In Modern-Day Russia, Singing Gets You Whipped

love Pussy Riot. They don’t cower in the face of oppression (“Cossacks Clobber Pussy,” Feb. 20).

Hearkening back to the darkest days of Czarist Russia, Cossacks were caught whipping the band. Like most, I thought Cossacks were an anachronism. But with President Vladimir Putin at Russia’s helm, the whole nation is positively anachronistic.

Pussy Riot embraces true civil disobedience. Not the type practiced by archcoward Edward Snowden. He could learn something from these courageous women. Oliver Mosier

Astoria

The Sochi Winter Olympics wouldn’t be complete without some of the recently released members of the controversial Russian punk band Pussy Riot getting arrested again.

The only thing Pussy Riot has done wrong is to expose abuses inside Russian prisons and humanrights violations against gays and others, and pointing out the abuses of Putin, who has imposed a widespread censorship and neardictatorial control. Kenneth Zimmerman Huntington Beach, Calif.

Girls are shot in the head in Pakistan for pursuing educational freedom, women are beaten in the streets of Russia for protesting against their government and Kim Jongun has his girlfriend executed in North Korea.

Meanwhile, Democratic politicians in the United States declare there is a war on women in America when running against Republican opponents. This narrative should be challenged every time it’s used.

Frank Asprea

Brooklyn

Putin and those Cossacks sure are brave. They weren’t afraid of those girls at all.

With just 20 or 30 people, they attacked and beat those scary girls while they were singing. I’ll bet there was lots of backslapping and vodka shots and medals passed out in the Kremlin to celebrate this great military victory. John E. Dumary Jr.

Duanesburg