This commentary is by Bob Stannard of Manchester, an author, musician and former state legislator and lobbyist. For the past 17 years, he has reviewed the events of the past year.
The events of 2021 were shaped by the events at the end of last year, so let’s get going, shall we?
November 6, 2020 — Joe Biden defeats the twice-impeached, disgraced former president Donald J. Trump in a fair and square election.
November 7, 2020 — The losing candidate begins thinking about ways he can steal the election away from Joe Biden.
December 2020 — By the year’s end John Eastman, Jeffrey Clark, Rudy Guiliani, Mark Meadows and others have worked hard on a plan to steal the November elections. They would simply tell Vice President Mike Pence to not certify the count of the Electoral College. The Department of Justice denounces Rep. Louie Gohmert and 11 other Republicans for their lawsuit against VP Pence, designed to pressure Pence to throw the election.
January
January 1 — We learned that on this day there were 55,000 new cases of Covid-19 and 429 Americans had died. 36 million doses of the new vaccine had been distributed. 16.5 million Americans had been vaccinated. The defeated president is pressing VP Pence to steal the election. Pence places a phone call to former Vice President Dan Quayle to ask for advice. Quayle tells Pence, “Mike, you have no flexibility on this. None. Zero. Forget it. Put it away,” thus cementing Pence’s decision to uphold the vote and simultaneously save our democracy, for now.
January 6 — At the defeated president’s urging, thousands of his supporters “fought like hell” by storming our nation’s Capitol in the worst insurrection in modern history in a coup attempt to halt the process of our free and fair elections. Later that evening,Pence sanctioned the vote and Joe Biden was declared the winner. The now twice-defeated president consumed roughly a dozen cheeseburgers and around 10 Diet Cokes.
While our democracy was in the throes of being destroyed, 50-plus pro-democracy activists were rounded up and arrested in Hong Kong. Americans hardly noticed.
January 20 — Joe Biden is sworn in as the 46th president of the United States. The petty man he defeated refused to attend the inauguration, hoping to keep alive what became known as the “Big Lie” that the election was stolen.
February
February 7 — After taking his daily Geritol pill, Tom Brady guides the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a Super Bowl victory.
February 9 — The second impeachment trial against the now former, disgraced president begins in the U.S. Senate where no conviction is forthcoming, again.
February 17 — Florida Gov. DeSantis threatened to pull vaccines after he was accused of favoring people politically and also favoring the wealthy.
February 18 — While Texas was reeling from the worst ice storm ever, Sen. Ted Cruz was caught sneaking on a plane for Cancun. He declared that he needed to rest up for a possible future fight with Big Bird.
February 22 — U.S. surpasses 500,000 deaths from Covid-19. The debate over the vaccine begins.
March
March 2 — In an apparent lack of concern for human life, governors of Texas and Mississippi announced they will be lifting the mask mandates and reopening businesses.
March 5 — A former Trump State Department political appointee, Freddie Klein, was arrested and charged with pushing against police during the insurrection at Capitol Hill.
March 8 — The CDC announced that fully vaccinated people can now meet indoors without masks. Iowa’s Gov. Kim Reynolds signed a controversial law that makes it harder for people to vote, thus beginning a wave of voter suppression laws throughout the country. The trial of Derrick Chauvin, who killed George Floyd by holding his knee on Floyd’s neck for 9 minutes and 29 seconds, begins.
April
April 3 — Major League Baseball announced it will pull the All-Star Game from Georgia after the state passed a controversial voter law. The law, which prohibits giving food and water to people waiting in line to vote, restricts absentee ballots, and shortens periods of runoff elections, is said to be restrictive and biased. MLB will probably not move to Iowa.
April 20 — Thanks to a bystander’s video, Derrick Chauvin is convicted of murdering George Floyd.
May
May 3 — Two shootings in New Orleans. Nothing to see here.
May 5 — The White House announces that unordered vaccines will be redistributed each week. This means that when states don’t order their allotted amount, that vaccine will be sent elsewhere.
May 9 — A shooting at a birthday party in Colorado Springs, Colorado, left at least six dead. America looks away.
May 17 — Former disgraced President Trump falsely reported that the results in one Arizona city have been deleted
May 22 — The CDC announced that 38% of the U.S. population is fully vaccinated.
May 26 — In an effort to deflect from previously tying his dog to the roof of his car, Sen. Mitt Romney announced his support for the House-passed bill allowing officials to investigate the Jan. 6 insurrection. Romney said Republicans blocking the bill equate to blocking the truth. His colleagues opted to promote “The Big Lie.”
June
June 2 — Officials warned about increased concerns of violence as QAnon supporters continue to use social media to spread false election news.
June 5 — President Biden announces plans to share 80 million doses of the vaccine internationally. In his never-ending quest to kill off his constituents, Florida Gov. DeSantis signed a law fining companies $6,000 for each person they ask to show a vaccine passport.
June 12 — One person died and nine were wounded in a shooting in Chicago.
June 16 — Juneteenth finally becomes a national holiday.
June 21 — 50% of Americans have been vaccinated.
June 24 — A condo collapsed in Miami, Florida, killing dozens of people.
July
July 1 — A bipartisan select committee is formed to investigate the insurrection of Jan. 6.
July 4 — 94 dead in Miami condo collapse. Eleven suspects, who refer to themselves as a militia, were arrested in Wakefield, Massachusetts.
July 5 — Pro golfer Gene Siller was gunned down at an Atlanta golf course.
July 6 — A new strain of Covid-19, the Delta variant, wreaks havoc on America.
July 9 — President Biden fires Social Security Commissioner Andrew Saul after Saul refuses to resign.
July 12 — States with low vaccination rates have three times more cases of Covid than states with higher vaccination rates. Duh.
July 16 — Texas Democrats left the state in an attempt to block a restrictive voting bill. A police officer was killed and four other people were wounded after a standoff in Levelland, Texas. Over 50 shootings in one weekend in America. Yawn.
July 21 — At least 34 states have introduced bills making it illegal to ask for proof/require a Covid vaccine for school-age children. Wonderful!
July 27 — Florida Gov. and president wannabe Ron DeSantis announces that he’d rather have all Floridians run around naked than to wear a mask.
August
August 1 — August starts off with a bang, with five people shot near Bourbon Street in New Orleans.
August 3 — President Biden calls for Gov. Andrew Cuomo to resign amid sexual misconduct allegations. Ouch.
August 10 — Texas Gov. Greg Abbott accepts DeSantis’s challenge and mandates that all Texans shall run around naked. No mask. No nothing. Fortunately, this news overshadowed Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s announcement that he’s resigning.
August 11 — U.S. Senate shoots down the voting rights bill for the first time, but approved a $3.5 trillion budget resolution despite GOP opposition.
August 25 — Moderna vaccine applies for approval. Better hurry, because Pfzer’s pulling ahead.
September
September 3 — Florida Gov. DeSantis appealed the court ruling that he didn’t have the authority to ban mask mandates in schools. “Of course I do. I’m king and can make these kids get sick if I want to.”
September 18 — Tens of thousands of migrants, mostly Haitians fleeing from an earthquake, were stranded under a bridge in the Texas border town of Del Rio.
September 27 — Pfizer’s CEO announced that the company will be ready to seek approval for the vaccine for children. Help is on the way. Moderna is angry.
September 30 — YouTube announces that it will remove content that spreads misinformation about all approved vaccines. All other misinformation is fine.
October
October 3 — Dr. Fauci claims Americans are “turning a corner” on the current virus surge. Don’t take that corner too fast and roll the bus over.
October 6 — A Texas man is sentenced to a year in federal prison for posting a Covid-19 hoax on social media. He said he paid someone infected with Covid to lick items in a San Antonio grocery store. His claims were false, but it did help explain how Greg Abbott and Ted Cruz got elected.
October 21 — Actor Alec Baldwin accidentally shoots and kills Halyna Hutchins.
November
November 4 — 150-plus have testified before the Jan. 6 Select Committee and an additional 100 people have been subpoenaed. John Eastman, Jeffrey Clark and Roger Stone plead the Fifth.
November 5 — 9 people died at the Astroworld Festival.
November 11 — The world is introduced to Omicron, a name straight out of Marvel Comics.
November 22 — A driver drove through a Christmas parade in Wisconsin, killing five people and injuring 48 more, causing us to wonder what the hell is wrong with Americans?
December
As the year comes to a close. Covid is still with us and will be for many years to come. Gun violence, mass shootings, school shootings are still happening. Inflation is higher than it’s been for a long time, but projected to diminish by the New Year. The select committee investigating the Jan. 6 riots inspired by the former, disgraced president is digging for the truth and might just find it.
And although it does oftentimes feel as though the country is going to hell in a handbasket, those feelings are offset by moments of great joy. Hang out with those you love and keep in mind that your life is already better than the life your ancestors had. Here’s hoping for the best in 2022.
Many thanks to all of my faithful readers. It’s nice to know that you’re out there. Happy Holidays.
