It’s Been a Year
2020 will no doubt be remembered as the year that lasted a decade.
As we come to the end of the year, it seems like it’s been far longer than just a year, mainly because so much happened. As much as I pay attention to the news, I actually had to go back and look to remind myself of all that transpired.
January: The year opened up with a US airstrike in Iraq, on January 3rd, that killed an Iranian Revolutionary Guards General, Qasem Soleimani. There was quite a bit of concern that this strike would lead to a broader war with Iran, but after a single missile attack on a U.S. military base in Iraq, that resulted in injuries to U.S. troops but no deaths, and the situation seemed to calm down.
Also in January, the World Health Organization announced that a new, highly-contagious, and deadly coronavirus had emerged in Wuhan, China.
February: On February 5th, the US Senate, as expected, acquitted President Donald Trump in his impeachment trial that resulted from his attempt to coerce the government of Ukraine to conduct a baseless investigation into former Vice President Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, in an attempt to discredit someone who Trump believed to be the front-runner to oppose him.
March: As the COVID-19 pandemic spread around the world and in the U.S., and countries and U.S. states imposed lockdowns, the economy rapidly contracted and the stock market crashed, with the Dow Jones suffering its largest one-day drop ever, over 2000 points, on March 9th.
June — August: Inflamed by police killings of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor, cities across the US, including Dallas, were engulfed in massive, mostly peaceful but sometimes violent demonstrations demanding an end to police violence and racial injustice. And even as protestors marched against police violence, we watched in horror as the police, and sometimes Federal officers and National Guard troops, attacked Americans exercising their 1A rights with tear gas, rubber bullets, pepper spray, and batons.
June: Former Vice President Joe Biden came from far behind a crowded field to clinch the Democratic nomination for President. I’m sure we all remember that wild night in Dallas on March 2nd when then-candidate Biden shared the stage with Senator Amy Klobuchar, Pete Buttigieg, and Beto O’Rourke, then went on to win Texas decisively after sharing dinner at a Dallas Whataburger with Beto.
August: He said he would select a woman for his running mate, and most of us were thrilled when Joe Biden selected a woman of color, Senator Kamala Harris, as his running mate.
September: Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg passed away on September 8th.
October: Surprising no one, after dozens of maskless rallies, Trump tests positive for COVID-19 on October 2nd, and spends a week in the hospital before recovering. Also surprising no one, he continued to spout his COVID denying nonsense even after many of the White House staff and other Republican officials tested positive after several maskless events at the White House.
November: The absolute best news of the year was when we learned that former Vice President Joe Biden was elected to be the 46th President of the United States, and California Senator Kamala Harris would become our first woman, and woman of color, Vice President.
December: And the second-best news of 2020 was when COVID-19 vaccines were approved and started shipping, with people receiving the vaccination starting on December 21st.
Oh, and there were murder hornets. Don’t forget about the murder hornets.
Happy New Year to all, and let’s all look forward to a 2021 with 95% less Trump than 2020!
