By Thomas Wrenn
HOPE – If you listened to CNBC in 2008 you would swear the sky was falling. Yet somehow Americans for the first time in awhile seem honestly excited about the prospect of change and the idea of a bright future. Using something as nebulous as ‘hope’ might seem a bit cheap. But this country is basically split down the middle between the left and right. Half of those people have been subject to far right failed policies for 8 years. The idea of having their voice heard and the country taken in a better direction has managed to shed a small spot of light in a year that would otherwise be best forgotten quickly.
Fox News and Sheriff Arpaio – It’s hard to say between Fox News and Sheriff Arpaio who is more “down”. My vote is for Arpaio. In a community service position that is usually characterized by humility and a desire to be out of the lime light, he has embraced it and probably embellished the character that Fox News created. We can only hope the spotlight and his own vanity will ultimately be his undoing.
NFL- Commissioner Roger Goodell’s no-nonsense player conduct policy and his insistence that players be held accountable for their actions on and off the field has been a pleasant surprise. Earlier in the season several players were suspended for unknowingly using a banned substance. Intent did not matter to him. Rules are rules. In an America where it is becoming increasingly rare to see people held accountable, Goodell continues to make sure that America’s youth can look up to responsible men and not the likes of Adam “Pacman” Jones.
NCAA Football/Alabama – In contrast with the NFL, the NCAA still does not have a policy requiring teams to interview a minority candidate. In an era of Affirmative Action, the NCAA has done nothing to ensure that more than 3 of the currently 117 Division 1A teams have a minority coach. In a given year, up to 75% of D-1A players are African-American. Less than 3% are coaches. This was highlighted with the recent hiring of a head football coach at Auburn. African-American Turner Gill was by almost all accounts the best candidate and was passed over for a coach with an unambiguously inferior resume. Whatever the motivation or reasons given there is a culture and mindset in this American Institution that needs to be changed so that even the sniff of racism is erased.
Democrats – This “Thumbs Up” comes with a huge ante. With a majority in the Senate and the House and a president that has mobilized millions they have the tools to get things done. The problem is that they have been dealt an epically poor situation. Between the two wars, horrible housing market, celestial budget deficit, and the worst job and money markets in the last century they will have their hands full. Hope is a good thing but expectations are a huge load to bear. How long of a grace period will they have before the masses demand results?
Prop 8 - Well, we’ve done it again. We will look back on this decision and blush just like we do when we see old videos of the National Guard having to escort the Little Rock Nine into Cental High Arkanasas. The sanctity of marriage has long been tarnished by “traditional” marriages, so that argument no longer holds water. If that is their reasoning, the next proposition should be to ban divorce. Insert the rest of the usual argument here. Love of any kind is special. It is both arrogant and completely absent of compassion of those who voted for it to claim and believe that their definition of love and marriage is the only and/or the right one.
US and World Economy – But for different reasons than what you might think. Just about the time it seems that issues that have plagued us for decades are going to be dealt with something else comes up. Once again, education, immigration, social security and health care reform, amongst others, have now been pushed to the back burner. Obviously the most pressing issues are making sure people keep their homes, have jobs, and that the US remains solvent, but there is a good bit of collateral damage that is being done on a handful of issues. What is scary is that in times like these the people that need a voice the most get drowned out the most.