The flag outside Good Samaritan Hospital in Corvallis on Thursday night.
As 2021 ends, flags lowered to half staff seem like a fitting symbol all around.
The actual reason for this one wasn’t immediately apparent, even to people who follow the news. You had to look it up online, and it wasn’t for the late John Madden of football fame, who died two days ago.
It was for Harry Reid, the former senator from Nevada and Democratic leader in the Senate, who died Tuesday at the age of 82.
Governor Brown had ordered the flags lowered at public institutions in honor of the senator. She had done the same earlier after the death of Bob Dole, the former Republican senator and presidential nominee.
We lower the flag when distinguished Americans in public life leave us. We don’t do it to mourn the troubled periods of time we have gone through. Maybe we should.
Oregon, the country and the world have gone through the second year of a great contagion, and it is still going on, though apparently not claiming as many lives as before. This, among other things, is mostly how we will remember 2021. Just like 2020.
Somebody asked me about an event in my life that happened in 2019. I couldn’t remember the date, but I remembered that “it was before Covid-19.”
People my age never expected, during our early years, ever to write a current date that ends in 2022.
Now that it’s here, all we can do is hope — and do whatever is in our power to do — that it turns out no worse than the year we just had. (hh)
Bet for success
Don’t pitch a fit if it’s not the outcome you want
Thank you for a lovely message, Hasso. I would say that “doing whatever is in our power to do” is a fine sentiment, as long as that moves our community and our country forward in a positive, thoughtful and hopeful way. I don’t believe I know a single person who has rejoiced over the losses of the past two years. I certainly haven’t. I do wish that more people could demonstrate a caring, loving attitude and accept the idea of personally sacrificing for the greater good of all.
One wise man asked if it was possible for all of us to “just get along”. Great question. Oh that it were so in the new year.
Thank you for your contributions throughout the years.
Happy New Year Hasso. Thank for the articles you write. Looking forward to reading more in 2022.
Happy New Year, Hasso, and to all the people of Albany.
Let’s hope we can take a couple of steps getting back to “normal*.
Happy New Year Hasso. Thank you for all your news and thoughts. Best wishes for a Good and Happy New Year to all your readers.
Happy New Year Hasso. Thanks
Happy New Year To All. My best to you.
Happy New Year Hasso – and thank you for a year filled with thoughtful and informative commentary – I really appreciate it. And I look forward to reading more such commentary in 2022. Here’s to a civil and kind 2022!
Yes, it’s been a trying couple of years. Another difficult thing in 2021 was having to hear the Big Lie from Trump and his minions, that he won the election. A ludicrous lie.
I appreciate your articles and posts. My best to you in this new year!
Just what the sentiment above rejected and you couldn’t keep your mouth shut.
Maybe I wouldn’t reference it if I didn’t keep it hearing it, over and over again from people in this country, including in Oregon. It’s truly sickening. How can there be healing when 70 percent of Republicans believe the Big Lie?
So Trump’s vote total in 2020 was 10 million higher than in 2016 and you wonder why people think there was vote fraud when he ran against a man with dementia and a Vice President selected because she is a black woman which is about as racist as you can get.
Biden won the majority of the electoral college vote and the popular vote, and all the states certified the votes. 60 lawsuits by the the Trump campaign failed to reveal voter fraud. Biden had 81 million votes to Trump’s 74 million votes. The Supreme Court didn’t believe that it should involve itself in the baseless and false claims of voter fraud perpetuated by Trump, even though Trump expected them to reverse the election results, just like he expected Pence to reverse the election results. I don’t know what to tell you, Trump lost.
Happy New Year and wish you the best and a quick back to the bike.