2012

Well, that's that. It feels like 2011 was a pretty bad year.

There were a few good things. Osama bin Laden is gone. The Arab Spring uprisings have brought major changes. The Occupy Wall Street 99% movement. It's only a beginning -- but a very important beginning.

We got rid of Don't Ask, Don't Tell. The Obama administration is no longer defending DOMA and will support positive legislation on marriage equality. Same-sex marriage became legal in New York -- and California awaits the court decision on ruling Prop8 unconstitutional.

And all of our troops are out of Iraq.

Voting starts in 2 days in Iowa. It looks like Romney is going to quickly capture the nomination. Then maybe all the craziness will quiet down as others drop out. Is it too much to hope that we could have a serious debate on the differing views between the two parties of the role of government? Perhaps some sanity and respect for science and reason could return to our public discourse.

Let's hope for better days ahead.

Ralph