2022 was the beginning or the end?

I think we can all agree, 2022 was very eventful. But what you might not have noticed is how many things ended, and how many things began. And our ability to perceive these changes or even acknowledge them has been under fire. It was very confusing.

2022 saw the end of the pandemic. And yet so many places were still enforcing pandemic regulations. And did not allow objections or discussion. 2022 also saw the beginning of the news about radically crazy blood clots caused by the vaccines as documented by morticians. But we weren’t supposed to talk about it because “trust the Science.” But the science that told us to get vaccinated to prevent the spread, turned around and told us the vaccine not only did not prevent transmission, it increased our odds of serious hospitalization.

We saw the end of the suppression of the stories around the 2020 election. But saw the beginning of the editorializing of the same story with a new spin. All the while, the forces at play downplayed the significance of this information. We saw the midterm elections happen on election day and then election week and election month and possibly beyond.

We saw Twitter start advocating for free speech. And saw Twitter admit to ending censorship rules like they had in the past. But the bigger problem overshadowing all of this was, of course, the owner of Twitter.

We saw the Democrats claim victory and loss simultaneously. And we saw Republicans support both populist and non-populist positions.

We saw the anti-gun lobby get their wish list on gun control across the world. And simultaneously saw gun violence from law-breakers increase. We saw prison populations decrease due to claims of racism and laws repealed based on racial disparity. And simultaneously witnessed the increase in crime.

We saw more gun shootings from mentally ill people. And we saw more gun laws which did not prevent the people that shouldn’t have had guns from getting them. We saw kids radicalized and parents jailed. And we saw parents motivated and kids rescued.

Row v Wade was struck down because of central overreach. And we saw the beginning of people requesting the same central control. We saw states enact legislation disallowing abortion at different stages, and we saw states enact legislation allowing abortion at different stages. We saw parents lose their authority over their children in some states. And we saw parents given back their authority over their children in others.

And finally, we saw the start of the invasion of sex and LGBTQ+ into everyday life for every age group and level. And we witnessed the end of the age of innocence. We saw climate change turn into climate emergency. And we saw the recanting of Greta Thunberg’s original outrage.

Throughout this time, we’ve seen each side trying to convince the other of their rightness. One speaks in emotions and absolutes. The other speaks in facts and shades of grey. But the neither side is speaking the same language.

If they spoke the same language, there would have been cohesion and consensus building. Instead, one side required moral purity to the ideology. While the other required an understanding of the facts and ignored emotions.

But there are those that are pullied on the key levers in society, keeping us from having these fruitful discussions. Those in control knowingly or unknowingly used this divide to enact policies that create more fear and distrust and encourage the masses to request more security and safety. Despite George Washington’s warning against asking the government for these – as it always comes the price of individual freedoms.

Join me in 2023 to discuss how all of these things tie together.