And Now, Presenting 2021...

The Schloss-Blog is distressed over some things that mark the legacy of 2020, but elated over some others.

Distressing: At a football game I covered, fans showed up, sans masks, neglecting social distancing in the stands, shaking hands, hugging and talking face to face about the team's championship chances this year. Their kids' team had to cancel to several games thereafter. COVID apparently found its way into so many of the players' households, it seems.

Proud: The relentless pursuit of caretaking on the part of frontliners, doctors, nurses and EMTs, police and firefighters, grocery store employees and everyone else working essential jobs, masked-up, but still at grave risk to their health and that of their families.

Distressing: Trump keeps trying to overturn the election results. He has allegedly threatened state electors. He has encouraged the Proud Boys to stand down but stand by. He has all but encouraged violence in the streets of Washington, D.C., on Jan. 6, when his Vice President, Mike Pence, announces to the world that Joe Biden is the next president.

Proud: Kamala Harris becomes the first woman - Black/Asian descent - to take up office at the White House, second-in-command to Joe Biden, ready to take the top spot if need be. Her arrival is a proud occasion in American history. 

Distressing: Trump rallies, pre- and post-election, attended by predominantly white crowds without facemasks and total disregard for social distancing. It was estimated that his pre-election mass rallies of such nature caused 30,000 cases of COVID-19 and the deaths of at least 700 from the coronavirus. It's bad enough 300,000-plus are dead from the virus. So he had to contribute? He had to prove he doesn't care if you die.

Proud: Volunteers tirelessly working the long lines of cars of people waiting to pick up holiday meals as their money and hope expire while Congress debates a relief package - which Trump threatens to veto. Bad enough he vetoed the military-funding bill because it didn't contain a rider blocking social-media platforms from flagging and even banning his ridiculous, false posts. None of Trump's vulgar behavior and threats daunted these volunteers from completing their tasks, however.

Distressing: Racism in America. As Trump tries to negate or simply declare invalid the votes from districts which contain ballots of so many Black and minority Americans, his base followers believe his cries of a rigged election. He will have a mock inauguration, supposedly, and a laughable pseudo-government, powerless but he hopes influential.

Proud: My family and my friends have stuck together, mocked Trump's rigged allegations and declared their disgust with Trump, throwing their hope at the future we can now have. I can never do enough Zoom calls with my family and my bros.

Distressing: The number of people who voted for Trump and believe the election was rigged. How? Now we have reports of continuing death threats against elected officials who certified their votes in their states, even Republicans. Trump doesn't care if they die.

Proud: Of the young people who have come out and voted this time around, helping spell defeat for Trump. And proud of the Black Lives Matters protesters who never relented.

Distressing: Alabama's new Republican Senator, former football coach Tommy Tuberville, believes the three branches of government are the House, the Senate and the White House. Yeah, he'll be a powerful voice in the Senate. Can we throw Alabama out of the Union, please?

Proud: My grandson doesn't see race, color or bias. He sees people.

So do I. 

Happy New Year, America.

Good night, Mrs. Calabash. Here's to you, Mrs. Robinson. Indeed.

More Sunday night on my Radio Free Phoenix show