Putin rhetoric, but it also neglects to take into account how the United States has handled dangerous world leaders in our past.

Look no further than how the United States has handled threats to itself and its interests abroad emanating from North Africa and the Middle East. Muammar al-Gaddafi was the leader of Libya from 1969 to 2011. Throughout his time as leader of the North African nation, Libya was filled with corrupt politicians and oligarchs who spread Gaddafi’s cult of personality and strong grip on the country’s citizenry. Additionally, Gaddifi’s authoritarian administration had countless human rights violations and even financed terrorism efforts around the globe. Today, he is considered not only a dead man but a dead terrorist.

In Afghanistan, after over two decades of conflict that ended with a disastrous withdrawal, we now have the return of the Taliban. This organization, at the turn of the century, harbored dangerous terrorist organizations such as al-Qaeda and even gave haven the Osama bin Laden. Today, al-Qaeda is a shell of its former self, and bin Laden’s terrorism spree has ended. But the Taliban remains a terrorist organization running the country of Afghanistan.

In both Libya and, more recently, Afghanistan, the United States was quick to act and support efforts from individuals within those countries in their fight for freedom. Concurrently, the United States also designated both Gaddafi’s regime in Libya and the Taliban in Afghanistan as terrorist organizations.

In my mind, there is a clear connection between the conflict in Ukraine today and the actions of the Taliban or Gaddafi. It’s called human rights violations on your own people and terrorizing other countries with war and oppression. It’s simply unacceptable that the United States has yet to designate Putin as a terrorist after more than 20 years of oppression and wars against innocent people who are seeking democracy.

The Russo-Ukrainian war is still in its early stages, yet we see the Russian army committing atrocities throughout the agrarian nation. As of early March, nearly 2,000 innocent Ukrainian civilians, according to the Ukrainian Emergency Service, have been killed as Putin looks to subjugate this free nation. In addition to attacks on civilians, Secretary of State Antony Blinken suggested recently that there is evidence of more war crimes being committing by the Russian forces, such as attacking Europe’s biggest nuclear power plant in Ukraine that could set off deadly biological side effects decades from today. This act alone would have given most leaders a terrorist designation and a likely bounty being put on their head.

Given all of this, it begs the question: Why has the United States not yet designated a man who has committed atrocities during this war as not only a war criminal but a terrorist? Terrorism, according to Oxford dictionary, is the “unlawful use of violence and intimidation, especially against civilians, in pursuit of political aims.” Putin’s unlawful war, his years-long intimidation of Ukraine via threats against its sovereignty, and his threat to use nuclear weapons against any nation willing to support the Ukrainian people’s struggle for freedom all in pursuit of an expanded Russia fits the definition of terrorism entirely.

It is past time for the United States to designate Vladimir Putin as a terrorist. The United States has done so for many other organizations and individuals throughout the African continent and the Middle East. Neither Putin’s skin color nor his country’s wealth should serve as a deterrent in the pursuit of justice. I believe that this truth was at the core of the comments made by Senator Lindsey Graham.

Let this not be a justification to put American troops on the ground, but an opportunity for the United States to stand up and bravely call out the crimes being committed against the innocent God-fearing people in Ukraine. As thousands gather in Moscow to protest Putin’s terrorist attacks on Ukraine, let this be a message of renewed hope that the world will not continue to coddle this tyrannical leader.

Jack Brewer is a former NFL Great and Commissioner of the Federal Commission of the Social Status of Black Men and Boys.