cText Looks Back At 2005

The New Year is upon us, and as this is another momentous occasion, I have elected to not write a political post that might stir up unrest during this holiday season. Therefore, I believe the best course of action is simply to take you through a brief tour of 2005. Perhaps this year will be remembered for its natural disasters in this and many other parts of the world. Hurricane Katrina nearly destroyed the city of New Orleans, while a 9.0 earthquake devastated Southeast Asia (although the earthquake happened in 2004, the story of this event was mainly a 2005 event).

Whether you are against democracy in Iraq or not, you can’t help but be amazed at the progress the Iraqi Republic has made. The first multiparty election in Iraq in 81 years occurred in January. The recent elections in December put America to shame, with the new republic turning out over 70% of its eligible voters. Sadly, voter turnout is down from recent years when, under gunpoint, Saddam attained 99.99% voter turnout.

A smaller yet nearly as significant occurrence happened in 2005 known as the Terri Schiavo case. This lady, who was starved to death by court order, brought to the American forefront the reality that euthanasia, a process popularized by Adolph Hitler, is still alive and well in America.

The death of Pope John Paul II ended the guidance of one of modern history’s most influential and beloved religious individuals. Pope John Paul II’s successor was Joseph Ratzinger, one of John Paul II’s most trusted aides. The new pope, Pope Benedict XVI, is known for believing in the authority of the Bible (to the disgust of liberals).

Another passing of the guard has occurred in the United States Supreme Court. With the passing of Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist, liberals hoped to upset the left leaning court with yet another liberal judge. Though the Democrats in Congress filibustered, eventually Chief Justice John Roberts was confirmed. In the same year, Justice Sandra Day O’Connor announced her intention to resign. Though her replacement is not certain, it is believed 3rd Circuit Appeals Court Judge Samuel Alito will succeed her.

Many other notable events happened this year such as record iPod sales, sluggish Hollywood sales, intelligent design curriculum in classrooms, my new snowboarding record speed of 47 mph, Michael Jackson’s legal problems, and the excellent blog Common Sense Commentary began. It has been a fun year, as is the case with most years in this brief life. I leave you now for the remainder of the year. Have a happy New Year folks. Try not to party TOO much!

Caleb

PS – As a side note, I wanted to thank every one of you who voted for Conservative Textbook in the Homeschool Blog Awards. Although I did not win (that honor went to The Common Room and Legal Redux), I heartily appreciate everyone who supported my blog. Thank you all so very much (and there’s always next year!!!!).