Guest Contribution of 2020 Year in Review - A Year To Never Repeat



At the end of every year, we offer our Year in Review with Part I being posted later today. The following review was submitted by one of our contributors. 

By Steven M. Lee | 

The year began with President Trump’s impeachment for obstruction of justice and abuse of power. Despite the damning evidence, the GOP-led Senate voted (with one exception, thank you Mitt) along party lines despite each of the senators taking an oath to defend the constitution against all enemies foreign and domestic. The fact of the party-line vote clearly established elected GOPs voted for self-preservation over democracy and upholding the constitution. Truly pathetic. 

It’s hard to believe the news got worse, but it did. The World Health Organization labeled the coronavirus a “pandemic” in March. As a result, the stock market went into free fall over the next several months, including the worst one-day fall in history, almost 3,000 points in April. The loss was greater than Black Monday in 1929. By late December over 330,000 Americans had died from the virus and it was raging so badly, bodies were placed in refrigerated trailers as morgues were filled to capacity. Over 60 million cases were reported worldwide by mid-November.

Sports as we knew them, changed drastically. The Olympics and the NCAA basketball tournament were suspended; the MLB season was reduced to 60 games played with no fans. Football was a dumpster fire.

The worst wildfires in history hit California at one point resulting in Sacramento having the worst air quality in the world. Over 4% of the state burned down. The government’s position that global warming and climate change were an unsubstantiated theory fueled dismay by reasonable people.

The killing of unarmed minorities such as Breonna Taylor and George Floyd by police led to national and international upheaval by thousands who rallied in protests against police brutality and promoted the Black Lives Matter contingency into civil rights history.

President Trump continued to divide America with his draconian rhetoric during his campaign, holding rallies exposing thousands to the virus promoting no safeguards.

Thankfully, he was defeated soundly in the election, nevertheless, refusing to admit defeat making himself and the US look ridiculous to the rest of the world.

Our heroes were indisputably the health care workers who constantly and tirelessly put their own health and lives at risk to care for the ill and dying. They were truly saints.

Those we lost in 2020 were notable; Kobe Bryant, Don Shula, Carl Reiner, Alex Trebek, Sean Connery and Chuck Yeager. Personally, I contemplate the loss of a few of those who shaped who I am, scary as that may sound; Bob Gibson, Whitey Ford, Al Kaline, Leslie West (more cowbell), and especially John Lewis and Ruth Ginsberg. May they all rest in peace.

Let’s all hope for a healthy, prosperous and happy 2021. We all deserve it.


Follow us on Twitter @ElkGroveNews
Copyright by Elk Grove News © 2020. All right reserved.



 







Related

Opinion 2740506894381663418

Post a Comment Default Comments

Follow Us

Popular

Archives

Elk Grove News Minute






All previous Elk Grove News Minutes, interviews, and Dan Schmitt's Ya' Gotta be Schmittin' Me podcasts are now available on iTunes

Elk Grove News Podcast




item