What can we say about the year 2011? Was it another one of those knock off years or was it, one of those really silly crabby cake years, where the beefcake went wild and rampant? Perhaps, its just another one of those dull moments in time, where things are just rampant as they can be?
Politics for sure, was a strange player in 2011. The Republican Party seems to have taken their fight from the Democrats and tore into America along the way – dragging it on its heals verge of collapse. They held a President at bay and cooked up bully tactics to sway the Democrats off course and held a nation hostage.
The Bank and Mortgage crisis took America by storm and failed – before, going overboard in crisis. In the end, nobody won a damn thing in the battle against the big banks and the mortgage companies, they falsified everyone’s documents for their own financial gain and profit & recourse, ultimately – they failed to return America their money that was loaned to them.
Even though, the United States Government had to bail them out on money loans and now, America is finding out they stole taxpayer dollars to finance their own agendas in the long run and still profited from the loan as well – their own executives racked up high paying salaries that outraged not only the consumer, but, also the government, congress and watchdog groups around the world.
They became the greedy, scrooges and “Mr. Potter types” (a character from, the Jimmy Stewart movie, “It’s a Wonderful Life”).
I never really understood 2011 to begin with, but toward the end, when American troops were called home from war, America was brighter, than, she could shine, during the Christmas holidays – just in the nick of time, I must say.
So? What was one of the craziest things to happen in 2011? For starters, I’ll say this – The “Occupy” protests have opened an lot of eyes and ears, but their tactics is just unruly called for and their actions are unjustified. A friend had joined them and he found out they were complete idiots – I sensed the same thing myself.
Eugene’s Occupy group was nothing, but, a core model group, that never really never really went tactical with police, it somehow got the city government involved to support their movement and give them leeway and space. They bitterly or should, I say – the city literally kissed their fanny bottom dollar into stupidity of letting them camp illegally, until one man was killed in a fight at the Washington and Jefferson Street Bridge Park.
The encampment, has since been torn down and the mess is in process of being cleaned up – but, the large formation of protestors hasn’t been seen, since the city stumped down its foot and declared “eviction” from the WJSBP campsite.
Where have they gone? I don’t know? Rumor has it they’ve been taken in by those who support the movement, others say, they moved on to more important things, like join their foes in larger cities with larger movements and more critical tactics.
Several Occupy protestors here recently, stormed a city councilman’s home during the Christmas holiday’s to protest their stupidity of his vote to not let the movement stay at the WSJBP encampment – the police ultimately came in force and took them to jail on a variety of charges.
They were released from jail and have all since plead not guilty, meaning crapoon tactics could hit the courts as well…, swell, if they go to trial over their actions of free speech and whatever else, it could spell a headache for the court and the presiding judge on the case.
The Occupy movement certainly was a strange and brittle movement of 2011 – I’m hoping, it doesn’t continue into 2012 and the protestors move onward to something beneficial and practical in nature, than causing collateral damage to city and state government economies around the country and locally.
It was a banner year for disasters in the Midwest with the tornado outbreaks that shattered many lives along the way and made headlines across the country as well. The state of Texas was in a severe drought year once again and was on the verge of becoming a dust bowl of sorts – a good super soaker from a hurricane could solve the problem in a variety of ways and dredge the state in better times.
The Pac-10 Football Conference ultimately became the Pac-12 Football Conference and added two more schools to the conference of sports as the Oregon Ducks finally make it back to Pasadena and the Rose Bowl with the Big-12 Champs, the Wisconsin Badgers. Who wins the honor of the Rose Bowl is yet to be seen in 2012 on Rose Bowl Game Day.
Guess, I can safely say, “go ducks!” – that’s the spirit of the supporting your local University team.
In closing – I guess after ten years since, September 11th, 2001, America has shined her armor and braved her sacrifice to her military troops, who protected America for what she stood for and what this country built upon among those who created the United States from the British Rule of the 1700’s.
She stood tall and braved her right to be free and what she stood to mean to those looking to start a new life and journey in America. I’ve always admired her bravery and her strength, but, it doesn’t stop me from believing America is always wrong, but, there is a right as well. And, we’re free to say as we wish without restriction and censorship – but, when politics come into play, America has to dwell on her right to free speech for all and who have a say in their own voices and opinions.
This is America and a nation of rejoice. And I still believe in a place called home and a journey called hope – this was the beginning to the end of 2011, we’ll remember her words and the legacy she left behind in the new century.
Jeffery Newton 