My Top Eight News Stories For 2009

            It seems as if, at this time of the years, little tots and small kids are not the only ones making lists. The media is quite adept at creating top ten lists, whether it is for “Most Annoying Politicians” or “The Year’s Worst Disasters”. In my view, the lists usually focus on the “Top Ten Best Movies” or “The Top One Hundred Best/Worst Dressed Celebrities”.

So I decided to write my own top ten list. It is not a claim to creativity or authority; it is just a list of the top eight most important events of the year soon to be completed. Probably many others will professionally create a similar list for a publication. And many amateurs will do as I am.

            These are recorded randomly, not in terms of impact or importance, as I do not hold the qualifications to do such. Although I qualify the last statement by adding I believe #2 and #1 to be truly correct.

#8 The Tiger Woods Fiasco

How far the mighty have fallen. Need anything be said about this tragic story? Here we have a hero, looked up to by many sports fans and others. John Hopkins comments:

His talent and skill in golf cannot be denied, but his infidelities have erased any hint of impeccability. He owes fans more than just a public mea culpa. But he owes his wife more. Gabby Logan describes her trust in him, although some would say naivety instead:

Both need time, counsel, communication, and renewed love to heal. Some media just report on all the hype (his indiscretions), rather than the sorrowing man and the hurting wife. Sports Watch on the London Times summarizes it for us:

#7 The Death of Another Icon

Michael Jackson transformed the realm of music. Like many of his predecessors, some who were just as successful (i.e. Elvis Presley), and others who were merely famous (i.e. Anna Nicole Smith) they died too early. Rudolph Valentino, John and Robert Kennedy, John Kennedy Jr., Judy Garland, Marilyn Monroe, James Dean, Princess Diana. Some bookies are probably devising the odds of who will be next: Lindsay Lohan?

#6 The Surprising Success of Sarah Palin’s Book

Duff McDonald sums up the unexpected success for Sarah Palin:

The ex-vice presidential Republican candidate and ex-governor of Alaska has shown to the believers and the doubters that she can succeed with the  release of her memoir—“Going Rogue”—selling 300,000 copies on its first day of sale. Probably not on Oprah Winfrey’s Book Club list, it still has garnered more attention for its author, than anything she has done politically. And she did it all without the help of Senator John McCain.

#5 The National Healthcare Debate

For some, it seems inconceivable that the richest nation in the world, the U.S.A., has over 20 million people (about 2/3 the population of Canada, or approximately 6.6% of its own population) lacking healthcare. Healthcare insurance originates with the insurance companies and is accessed through employer plans or private individual plans which the client pays for. The Democrats have considered this a social issue (dare we say civil rights issue?) which needs reform, and not just in the area of the people who have fallen through the cracks. The insurance companies have some issues to deal with which demand fairness and justice: e.g. rejection of an applicant due to a prior condition and the dropping of a client from coverage because all her allocated funds have been used.

The creation of a public option was anticipated to cause heated debate, but the unforeseen issue of government payment of abortion procedures has inflated the temperature of the debate, to the point of division in the Democratic Party. As the end of the year quickly approaches, President Obama’s goal of passing legislation on this before January first seems unachievable. Kenneth P. Vogel writes,

At present, the government is even considering Christmas Day as the inevitable conclusion to passing the reform bill. Hopefully the president has put healthcare reform for 2009 on the top of his list for Santa Claus.

#4 Iranian Protests Question Legitimacy of Their President

Iran has figured prominently in the news over its nuclear program and stubbornness to cooperate with U.N. inspectors.

However, what grabbed headlines earlier this year and is still fermenting to this day is a very visible and vocal opposition to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. When opposition leader and candidate Mir Hussein Mousavi claimed that the June election was fraudulent due to fraud committed by Ahmadinejad, thousands of protestors filled the streets and squares of major cities for days. Police and army fought back against the unarmed protestors, killing and injuring some, while arresting an undetermined number. The death of one passerby showed the people, nation and world what a true martyr is: Not one who commits a suicide bombing, but is killed for standing up for what he/she believes in.

Even the supreme spiritual leaders, the ayatollahs, were ignored, or their commands disobeyed. Yet the message of the protestors, some who cried “Kill the dictator”, were met with strong political, hard line opposition.

But, for how long will this president remain in office? How strong is the determination and voice of the people?

#3 President Obama Wins the Nobel Peace Prize

Some commentators and media types called it premature; others saw it as a sign of hope and potential for the presidency of Obama.  Here is just one criticism:

With not even a year of the presidency under his belt, the President received the award at a ceremony in Oslo, Norway on December 10th.CNN’s Christiane Amanpour reacted to the widespread criticism,

Now President Obama has three more years to accomplish the anticipated peace.

 

 

#2 The Inauguration of President Barrack Obama

Any inauguration, or official installation, of an individual as President of the U.S.A. has been a monumental experience. But the inauguration of Barrack Hussein Obama, as the 45th President of the nation on January  20th  was more than traditional. It was exceptional:

 History was made. And not just the eyes of the Americans watched that history unfold, but the eyes of the world were focused on it also.

#1 The H1N1 Virus

From the first recorded cases in the hamlet of  Veracruz  in Mexico, in  April of this year, the world has experienced a growing pandemic of fear. Originally called the Swine Flu, because of the living entity that carried it, it was later discovered to hold Bird Flu pathogens as well as Human viruses—thus it was officially and correctly rechristened the H1N1 Flu Virus.

Upon its appearance and transmutability, the virus was compared to the Flu Pandemic of 1918, also known as the Spanish Flu. It too appeared as mild cases in the spring, followed by deadlier waves in autumn, which killed 20-100 million victims worldwide. However,

The first wave finished in  late spring  of this year. The second was predicted for the fall in the northern hemisphere, thus giving scientists and disease control experts some time to investigate and study this flu, and ultimately create an antivirus to keep its impact controlled and minimal.

There has appeared opposing camps, public, medical and political about the efficacy/dangers of this vaccine.

Meanwhile, even without the vaccine’s use, the mortality rate has not surpassed that for the normal seasonal flu virus.

 

As of November 14th, there have been 11,749 confirmed deaths worldwide, with those in the U.S.A. totalling 9,820. Already into the second wave, virologists are warning of a third wave in the early spring of 2010. So far, fear has ensnared more victims than the pandemic itself.

 

Numerous stories could have been added to this list to fill it out to an even, traditional ten: “The Decision to Try Gitmo 9/11 Terrorists in NYC”; “Obama’s Decision to increase the Afghan Surge by 30,000 Troops”; “Water Discovered on the Moon”; “Hilary’s Loss of  Publicity—Was it Obama’s Plan All Along?”; “The LGBT Fight Against Amendment Eight Never Got Off the Ground”; “Why Can’t We Use the Title ‘Tea Baggers’?” The list of possibilities could be extended, especially so it is not as American-centred. But why eight? Why not!