Sunday, Dec. 31, 2023 | 2 a.m.
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Americans are entering 2024 with unprecedented levels of anxiety as this new year is like no other since WWII in terms of global crisis and domestic turmoil.
Wars are raging in Ukraine and Gaza; foreign adversaries like China, North Korea and Iran are saber-rattling; a spiraling number of mass shootings have taken thousands of lives in the U.S.; political extremists are using bizarrely apocalyptic language and there are signs of environmental catastrophe all around us.
Making matters worse, the stakes of the 2024 elections could not be higher, as it’s no longer clear that the checks and balances that have defined the success of American democracy still work.
The leading candidate for the Republican presidential nomination is facing multiple criminal indictments and is increasingly brazen about his authoritarian aspirations.
Congress just had its least productive session in decades, as insurrectionists and their apologists refused to govern and instead crowded the microphone on the House and Senate floors to lie about election results and bend a knee for the most profoundly deviant presidential candidate in American history. Mostly, though, the majority in the House occupied itself with lies, conspiracy theories and politically motivated, evidence-free investigations.
In the courts, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas’ robe has been pulled back to reveal a corrupt ideologue who lacks even the most basic ethical standards. His colleague, Justice Samuel Alito, appears nearly as morally compromised as Thomas. And Chief Justice John Roberts seems to have abandoned his quest to return legitimacy to the court.
And laws passed at the state level were often hateful and discriminatory, restricting basic rights related to free speech, privacy, voting and education while promoting unrestricted access to guns and unencumbered acts of violent extremism.
The result is a heavily armed public that is trying to turn Americans against each other. Threats of political violence are the norm rather than the exception and, astonishingly, there is casual talk among leaders of some factions of the GOP about launching a civil war.
Liberals are not innocent either, as threats against Supreme Court justices and destructive riots have shown.
Given these realities, it’s tempting to believe that chaos and violence are inevitable and that there is little we can do to stop the world from burning around us. But that cannot be, must not be.
That’s why, as we enter the new year, we must resolve, as individuals, to try to make the world around us a better place. We need to be wise and steadfast in our pursuit of virtue, tolerant of the flaws of others and firm in the face of genuinely evil actors on the world stage.
We must also resolve to support children who, depending on their age, are likely to worry about all the trauma and drama of the adult world. Kids are exposed to too much darkness right now: From the disruption of COVID, to the horrifying reality of school shootings, to TV footage of civilian slaughter, to political leaders making wild claims, childhood today is different than at any other time since WWII. We need to listen to them and we need to model dignified and moral behavior for them. Now, more than ever, kids need extra support and love.
2023 was deeply traumatic to many people and all of us could benefit from a little extra love and support right now. Which is why we should resolve to share with the people in our lives how much they mean to us and demonstrate that we care about each other.
Too many Americans believe that they are alone in this life; unnoticed, uncared for and unloved. Feelings like this too often lead to a life of isolation and depression, especially when combined with the violence, chaos and anxiety of the current world.
The simple act of showing and telling others that we care about their well-being can make a big difference to someone who is struggling. It also promotes honesty and openness in our relationships, countering the impersonal transactional relationships that have become more common in the age of digital communication.
Finally, we should resolve to reject political leaders who seek to divide us as Americans. Throughout our nation’s greatest years, we have had leaders of all political philosophies who sought to unite Americans and not tear the nation or its institutions apart.
Marginalization and division, especially when achieved through violence and intimidation, undermine the core values of the Constitution and thus undermine the core values of America itself. What has always bound us together is a belief that despite our differences, we still believe in the humanity of our fellow Americans.
Luckily, we already have the ability to fulfill these and many other resolutions that can create positive change in the world.Most of the time, all it takes is a willingness to listen, learn, build relationships and treat each other with dignity and respect.
Imagine, 12 months from now, donning our party hats and sipping our fancy cocktails, knowing that we helped save lives, encouraged peace and a just end to conflict in the world, worked to calm the troubled waters in America, made our communities safer, built new and meaningful relationships and grown as individuals. Now that would be a truly remarkable 2024.
