The Strength of America’s Republic | Year In Review

Remember, let’s be polite; let’s be respectful, but most of all, let’s be outspoken.

What a year. There is not really one word to describe this year because we practically had a decade’s worth of history packed into 12 months.

Many people in America and certainly the world have experienced tremendous levels of stress, anxiety, sorrow, or just pure shock in the past few months. Hundreds of millions of people have lost someone they loved to the brutality of COVID-19 or were financially decimated by the economic shutdown. So, it is only fitting that we wish for 2021 to be a better year – a time of reconciliation and healing, where all we see are the ashes from this year’s events.

Yet, for all we know, 2021 could be significantly worse. A new COVID-19 variant has been identified in America, millions are still unemployed, and the American government is about to undergo a polarizing presidential transition. Nobody could have predicted the extremities that defined 2020 on December 31rst, 2019, so why should we believe that our present hopes of 2021 are any different?

And in all honesty, there is nothing we can do but be cautiously optimistic. Despite its extreme nature, the year 2020 was a symptom of pre-existing notions of our society – institutional racism, political polarization, and global preparations for a pandemic. While these notions can be debated at great length, the one undeniable truth is that this year has revealed the individualized genius and resilience of the American people.

Millions of people sacrificed their wellbeing to aid those in need during a truly unprecedented pandemic. Although there was strong division, hundreds of thousands of Americans took it upon themselves to work or volunteer as poll workers to ensure a safe and secure voting process. Some politicians handled the pandemic with swift governance and proposed necessary legislation.

There is uncertainty as midnight approaches. We do not know what the future holds or if this nation will go to ruin in the next decade. In truth, there is a greater rationale to be pessimistic than optimistic. However, if America continues its war against moral strife, preserve the wellbeing of their fellow citizen, and makes the effort to uphold its democratic values, then we shall overcome the disaster know as 2020.

Remember, let’s be polite; let’s be respectful, but most of all, let’s be outspoken.