Putting 2016 In Perspective

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Wednesday December 28, 2016 · 6:00 AM PST

2016/12/28 · 06:00

A longer view can be helpful when dealing with tragedy.

1776 saw Washington chased off Long Island, up Manhattan, across New Jersey, and into Pennsylvania. Fort Washington was lost. Fort Lee was lost. The Continental Congress had to flee Philadelphia. But on Christmas Day, Washington reversed it all with a single, daring move. The Revolution would go on, and we would become a country.

1861 saw the Confederate States of America established before Lincoln even was inaugurated. But Lincoln was inaugurated. His resolute vision over four blood-soaked years ensured that we would remain a country.

1933 sounded what many thought was the death rattle of capitalism. No one knew what country might emerge from the Great Depression. Franklin Roosevelt knew what country should emerge, and he led us to it.

The 1950s and 1960s seemed to herald a smoke-filled reckoning for the vestigial sins of slavery. But Martin Luther King took the anger and used it to start to fulfill the promise of this country.

1962 brought us all to the brink of nuclear war, but the calm, intelligent leadership of John Kennedy saved the country and the world.

2016 looks tragic for this country, now. An aggressive strong-man in Russia continued to destabilize Europe and the Middle East. The Middle East itself became even more of a black hole for human lives and human values. The Chinese became more brazen in the South China Sea while North Korea made advances in nuclear and missile technology. And, yes, the election of Donald Tru …. Oh. Oh, my god; that’s right. I guess I finally had succeeded in blocking that out of my mind for a little while. My god – ….

Never mind.

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