This Thanksgiving, I'm filled with gratitude for the American people's resounding choice of truth, freedom, and common sense in the 2024 election. It's a reaffirmation of the values that drew me to this nation 35 years ago, after leaving Soviet Russia. The recent years have felt like a chilling echo of the USSR, with an overreaching government controlling every facet of life and suppressing dissent. But Americans have declared that enough is enough.
For too long, we've witnessed censorship, a ruling class disdainful of working people, and a two-tiered justice system. This election signifies a return to normalcy, to the America I embraced decades ago.
Flags of the Soviet Union and the United States (iStock)
Truth
My mother's advice during my childhood in the Soviet Union was to question everything presented by the authorities and the media. This skepticism proved invaluable as I grew older and witnessed the stark contrast between socialist propaganda and the reality of empty store shelves and inadequate healthcare. Similarly, the Biden-Harris administration's claims of a secure border clashed with the rising insecurity felt in American cities.
The White House in Washington, D.C., on July 2, 2023. (Celal Gunes/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Freedom
Many Americans, including my friends and family, have concealed their support for President-elect Trump out of fear of reprisal. They endured being labeled with derogatory terms while quietly upholding their beliefs. The fear of wearing a "Make America Great Again" hat is a stark illustration of the climate of intolerance that has prevailed. This era of fear is finally ending.
President-elect Trump arrives to speak during an election night event at the Palm Beach Convention Center on Nov. 6, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Florida. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Common Sense
I applaud President-elect Trump's plans to dismantle the Department of Education, defund schools promoting critical race theory, and protect women's sports. These measures signal a return to reason and a rejection of the ideological excesses that have gripped our nation. The reversal of woke DEI initiatives by major corporations even before Trump's return to office further underscores this shift.
A Thanksgiving meal set on a holiday table. (Adobe Stock)
Like Solzhenitsyn's observation about the Soviet regime, the ruling class in America knew they were peddling falsehoods. Their abrupt policy reversals are a tacit admission of this. Americans have bravely refused to participate in these lies, and for that, I am profoundly grateful this Thanksgiving.
