Author Still on Vacation
What is with February 28?
I promised myself that I would keep things light while on vacation. Last week I wrote:
“I glance at the world weary news and relax knowing many competent global states people are working hard to prepare for the new world order.”
All that changed on Saturday.
A Response to the Unprecedented
I am a faithful subscriber to Viktor Kravchuk’s Substack and replied to his post regarding the events at the White House on February 28, 2025. I wrote:
“There is nothing good to say about Trump and his sycophants. They do not deserve our judgement or attention. We will all remember February 28, 2026, and the subsequent consequences. Our work is to hold on to our human integrity and support those who can lead us through these unprecedented times.”
The Fallout
There will be a lot of armchair quarterbacking as we await the fallout from Trump’s military strikes on Iran without prior Congressional authorization. As Trump said, American lives will be lost. We will all remember where we were when we heard the news; I am grateful I was in my cousin’s living room during my visceral reaction.
Looking Ahead
I will be back to work on Thursday to create a thought-provoking post for us to discuss next week. Until then, I will continue to fill my love bucket and hope you do the same, as we are at the mercy of myopic news channels.
From Phoenix, AZ
My Phoenix cousin and I recently fell into an interesting discussion about Bad Bunny’s 2026 Super Bowl LX halftime show. While news reports hailed it as a “transformative phenomenon,” others labeled it a “disgusting cultural affront.” Donald Trump weighed in, calling the performance “terrible” and specifically criticizing the use of Spanish on such a massive stage.
This sent me down one of my signature rabbit holes.
The “Official” Language Debate
Does the U.S. have an official language? The answer changed recently.
While English was the de facto language for government and daily life for centuries, our Founding Fathers intentionally avoided a legal requirement to ensure they didn’t alienate non-English speaking settlers. However, following an Executive Order on March 1, 2025, English was designated as the official language of the United States for federal agencies. Before this federal shift, 31 states had already declared English as their official language. Fascinating!
Resistance Through Language
Part Two of Ona’s Tears is written from my fictional great-grandmother’s point of view during a time when Lithuanians lived under Russian imperialism. Much like the modern debates over language, they were required to speak Russian as part of forced assimilation.
There is an old joke: What makes Lithuanians different from Russians, Poles, and Germans? Lithuanians can speak more than one language. Under the Tsar, Lithuanian books were banned, but “Knygnešiai” (book smugglers) kept the culture alive. You can see the story of the famous smuggler Vincas Juska here.
The Modern “Rabbit Hole”: Why are books banned today?
History repeats itself. According to the American Library Association (ALA)—which has advocated for equitable access to information for over 150 years—the most common justifications for modern censorship include:
False claims of illegal obscenity for minors.
Inclusion of LGBTQIA+ characters or themes.
Discussions of race, equity, and social justice.
Excerpt from Ona’s Tears, Part Two
“Tell me what you know?” I whisper. (Helena asks Antanas)
“The stories I hear are that the railroad across Siberia has hit a problem. Japan has troops that will stop Russia. Nicholas was not ready for this and will be looking to recruit more of us. They do not want to be outnumbered by the Japanese again.”
“But they need our men to work on the Fort.”
“We will not be recruited until the fort is complete. That is all we know.”
Antanas puts his arm around my shoulder and hurries me along. Light snow begins to fall. We catch up with our neighbors and make our way to the meeting house.
Two hours later, we silently walk back to our troba and startle the geese. They shake their bodies in warning, then settle down. They curl their long necks and tuck their fierce beaks under their wings. These guardians protect us while we sleep.
We stomp our boots on the covered stoop and brush the snow off our coats before going inside and hang our coats on the pegs by the door. The books are safely hidden; our girls know the price for having them found in a raid. The chair by the stove is empty. Bobute is sitting on her bed.
“So?” she asks me.
“The Tsar’s men questioned us. They tried to trick us into speaking our tongue, but we know Russian. The Okhrana (Tsar’s secret police) are after the book smugglers. They threatened us to report smugglers or we would join the ‘King of Lithuania’ in prison.”
“Jurgis Bielinis has been arrested five times and is too smart for them. The Okhrana know if they ever sentence him, we will rebel. They are not the first fools to think they can kill our spirit. It is nothing new, Helena.”
“I know, but something is different this time. I feel it in my bones.”
History is a Mirror
Book bans are nothing new. In 212 B.C., the Chinese emperor Shih Huang Ti burned all the books in his kingdom because he believed history should begin with him.
There are some among us today who want to rewrite history in their favor. Some of us will make sure this does not happen.
I would love to read your reaction to this post. Have you ever felt your language was under threat? Is U.S. history being rewritten?
A Note from the Author: While I am away recharging, Ona’s Tears is out in the world and ready for you to discover. If you haven’t yet joined this journey through history and heart, you can find your copy below.
“ there are some of us that want to rewrite history”? But we will not let that happen? We cannot re-write history. America was built on a Christian Judeo dream. The official language is the kings English. To mirror despots as compared to Trump, is your right to say. My ancestors came through Ellis Island. They did not speak English. They learned it and got their citizenship Where there are despots like Iran, Russia, I pray for the people. Our government is so corrupt. We need term limits.God bless us!
Thank you for your thoughtful response, Donna. You just led me down another rabbit hole regarding the Christian Judaeo Dream. The US constitutional first amendment guarantees freedom of religion. God bless America.
This article says it best: https://www.masters.edu/master_tmu_news/the-faith-of-the-founding-fathers/
"The key Founders who were most responsible for the founding documents (Declaration of Independence and Constitution) and who had the most influence were theistic rationalists. They did not intend to create a Christian nation."
My paternal ancestors did not learn English and therefore could not earn US citizenship. They came through the Locust Point as legal aliens.
Re-writing history refers primarily to the revisionist movement of the Trump administration. As a recent historian, I find all this fascinating. I am learning so much and cite my sources for others to explore. It keeps the aging brain sharp!