For most people, the coming of a new year signals renewal, a chance to start again with a clean slate. But after a year like 2015, it is hard to feel anything but cynicism and the changing of the calendar did not bring any optimism about a world that is improving for the better.
In fact, when the clock struck midnight, we were still dealing with 20th century problems that are now decades overdue for a resolution. An overly aggressive militarized police force disproportionately targeting people of color is still a problem. Pay inequality and sexual violence on campuses are still issues. The federal minimum wage remains $7.25 while the cost of living (and college tuition) keeps rising.
By October of last year, there were 294 mass shootings in the US while the number of laws passed by congress to improve gun safety in this country remained zero. Although President Obama recently issued executive orders on gun control, congress’s continued resistance does not bode well for congressional action on this issue in 2016. And perhaps one of the greatest testaments to the stagnation of American progress, Donald Trump is still a topic of discussion in American politics in spite of his extreme, racially insensitive rhetoric.
Perhaps even more disparaging is that I could have written this almost word for word and the same would have applied for last year. Just like 365 days should be enough time to get fit or slightly more financially responsible, a year should be enough time to make some progress on at least one of these issues.
There is nothing wrong with setting personal goals and marking January 1st as the day to begin renewal. But as aggressive as we are about personal goals, that pales in comparison to the larger social issues that make a bright, shiny New Year look no different than the previous. I would be more optimistic this year if “new year, new me” applied to social progress.
