In 2009, I wrote a post about wearing black, in the hope that Goodness might prevail and the World might find Peace. Yet here we are, and nothing has truly changed. If anything, the forces of opposition have grown stronger, louder, and more entrenched. The dream of a more Peaceful World feels even further away.
I wrote that, to become a good leader, the USA would need to admit to its illegal wars, covert operations, and crimes against humanity. Instead of accountability, we see denial, revisionism, and the rewriting of history. How can we expect others to face justice when we refuse to face our own?
I wrote that, to become a good leader, the USA would need to step away from its role as protector of Israel and act as a true mediator in the Middle East. Yet decades later, the imbalance has only widened, and peace remains elusive.
I wrote that, to become a good leader, the USA would need to silence the voices of those who spread lies and hatred. But instead of accountability, disinformation has become a weapon of mass influence, amplified by social media and unchecked by truth. Freedom of speech has been twisted into freedom to deceive.
I wrote that, to become a good leader, the USA would need to rid itself of extremist groups. The religious, political, and ideological factions that claim exclusive rights to freedom while denying it to others. Yet these groups have only grown in power, shaping laws, elections, and public discourse, fueling division rather than unity.
I wrote that, to become a good leader, the USA would need to end its endless wars. But instead of pulling back, new conflicts emerge, new deployments are made, and the cycle of resistance and retaliation continues without end.
I believed once that change was possible. Today, I see a nation still convinced it is above reproach, still clinging to the illusion of dominance rather than embracing the path of peace. And so, I continue to wear Black, not in protest of one leader, but in protest of a system that values World Domination over World Peace.
Perhaps Peace will not come in my lifetime. At eighty-one years of age, the prospects look dim; however, I will not surrender the hope that one day it will. Peace will come because some of us refused to let the Dream die. We held ourselves and each other accountable and dared to believe that Truth and Goodness could still prevail.
Wayne Dale Matthysse