20 Memorable Events of 2022 part 2

Let's continue with our last 10 memorable events of 2022! At first, I wanted to included all 20 events in a post. But then, I thought it would be greater if I split into two parts so that the readers can have more time to think about those events that I have listed. Like I shared in the previous post "What a year!", 2022 shaped and changed the lives of so many people. Of course, it is. With all the crisis happening, it is very hard to consider this year a good year. In this list, I will remind you the rest of 20 memorable events that I think many of them are desperate.

10. Iran Protest.

When I read news about what is happening in Iran, I could not imagine what people of Iran is going through. From the economic crisis to imposition of Islamic law. From lack of freedom to violation of women's rights. And it goes on and on. The people of Iran has to speak up. It is normal because if the people of a country are frustrating of their government, they must stand up and speak their minds. But with countries like Iran or communist countries like China, freedom of speech or protest is something very luxury and far to reach. If there is a protest, police will be there and use violent to stop the protestors. Iran is not an exception. People are too tired of the corrupted political machine that doesn't care about the lives of its people. The protest must happen and blood must be shed. The climax of the protest has to be the killing of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old girl who was arrested for not wearing hijab in public. The Law Enforcement Command of the Islamic Republic of Iran said that Amini had a heart attack at the police station and that was the cause of her death. But eyewitnesses said she was beaten badly by the police, which killed her. However, the Iranian authorities denied it. Then, many Iranian women expressed their angers by cutting off their hair and not wearing hijab. There is definitely no word can describe what happens in Iran right now. It will not stop until there is a solution and even if there is a solution, how can it help to rebuild the whole nation when the trust of Iranian people had lost?

9. Trump's Tax Return and Mar-A-Lago Raid.

Not a good year for Former President Donald Trump. On August 8th, On there were 30 federal agents executed a search warrant made by Attorney General Merrick Garland at Mar-a-Lago, the Florida home of Trump. It was an unprecedented action. The purpose of the raid was due to three federal criminal statutes:

• Improper retention of national security information;

• Destruction or concealment of data

• Illegal removal or destruction of federal government records

The investigation is still on going and we can hope they find out something worth for the raid they made. But the storm was still coming for Trump this year when the House released his tax return. Well, it is not really surprise because the topic of Trump tax return has been discussed for so many time before and it didn't go anywhere. But for some reasons, the House pulled out the Ace on Trump by releasing his tax return publicly. The record showed that Trump paid less income taxes over six years when he made a lot of money. That was an act of lying and corruption. Anything involved in money must be clear and honest. There was a sense of suspicious here. Well, we will let the federal do their jobs and see how long Trump can deny his actions.

8. Elon Musk Bought Twitter.

Chief Twit, Elon Musk, purchased the most influence social media for $44 billion on October 28th. Then, there was a great purge inside Twitter when he fired from the top executives to employees. Under the new control of Musk, Twitter has already pissed off many users. The hate tweets spread on this platform without censoring. Users with blue check must pay $8 per month to keep on with their check mark. The Twitter deal has splitted into half. One side, which is his fans and his followers, agreed with Musk because he promised to change Twitter heading to the freedom of speech. Other side disagreed with what Musk is doing right now because Twitter was fine before Musk stepped in. Looking at Twitter recently, people can understand that Musk doesn't have any specific plan for it. In a recent tweet of Musk, he asked the users if he should step away from Twitter and the result was that people thought he should step down. We'll see about that.

7. Avatar: The Way of Water Passes $1 billion.

Director James Cameron has a comeback that cannot be more persuasive. Avatar: The Way of Water is the most participated movie of 2022 after 13 years since the first one was released. The second part of Avatar continued to explore the life of the Na'vi and their approach with humans. Technically, if there are more Avatar movies, I believe that the story will be the same. But what makes Avatar unique is the visual effect and the production design. I must say James Cameron had invested his passion and his creativity into Avatar a lot so that the audience like me can enjoy a colorful picture of Avatar. Cameron always went ahead of time with the newest way of making movie as well as the updating on quality of his movies. There is no doubt that Avatar: The Way of Water passes $1 billion in only a few weeks after its release. With this positive slope at the box office, Avatar can have more parts and audience will continue to have the best cinema experience ever under the hands of James Cameron.

6. Beloved Celebrities and Icons Passed Away.

Recently, we said goodbye to a soccer legendary Pele and in the same day, we farewelled to Vivienne Westwood, an iconic fashion designer. Earlier this December, we were so shocked at the death of Stephen "tWitch" Boss, a beloved dancer. He committed suicide. We lost Angela Lansbury, British legendary actress; musician and actor Michael Lee Aday (aka Meat Loaf); legendary actor Sidney Poitier, who was the first African American won the Oscar for Best Actor; trailblazing TV icon, Barbara Walters; fashion designer Thierry Mugler; comedian Bob Saget, who was most memorable for his role in Full House; comedian Louie Anderson; actress Olivia Newton-Jones; actor William Hurt; actor Ray Liotta; rapper Artis Leon Ivey Jr. (aka Coolio); actor Robbie Coltrane; singer Loretta Lynn; actor Leslie Jordan, rapper Kirsnick Khari Ball (aka Takeoff), Days of Our Lives actor John Aniston; and former Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo, who was assassinated on July. There are many other celebrities and icons that we lost this year. They maybe not with us anymore. But their legacies still live on. May they rest in peace.

5. Roe v. Wade Overturned.

This event got the attention of everyone, not only in America but also the world. On June 24th, the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade after 50 years. With that, many states finally made abortion illegal and if there is anyone get abortion, they will be prosecuted. The overturn of Roe v. Wade is like a step-back in the American Democracy. Only 50 years ago, the Supreme Court made a historical decision to legalize abortion, which did not violate the Due Process of the 14th Amendment. You see, at that time, Justices had gone ahead of time and had an open mind on the right of every woman. My body, my choice. Now, the decision sent the society back in time where the role of women is zero. This overturn also means rape and sexual harassment are being legalized. From now on, if a girl or woman is raped and get pregnant, their lives will be ended there. Period. Women must have the right to do anything they want, they should have the freedom to make choice without anyone telling them what to do, they should own their bodies without any law imposing on them, and they deserve to have the future of theirs. Ban abortion but healthcare does not change a bit. Many single moms out there are struggling with their lives and no one's there to help them. Is it the equality that they are talking about? I don't think so. The overturn of Roe v. Wade is definitely a wrong move in our justice system

4. Inflation.

The Biden Administration is always being asked about inflation which I think it is Biden's weakness as the president. He became the president at the time Covid still hit hard and after Covid, things could not be back to normal right away. There are still many things need to work on. But inflation should be the number one priority in the U.S. and yet, Biden still ignored it. What a shame! I bet he doesn't need to go to the supermarket to buy food, or get some gas, or buy infant formula, or pay the rent. Price is rising high like a tidal wave. Many people need to cut off their spending. And remember this, many people lost their jobs due to the Covid-19 and they are still recovering by starting a new job. Suddenly, inflation hits hard and they struggle again. The government blames other factors that led to the inflation but to be honest, it is the problem within a country and they should put inflation as the number one priority and fix it. But no. They want to use money which is people's tax money to fund for other useless things. People suffer a lot now. So, yeah. Enough said.

3. Uvalde School shooting

Now, it comes to the hard part of this list. This is the most tragic event in the U.S. of 2022. The mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas killed 21 people, including 18 children and 2 adults. It always broke my heart when I think about that event. 18 innocent children were killed. They were still children and knew nothing about lives. They had their futures in front them and now, they forever stayed at that age. Their families could never see them again, and watch them grow up. It was so painful. But what annoyed me more was the action of police at that time. Police didn't act immediately by getting in to stop the shooter. Instead, they waited and when things were all said and done, the victims died. Meanwhile, many parents were frustrated and worried so they wanted to raid in to save their children. But the police stopped them. Unbelievable. The Uvalde Shooting was another example of gun violence, which has been a problem that gets no solution. Guns are one of the biggest issues of the nation. 2nd Amendment states that “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed." This clearly states that Americans are born with the right to own guns, and the government cannot control this right. Indeed, gun violence is not something new to America nowadays. The tragedies caused by guns is rising high like a tidal wave and it has no sign of going down soon. But the government and the legislatures have not done anything to prevent another massacre tragedy to happen again. When the bloody shootings occurred again and again, the victims’ families usually received the consolation, the prayer, and the mourning. That is not what they want. What they need is a specific law that can stop the gun violence, which has been a divisive topic not only in American society but also in its legislative circles. American had taken so much sorrow and tears. Politicians always say that they will change the gun law but actually, they do nothing about it. Do Americans have to wait for other tragedies so that they can change the gun law? May the souls of 18 children and 2 teachers rest in peace. You will be forever missed.

2. The World Population Reached 8 Billion

On the morning of November 15, UNFPA (United Nations Population Fund) announced that the world has officially reached 8 billion people, 15 years earlier than expected. Accordingly, the girl born in Tondo, Manila (Philippines) is recorded as the 8 billionth person in the world. Venice Mabansag in Delpan, Tondo was born vaginally at Dr. Jose Fabella Memorial in the early morning of November 15. 12 years ago, the world's population only touched 7 billion people, we expect this number to increase to 8 billion by 2037. The global population is growing at its slowest rate since 1950, falling below 1% by 2020. The world reaching this milestone is a story of success. We have reduced poverty and made great progress in health care. This is also the clearest evidence for breakthroughs in science and technology, improvements in nutrition, public health and environmental sanitation. Besides, one of the good signs is that the average life expectancy continues to increase. This shows that quality of life, as well as health care policies have improved. Furthermore, in many developing countries, the share of the population of working age (between 25 and 64 years old) is increasing. The large population size means a large scale of human resources, creating favorable conditions for the division of social labor, creating a large and strong workforce. This is also a premise to promote socio-economic development. On the international level, the population of 8 billion people puts considerable pressure on the environment and ecosystems, leading to the risk of depleting natural resources, affecting food security and water security. Looking back at the changes in the world in the past 2022, it is not difficult to realize that humanity is facing the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, armed conflicts, climate change, and environmental pollution. school… All threaten the global sustainable development goals and create new crises in food, energy and finance.

Honorable mentions

• Xi Jinping was re-elected as General Secretary of the Communist Party of China for the third term.

• Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan.

• Will Smith slapped Chris Rock at the Academy Award.

• Nikolas Cruz sentenced to life

• China Zero Covid policy broke.

• Vinfast from Vietnam came to the U.S.

• $1 trillion in Student Debt Cancellation.

1. Russia - Ukraine War

Ok, there is no other events bigger than the Russia - Ukraine War, which changed the world forever. The night of February 24th in the U.S which was the early morning of February 25th in Ukraine, the invasion of Russia had begun. The siren had wailed in around the capital and people were desperate to leave the country or stay in the bomb shelter. Horrible scenes from the explosion were being streamed everywhere. My heart is throbbed after I read the news. For the whole night, I could not sleep a bit because I was worried about the potential of the third world war which to me I believe would be worse than WWII. After all, it can be about nuclear war. My thoughts and my prayers are for the people of Ukraine and Russia. Let’s pray together for peace and give it a chance. Invading other countries is unforgivable and in the end, normally, whoever invades a country will never have a good ending. Karma is always there for them. Remembering Hitler, one of the worst dictators of all time, had a desire to conquer the world, wanted to prove that he was the best and no one could be over him. He killed millions of Jews, he created fear and horror for everyone in the war, he was the architect of WWII, and many innocent people had died because of Hitler. The ending of that notorious dictator, well, was killing himself; put a period to a desire to conquer the world of Hitler. Now, in the modern-day, the world is having a new Hitler, or another way to say, a descendant of Hitler. Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia. A man with an iron heart, a man who leads Russia into a big nation after the fall of the Soviet Union, a man who has helped pull Russia out of the mud, and a man who has a big brain. Now, he is being nailed as Hitler for invading Ukraine. Funny how people think of him like that when they don’t understand him a bit or live in his shoes. Not until the day he ordered the special operation in Ukraine did people call him a dictator, in the eyes of the Western countries, Putin has been that kind of person. A cruel leader with nothing with an evil heart. The president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, started as a comedian. A comedian runs the country? Something is not right here. He doesn’t have any experience in politics. Oh, wait, actually he has. But from playing a president in a movie. Until right now, I don’t understand why people in Ukraine could vote for him as their leader. President Zelenskyy decided not to leave the country to stay with people and soldiers, which is a very proud thing. But what did he do to help the situation in his country? No idea. He is waiting for the help of other nations and asking for their money to fund the military. Is it good? I don't know because I think a nation that doesn't stand on their own feet will never have freedom. The reason for the invasion of Russia in Ukraine is starting from the worry of Russia when Ukraine wanted to join NATO that NATO will threaten Russia. Now, after the Soviet Union was over, many countries which were under the control of the Soviet Union began to join the freedom world. Many of those countries had joined NATO and NATO wanted to expand to the East. Ukraine wanted to join but Russia did not allow Ukraine to do so because Russia is afraid that if Ukraine joins, Russia would be pushed to the wall and be isolated. Besides, Ukraine wants to forget the past and bury the past six feet under. The war is still going on and there is no sign of stopping.

The invasion of Russia has raised many outrages. People around the world are standing up with Ukraine right now. That is a great thing to do. My heart is going to every Ukrainian, not the government because I believe they have done nothing to help people over there. Let’s hope this is going to end soon. But there is one thing that makes me feel a little bit sad and annoyed. As you can see, right after the invasion of Russia in Ukraine, the whole world came together to criticize Russia and plan to have sanctions on that country. Everything they did was so quick without any consideration. The United Nations also had an important meeting with every country. I asked myself a question. Why did they do everything so quickly like that? Is that because they were scared? Remember back many years ago, the U.S brought the troops to Iraq and invaded that country under the administration of George W. Bush, why did no one say anything at all? That meaningless war had caused many innocent lives including Iraqi and American. Such a tragedy. My heart is going to the family of every fallen soldier and may their souls Rest In Peace.

Recently, when Israel invaded Belarus, the United Nation did not put any sanctions on Israel. It began to create an unfair treatment with other countries where they used to be in the same situation. It is always a wrong thing when invading other countries because they have violated the independence that they have. But it doesn’t mean other countries just stand there and fold hands without doing anything.

Only if the United Nations or NATO have done something to prevent this war before it’s too late. Like I said above, only civilians are the forces suffering the pains of war.

Russia is such a big country with many good sources. Now putting sanctions on Russia cannot help anything, to be honest. It only creates the worst-case scenario that gas will disappear and the world will suffer. Bad for Russia. Yes, because its economy will go down. But good with the world. No, because they still depend on the sources of Russia, especially gas which helps the whole of Europe to heat up during the cold times. With U.S citizens, the gas price right now is getting higher than ever. Beginning with $5 per gallon. Oh my God, it is so horrible. Besides, the inflation in the U.S right is yet to fix. Under the administration of Joe Biden, things seem to turn worse than ever. Dealing with Russia, they only know one thing is punishment not seeing clearly what is the best punishment for Russia. Thinking about this, Putin used to be a spy before he became a president. Every move of him will remain secret and there’s no way that people can understand what the hell he is planning. It is all in his hands right now. Putin even ignores the sanctions and does not treat it as a problem at all. Why? He has prepared for this case already.

I may want to suggest a solution for this “matrix”. Putting Russia inside the negotiation table and working with a deal with Russia. They can discuss the best solution for both sides in order for Russia to pull the troops out of Ukraine and end the sanction. On the side of Ukraine, ask them what they really want. If they want to join NATO, they have to make sure that they don’t threaten Russia with any kind of weapon from the West and they have to maintain the peace between Russia and the world like Kissinger had said. If they want to stay with Russia, Russia must be responsible for providing Ukraine what they want and helping them to develop the nation because at this moment, the position of Ukraine is not good and nothing here is growing up. They still depend on other countries and wait for help. It sounds so easy with my plan but to take any action on this plan, well, perhaps will be a long journey. Only if they know the meaning of peace.

I said that because they don’t have any solution towards peace. All they think about is this big fat world and a chance of the Third World War. Both sides want to show their powers, their arrogance, their pride, their strength, and neither side wants to settle this problem. It’s such a shame and a tragedy that even if William Shakespeare was still alive, he wouldn’t have a more tragic play than this reality. My mind keeps thinking about the recent situation and it takes me time to write this essay. The whole essay is my opinion. I write what I think. I don’t stand on either side of Ukraine or Russia. I stand with what is right and I stand with the people. Civilians in any country before the war, during the war, and after the war should deserve to have a better life, to live in a peaceful world, to receive prosperity, and to be happy.

The wartime has gone far behind us. Our father had fought bravely for us to have peacetime. None of them wants another war to happen. The horror of war is more tragic than what any of us nowadays can imagine. Don’t let it happen! Don’t let any innocent people suffer! Don’t let any child go to battle without going back home! It has to be stopped immediately one way or another.

To end, I want to quote a saying from Martin Luther King. “Darkness cannot drive out darkness. Only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate. Only love can do that.” It is enough to summarize everything now, right?

What do you think about those 20 memorable events of 2022? Too much isn't it? Well, it is what it is. I hope when we are in 2023, things will be better. See you in the final post of 2022.