UTHRT: HAPPY NEW YEAR 2022!

 Dear Friends, 

Happy New Year 2022!

A year is gone; another year is here. 2021 has been a great year. I learned a great deal, traveled, and grew.

As the year 2020 came to an end, I witnessed U.S. Election Officials announce the arrival of a new tenant in the White House. The Founding Fathers of the United States of America wanted it this way. A presidential election every four years, so no citizen in power could lose his mind and self-impose himself as another King George III, whom they defeated in 1783 after the Revolutionary War.

Yet, on January 6, 2021, a part of the U.S. population was unhappy with the outcome. They felt some of the 2020 Election Officials stole the election from them. So, they used a right guaranteed under the U.S. Constitution and rendered a visit to their representatives at the Capitol. They wanted to make sure their voices were heard. As they marched to the people's house, a no trespassing sign waited for them. Still, they uprooted it and threw it away. They forced their way into the house looking for their representatives.

Sadly, their representatives went into hiding. None of them were willing to talk to the crowd and calm them down. Some have been in the house far too long that power has deafened them. They seem out of touch. They do not even hear their constituents' concerns. They believe the people's house is their home as long as they can afford a donation to buy a seat at the table.

But, despite the status quo of politics in this country, I believe that politics is a battle of ideas. Sometimes we win; sometimes we lose. And the courageous thing to do when we lose is to concede defeat, regroup, and wait for the next elections. Yet, as I learned, one of the most challenging things for humans is to accept the reality that life presents to them. 

Also, I witnessed the invisible enemy that arrived in the country with a tourist visa decided to change its status and become a permanent resident. Despite the vaccine, the disease morphed from Covid-19 to Delta Variant, and now Omicron causing 824,000 deaths in the U.S. The country remains divided between states with mask mandates and vaccine passports and others without such requirements. Both believe they are right when it comes to dealing with the disease. Still, I realized in life, we face many battles, and it is essential to prioritize our battles as we cannot win them all. For now, I adapt to the new life with COVID-19 and hope for the best. 

At the southern border, the border wall builders' contract ended. It was the area of humanitarian border gurus. They promoted the notion of restoring the soul of America and implementing human border policies. People heard their callings. They came by thousands then by millions to seek a better life in America. The border gurus accommodated their rights to seek asylum. Yet, when the Haitians came, they almost had a heart attack. Then they concluded it was too much their kindness could handle. I left the matter to Thomas Sowell, who said, "When people get used to preferential treatment, equal treatment seems like discrimination."  

Finally, in a country that champions free speech, I witnessed a wave of a culture of intolerance in public debates and cancel culture. As citizens shared their opinions, they were branded as "racists" or "sellouts, "Saints," or "Evils." The callers for justice often urged that these citizens be fired from their jobs because they dared to express their views. So, they could watch them die in the name of fairness.

Moreover, despite the end of the election, I witnessed a witch-hunt going on, and nobody seemed to care. Yet, as I knew, witches do not exist. They are the creation of movies, fictional books, and in the mind of accusers. So, let us stand against witch-hunting, as our political opponents are not our enemies, but citizens of the same nation who happen to have a different point of view.

Therefore, I continue to champion free speech and freedom of expression and oppose the cancellation culture. I cannot state nor believe that one side has the monopoly of the truth. The universe gives me two ears to hear both sides and make up my mind. As a result, I agree with Wole Soyinka who said, "The greatest threat to freedom is the absence of criticism."

This year, my travels took me to five states in the U.S.: Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, and North Carolina. On October 1, 2021, I arrived in Nashville to dance to the rhythm of country music. Then, I went underground to the Ruby Falls to see a waterfall. Further, I found Atlanta sitting under clouds of beautiful weather. I climbed to the Stone Rock Mountain and learned that not all artists are angels. I pursued my journey to St Augustine, Savannah, and Charleston, and I loved the architecture and food. Along the way, I stayed in small towns, islands, hung out on beaches, and camped at the Great Smoky Mountains National Parks. At the end of the journey, I felt more in love with this country. So, I promised myself to meet America and set foot in every state if my health and wealth permit it. I realize it would be a pity to let a T.V. anchor or Social Media's posts define the country for me. Thus, it would be my duty to emulate the Founding Fathers' ambitions and cement my citizenship.

I grew in 2021 by pursuing my journey to seek beauty and truth and share them Under the Human Rights Tree www.underthehumanrightstree.org- The journey makes me wiser as I learn from my studies, meetings, and mistakes. Today, I understand better the meaning of Louis Armstrong’s song "What a Wonderful World" than I used to.

The year 2021 ended with its moments of joys and sorrows, C'est la vie. The year 2022 is here. We must embrace it with hope and courage and turn the old pages into new ones. Then, we write our best wishes with the wisdom that life does not promise us a smooth ride into the year. But we will still have valuable experiences and learn from them. Again, I wish you and your loved ones Happy New Year 2022!

Sincerely,

Alpha