By Ale Ibarra Posted December 21, 2018
Since these are the Holidays, this article will not include all the negativity that is shown in today’s news. There will be no report on the latest shootings, accidents or mishaps; just the good nature of a human being.
There have been a plethora of positive events happening this year 2018 in the United States, so it will be impossible to discuss the details of this memorable year.
One of them is the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics which began earlier this year on February 9, 2018, in Pyeongchang, South Korea, where the United States collected nine gold medals, eight silver medals, and six bronze medals. The youngest Olympian from the US was Chloe Kim who has dominated the women’s international halfpipe since she was 14. 17-year-old Red Gerard was also a US participant who won first in the men’s slopestyle. The US was fourth in the number of medals, right behind Norway, Germany, and Canada, respectively.
One occurrence that has saddened the hearts of many is the passing of George Herbert Walker Bush and John Sidney McCain III. Even though the passing of these patriots has impacted our country, their legacies will be left behind.
Bush has shifted the world’s and his country’s opinion of leadership. Before his time in office from 1989-1993, he accomplished being the youngest pilot in the Navy when he received his wings where he flew 58 combat missions during World War II. In his life, Bush was appointed to high-level positions such as Ambassador to the United Nations, Chairman of the Republican National Committee, Chief of the U. S. Liaison Office in the People’s Republic of China, and Director of the Central Intelligence Agency.
That is when he continued his American legacy and won the Republican nomination for President in 1988.
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John McCain was an American politician and military officer who served as the United States Senator from Arizona from January 1987 until his passing. He previously served two terms in the United States House of Representatives and was the Republican nominee for President of the United States. He joined the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis.
These heroes will be dearly missed.
On a good-natured note, there have been multiple scientific discoveries this year that could potentially change our future and our idea of it.
One of them is the potential possibility of converting coal mines into efficient indoor farms. There is an ever-declining demand for coal around the world and still, over 150,000 abandoned coal mines remain intact in the United Kingdom and United States. These coal mines are thought to be a perfect environment because of the underground tunnels that naturally maintain consistent temperatures, and are unaffected by weather changes, seasons, or the unexpected symptoms of climate change. According to additional research, this also means that these underground farms would need less land and could “drastically reduce greenhouse emissions and deforestation, as agriculturalists could use carbon-capture technology to trap and utilize the crop’s natural CO2 emissions.” (goodnewsnetwork.com) Although this stepping-stone is still to be launched, the proposal has received support from the Chinese government as well as UK locals and officials.
Speaking of scientific discoveries, the remembrance of the brilliant Stephen Hawkings from Cambridge will be mentioned due to his passing earlier this year. Stephen William Hawking was an English theoretical physicist, cosmologist, and author, who was director of research at the Centre for Theoretical Cosmology at the University of Cambridge at the time of his passing. His discovery that black holes give off radiation was a ground-breaking discovery that impacted the United States and the world.
Despite the horrible situations many families in the United States are facing this year, there are still some people who find the good in a dreadful situation and are not afraid to be generous.
Earlier this year, it had just been four months since Hurricane Maria, and nearly half a million people in Puerto Rico were without power. A brave teenager, at just 15 years old, decided to make a difference. He started a crowdfunding campaign to raise money to give solar lamps to people without power and at that time, he had raised nearly $130,000 and has used the money to acquire $3,000 worth of solar lamps and 300 hand-powered washing machines so any person without power can have clean clothes and sheets.
A seven-year-old boy named Avery Huddleston from Buffalo, IL, had a birthday in February and the only thing he wanted that day was to send school supplies to students in Puerto Rico affected by Hurricane Maria but he ended up getting something in return.
Workers who were restoring power to hard-hit areas of Puerto Rico volunteered to deliver Avery’s present as they heard of it being the only kids’ wish. Avery was the extra motivation the workers needed to provide a solution to the students in Rio Grande.
Another act of selflessness is shown by a local photographer, Abe Barron from San Diego, who started a foundation called “X-Mas on The Street” earlier this month. He was so saddened by the lack of happiness in these neighborhoods that he decided to make a difference during the Holidays. He and a group of warm-hearted volunteers made over 850 tamales to donate to those in need.
There have been many protests about too many things to count this year but in just one instance of a Richard Spencer’s speech rally on October 19, there was an understanding.
An African-American man named Aaron Courtney, outside of the University of Florida came across a white supremacist that had swastikas on his t-shirt. He approached the man and asked him why it was that he hated him. “Why don’t you like me, dog?”, were Courtney’s words. After being spat in the face, punched, and screamed at, Courtney finally gave the man a hug. After asking him the same question for a second time the man finally responded, “I don’t know.”
“‘I believe that was his sincere answer. He really doesn’t know,’ Courtney said.” (positivenewsus.org)
On the other side of the world, there have been many educational and humanitarian changes.
For example, in South Korea, Animal Rights activists are feeling triumphant as South Korea is closing down the largest dog meat slaughterhouse in the country. The Taepyeong-dong complex in Seongnam is closing down due to the massive decrease in dog meat consumption, especially among the younger generations. Instead of being a slaughterhouse, officials are putting some use to the land and turning it into a public park.
While this is simply an article about what people are capable of doing, one should make it a habit to be more conscious of the world and provide for others in any way. The Holidays are a great place to start and this, kindness could continue to be done through 2019 as a New Year’s Resolution.