Christmas looks different this year. The weather is average, but that’s about it. These few days before Christmas seem almost surreal, but encouraging.
I like to think of myself as optimistic about the future and I think 2021 will blossom into a better year. As a nation, state and community, we have suffered greatly this year. We have counted cases of coronavirus and deaths in its wake, sad testimony to our condition.
I feel that is why people are looking forward to the Christmas holidays. Especially the many songs that evoke good news and joy that generate hope and camaraderie. It’s something I enjoy about the Christmas holidays, songs that capture a sense of the season and aim for the true meaning of joy.
We have experienced the atmosphere of recent election campaigns which continue to reverberate and test our democracy. A muffled song of chants echoed daily those who rhymed with absurd lyrics, then offered only destruction in their verses. DC’s eerie tones continued throughout the year, pushing shrill resistance with whimsical verses. The Left’s long-standing cantata finally ends with postal applause. Well done, some shouted.
On another sheet of music, the line to the right made promises and created solutions. It was difficult for some to keep up with the measured pace. For example, the song “Warp Speed”. The optimistic harmony moved with a hidden syncope. Scientists knew words would be difficult. A few months of rehearsal passed and, in the end, created a scary chorus of vaccines. Now their deliveries hum a stanza of hope against a background of joy.
The Middle East Peace Accords are also in the top 40 of the reading list. Belligerent countries, at least for the time being, operate to the beat of a different drummer. An astonishing interlude orchestrated by a flamboyant conductor whose personality shows off its timbre. President Trump has more verses and moves from the past four years that are also pretty amazing. In fact, so many odes that it demands an opera worthy of the greatest voices.
Perhaps the greatest lyrics will be those written with Senate virtuoso, Kentucky’s own Mitch McConnell. A lasting melody that has reshaped the federal judiciary for years. President Trump’s tenure, perfectly synchronized with the opportunity of the moment, brings three appointed Supreme Court justices as well as 220 justices, all appointed for life.
Remarkably, the Space Force was another obligation of the President. While it might sound like a ridiculous movie title, the $ 738 billion defense spending bill has officially established the sixth branch of the U.S. military. After hearing about China’s attempt to take over the world, if not space, it seems to be ahead of its time.
Also important are a number of unique wonders that made the difference. Republicans’ tax cuts and the jobs law, a crescendo of big tax code changes that have boosted the US economy. ISIS Caliphate defeated by US-led forces destroying their ability to carry out their reign of terror. Obamacare’s individual tenure penalty has been silenced, allowing healthcare options to become more affordable through the association’s health plans. Generic drugs have become more affordable, and many drug companies have frozen or canceled planned price increases.
It is impossible to know how much more President Trump’s administration could have accomplished had the falsetto voices been reduced in those four years. Their speech, always piercing and filled with baseless gossip and innuendo, will go down in history as one of America’s most controversial moments.
Yes, this year has been difficult. The restrictions, the resistance, an attempt to rewrite history underline a war within our Republic. A war of values and social engineering.
Yes, this Christmas and there is something more important. Many have been looking forward to the day for months, hoping that the sense of the season will change our song and heal us of the vitriolic tone that has so permeated the fabric of our daily lives.
I hope. Start over, renew our commitment, love and be peaceful; it is the cry of the baby Jesus. The symbol of hope for an imperfect world. Aligning ourselves with his song should cheer us on as we head into the New Year.
Can we all hear the melody, can you hear what I hear?
Editor’s Note: The opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the editorial opinion of the Murray Ledger & Times.