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By Ed Hoffman
What are your hopes for 2016? Not personal New Year’s resolutions, but hopes for our nation? Here are a few of mine; maybe they will inspire you to make your own list.
More civil discourse. We hear that term bandied about quite a bit, but never in its purest context. When politicians and TV pundits say we need civil discourse on any particular issue, they usually mean “we have identified this problem, and we need to spend more time blaming the other side for it.”
How about, in 2016, we engage in truly civil discourse about the colossal issues our country faces: immigration, terrorism and the refugee debate (which is connected to both immigration and terrorism) to name a few. Obviously, I want the conservative side to be heard more – but that’s only because we have been falling on deaf ears for so long.
Preserving America. In 2015, you were called a “xenophobe” if you so much as muttered an appreciation for the American traditions we are quickly losing – displaying our flag, either by hanging it or wearing its print on clothing, is just one example. Another example is acknowledging the good parts of our history: Throughout 2015, many people looked for any opportunity to point out America’s historical mistakes. When will it be okay to talk about the things we did in history that weren’t mistakes? I hope it’s in 2016.
On a policy scale, it seems that every American who doesn’t want completely open borders is now called a xenophobe as well. (Do people who use this word even know what it means?) Anti-American sentiment has permeated this country, and it’s completely out of hand. In 2016, let’s pray that Americans from all races and backgrounds work to restore reverence for the country we call home.
Protecting America. Protecting and preserving America go hand-in-hand. Terrorism has hit home, and the good news is that many of our presidential candidates are taking it seriously. The bad news is that many Americans are not. We are, here in the Inland Empire – because it happened in our backyard. But take a look at how the rest of the country is reacting.
Are Americans in other states even talking about it anymore? Many are not; in fact, liberal Americans were mocking the last Republican debate as “fear mongering.” Did you watch Saturday Night Live last week? Case in point. Hopefully, 2016 will be the year that Americans in all 50 states take every single terror attack seriously and stop worrying about what anyone else thinks. We can’t afford to worry about that anymore.
Ed Hoffman is host of The Main Event on AM590, which airs Saturday 9:30 AM- 10:30 AM and Sunday 4:00 PM- 5:00 PM. Follow him on Twitter @EdHoffman, and like him on Facebook by searching The Main Event 590.
