By the way, for those of you who say that the cold war is over and that “everyone knows” what is really going on, consider this recent article in the Naenara. Here are some excerpts from the piece, entitled “U.S Branded as World’s Worse Human Rights Abuser”:

To be seen in the US are such high-sounding and spurious signboards of “liberty,” “democracy” and “civilization.” A scrutiny into its society proves that in the US the socio-political rights and civil rights of the majority of working masses are grossly violated institutionally and the healthy development of the ideological and cultural fields is impeded due to the prevalence of social evils.

Elections in the US are nothing but competitions among the rich.

The “freedom of thinking and free expression of views,” “freedom of speech” and “freedom of demonstration and assembly” much touted by the US are mere facades.

Where does the strife come from anyway? Why do nations and individuals fight, hate and accuse one another? Are any of us really free? Or did Viktor Frankl sum it up when he declared that the final human freedom is the right to choose our own mental attitude in any given circumstance?

Look, I’m not coming from any holier than thou, my country can whip your country, attitude here. What if we could just get down to basics? What if Aijalon Mahli Gomes could go anywhere in the world and declare his own particular brand of faith? And what if you could too? What if any of us could go travel as we please, without concern for our safety, as long as we were willing to maintain a simple standard of decency and respect?

Yes, I think that Aijalon should be free. And I think that you should be free… free to speak your mind, worship in the way that you choose, live where you wish and give the gift that is within you.

What if the whole world were to stop… and listen? What if?