A New Beginning

We are at the start of a New Year. We are also at the beginning of a New Decade. It gives us a chance to assess things we have done in the past and determine how we can do better. Since there is always room for improvement (none of us is perfect), we determine what actions we can take to make us better people. 2020 promises to be a year full of opportunities.

I thought the election of the next President or the re-election of the incumbent would impose challenges but there are bigger fish to fry. The US House of Representatives under the leadership of Speaker Nancy Pelosi voted to impeach President Trump because of his actions in Ukraine to get dirt on the Bidens by holding up almost $400 million in aid that had previously been voted on by Congress to support their war against Russia was seen as bribery of the Ukrainian President. At least it was extortion. We await a Senate trial when the rules are agreed upon by the Speaker and Senator Mitch McConnell, the majority leader in the Senate. Senator McConnell says he has the votes to proceed with the trial but his previous statements that he plans to coordinate with White House lawyers and his desire for a speedy trial without witnesses is troubling to Senators in both parties. Still the smart money says that a Republican majority will not remove President Trump from office regardless of what is revealed in the trial.

As serious as these situations are, they pale in comparison with the circumstances in Iran. I don’t know what provoked President Trump to order the assassination of the Iranian General but it doesn’t make sense to me. Of course I am not the Commander in chief or a military expert and it may turn out to be fine, but something stinks. I only hope it was not a “wag the dog” situation to draw attention from the other serious issues that captured the attention of the American public. Power should not be retained at the price of the loss of life of American servicemen. We just cannot stand another war. We can only hope that calmer heads prevail. Only time will tell.

As we start a new year, even a new decade, it is important they we redouble our efforts to not only be good Americans but to be good human beings. That goes for everybody. We all can improve. Individual acts may not seem to matter but they do. And that goes for everything. The American election and the impeachment of the President may appear to be big things but they affect only Americans. Climate change, peace, even economics issues reach far beyond our borders. These issues may affect other countries or even the world. We have an obligation to do what we can. Recycling, car buying, shopping, trips, voting, TV watching and others are individual acts that may have consequence far beyond what we do. The longest journey begins with one step.

I don’t know what the New Year will bring but it will certainly bring surprises. We can only do our best to change ourselves and commit ourselves to actions consistent with our beliefs. It is the only thing we can control that affects the things that matter to us in the world. Ultimately, I believe we will be held accountable for our own actions and we can make this world a better place. If we all determine that we will be better people in the coming year, in the coming decade, and beyond we will live in an environment that is better for all.