Year End Reflections, Part I

On December 8, 2016, America lost a true hero. John Glenn, born July 18, 1921, died at the age of 95. As one of the original Mercury 7 astronauts, Glenn was the first American to orbit the earth. That was in 1962 in the Friendship 7. But Glenn was also a war hero, having flown 63 combat missions in the Korean war, as well as 59 combat missions in World War II. Among his many medals was the Distinguished Flying Cross, which he actually earned 6 different times. The people of Ohio elected Glenn to the US Senate 4 times. John Glenn was truly a man who had the "right stuff."

On July 2, 2016 we also lost the moral voice of Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel. Wiesel was born September 30, 1928. He lost his mother and father and a sister to the Holocaust. In one of the rare instances that I agree with President Obama, he said this about Wiesel: "Elie Wiesel was one of the great moral voices of our time, and in many ways, the conscience of the world."

Wiesel's book, "Night," recounted the horrors of the Holocaust. "Never shall I forget that night, the first night in the camp, which has turned my life into one long night, seven times cursed and seven times sealed...Never shall I forget the little faces of the children, whose bodies I saw turned into wreaths of smoke beneath a silent blue sky. Never shall I forget those flames which consumed my faith forever." But Wiesel later in life saw a restoration of his faith: "I belong to a traumatized generation that often felt abandoned by G-d and betrayed by mankind. And yet, I believe that one must not estrange oneself from either G-d or man."

This year we also saw the passing of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. Scalia was born March 11, 1936 and died unexpectedly on February 13, 2016. His belief in "originalism," interpreting the Constitution in the way the Framers intended, would, at times, result in his siding with the liberal wing of the Court. On affirmative action he tended to be in the minority, saying: "To pursue the concept of racial entitlement - even for the most admirable and benign of purposes - is to reinforce and preserve for future mischief the way of thinking that produced race slavery, race privilege and race hatred. In the eyes of government, we are just one race here. It is American."

This year also saw the passing of a man who will not be missed, at least not by those who still have a moral compass. Fidel Castro was born August 13, 1926, and died November 25, 2016. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said: "Mr. Castro made significant improvements to the education and healthcare of his island nation...We join the people of Cuba today in mourning the loss of this remarkable leader." Obama: "History will record and judge the enormous impact of this singular figure on the people and world around him."

Said Jill Stein: "Fidel Castro was a symbol of the struggle for justice in the shadow of empire." Jimmy Carter: "We (Rosalynn and I) remember fondly our visits with him in Cuba and his love of his country." UK Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn said: "Fidel Castro's death marks the passing of a huge figure of modern history, national independence and 20th century socialism. From building a world class health and education system, to Cuba's record of international solidarity abroad, Castro's achievements were many."

So much for the left's horribly immoral view of the world. Republican Speaker of the House Paul Ryan said: "Now that Fidel Castro is dead, the cruelty and oppression of his regime should die with him." And from President-elect Trump, whom the left hates in ways that they have never shown with regards to Castro, we heard this: "Today, the world marks the passing of a brutal dictator who oppressed his own people for nearly six decades." I'll stick with Ryan and Trump, thank you. The left's love for dictators never ceases to amaze.

May G-d bless John Glenn, Elie Wiesel and Antonin Scalia. As for Castro, he should not be sharing the same afterlife as the other three.