The Saddest Day in My Life - Essay Example

Download file to see previous pages We were taught to live in righteousness and morality. Even at a young age, I learned the importance of holding fast to one's belief. Even when I am already married and have a family of my own, I am still very closely attached to my family. My brother and I are even teamed up in a small business of importing used cars.
One of my aspirations in life is to help alleviate the abject poverty that my countrymen are experiencing in Ethiopia. Although I can say that my family is living in a good condition, it is my conviction that a successful and meaningful existence can be measured by one's concern for others and the compassion he had shown towards his fellowmen. Each of us has a specific duty on earth. No matter how great or small it may seem to be, it is what we must be committed to pursuing. Life is short and one has to take advantage of that fleeting moment to make a difference.
I was an active member of the Coalition for Unity and Democracy (CUD), a coalition of four existing political parties of Ethiopia which combined to compete for seats in the Ethiopian General Elections. I was a member of the propaganda and awareness division. One of my responsibilities is the distribution of flyers. I actively participated in the national elections for my party by organizing various meetings and training. One of our objectives is to inculcate in the minds of our youths the culture of democracy for them would be aware of their rights and duties as Ethiopian citizens.
Because of my active involvement in CUD, I received much harassment. With the absence of any search warrant, my office was raided by government forces. They took several documents from my possessions and I was accused of different kinds of falsified information. My brother and I, together with some of my colleagues in the party, were arrested and were detained for several days.
For the three days that I was detained, I was interrogated and was told that my business would cease from the operation because it is linked with anti-government bodies. I was told that the only way to straighten the situation is if I denounce my membership in CUD and if I testify against CUD. I was warned that if I refuse to cooperate with them, my business would remain closed. They even threatened that I would suffer the consequences of my unlawful deeds.
After much thought, I decided to agree to their terms in order to save myself for the moment. With that, I was released. I then realized that it would be impossible for me to live peacefully in Ethiopia. I decide at once to leave the country at the earliest possible chance to spare my life. Since I already have a valid US Visa at that time and my wife works for an Ethiopian airline, she was able to book me a flight with an open family ticket. Very shortly, through connection and assistance, I finally managed to exit from Ethiopia. I left on Sunday night of July 10, 2005, and arrived in the United States on July 11, 2005.
I was very sad to be departed from my wife and family but I was forced to by circumstances. My father has also been living in the United States for six years under political asylum because of human rights violation of the current government. I stayed with him while I was processing my own request for asylum. ...Download file to see next pagesRead More