If you turn on the TV today, if you look at the headlines in the newspapers, or visit your favorite media on the internet, you will find nothing but bad news. From the death toll of the COVID-19 virus to the riots in major US cities, from the rising antisemitism to the blatant racism, it could drive anyone to depression and even desperation.
For me though, one of the most disturbing trends in the US is highlighted by a new Cato Institute national survey that finds that self-censorship is on the rise. Nearly two-thirds—62%—of Americans say the political climate these days prevents them from saying things they believe because others might take offense.
Many times I find myself in a very delicate place within the current “cancel culture,” and I myself resigned to self-censorship a few times. I learned to keep my mouth shut while living in then-Communist Hungary, and hoped that I would never have to do it again when I defected 40 years ago.
As a child survivor of the Holocaust, and one who lived half of my life under Communist dictatorship, I have seen and experienced it all. When I defected to the US, I chose freedom and democracy over oppression and tyranny. I opted for freedom of speech over censorship. Here I am 40 years later and the past is haunting me. Nevertheless, in spite of the never-before-seen division and seemingly irreconcilable animosity among various groups, I still believe in our country's motto: “E pluribus unum,"“Latin for “out of many, one.”
I believe that common sense will prevail over hatred. I trust that our Democratic institutions will not only survive but flourish. We are not a perfect country but we came out from the Great Depression and World War II and created one of the most prosperous societies ever. We overcame slavery and Jim Crow, though not all racism. We were not the first to send man to space but we landed on the moon first and still have an unparalleled space program. We fought polio and AIDS, and we will conquer COVID-19, too.
One United States Holocaust Memorial Museum visitor recognized that, out of the ashes of the Holocaust, the Jewish people emerged just as the phoenix in ancient Greek mythology. He came to the conclusion that our country has a hopeful future. We also can be better, stronger, and healthier than ever. After his visit to the Museum, he posted this on his Facebook page:
From this visitor’s Facebook post to everybody’s ears!
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