So You Think 2016 Was Bad?

It is almost universally agreed 2016 was a crappy year.

We recently suffered the deaths of Carrie Fisher and her mother, Debbie Reynolds, … only one day apart. This came on top of some really big music legends joining that big “nightshift” in the sky: George Michael, David Bowie, Prince, Glenn Frey, Maurice White, Keith Emerson, Leonard Cohen, Leon Russell and Greg Lake.

Yes, every year sees the names of many music superstars on the “check out” list. But so many, so young, so soon?

In world and national events, you had the following tragedies (in no particular order): Syria, Haiti, Zika, Orlando, Charlotte, Nice, Brussels, and Berlin.

But perhaps the biggest downer for most Americans, and all peace-loving people of the world, was the election of Donald J. Trump as president of the United States.

That the greatest nation on earth … Reagan’s “shining city on a hill,” could elect as their leader an infantile, narcissistic con man is too much for many to bear.

Yet as hard as it may be accepting the fact that a carnival barker was elected president of the United States on November 8^th, it is even scarier facing the reality that this same person will officially be elevated to our nation’s highest office on January 20, 2017.

When Donald J. Trump has the power to actually sign bills into law … bills that the Republican-controlled congress is salivating to get to his desk, that’s when the real scary part begins.

The Affordable Care Act? Fugetaboutit! Social Security and Medicare? Fugetaboutit! Environmental protection? Fugetaboutit! A woman’s right to choose? Fugetaboutit!

Yes, 2016 was a bad year. But 2017 could make crappy 2016 smell like roses in comparison.

It is distressing when, for many people, avoiding nuclear war would be a sign of success for the coming year.

Image | photogiz