Here are a few of the things I would like to see happen in 2024.

I hope that the Israeli-Hamas war will end early in the new year with an Israeli victory that will secure that nation’s security and a better life for the Palestinians living in Gaza under a government that will not use them as human shields.

While I hope that the antisemitism that appeared on university campuses following the Oct. 7 massacre disappears in the new year, it’s not likely that it will. After years of indoctrination by our education system with the teaching of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion growing out of the Marxist doctrine of Critical Race Theory that divides the world into oppressors and the oppressed, many young Americans have poor critical thinking skills. Also because of poor history instruction in our high schools, as indicated by falling test scores, most young Americans find it impossible to fully understand the impact of current events and to place them in a historical perspective.

This new antisemitism is one of cold blooded unthinking hatred relying on violence or the threat of violence as occurred in Germany in the years prior to the outbreak of war and the Holocaust. What is disturbing is that many of those infected by this new antisemitism form the source of our future leaders.

I hope the new year will see a renewal of patriotism which is the glue that holds a nation together. But, for many patriotism is a thing of the past as indicated by the failure of the Army, Navy, and Airforce to meet their recruiting goals for 2022. It seems that the words of President John Kennedy in his 1961 inaugural address to “Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.” Have been forgotten.

A recent Gallup poll came up with figures that should give us pause. It found that overall, 39% of Americans were extremely proud of being Americans, an historic low. When broken down by age it found that only 18% of those aged 18 to 34 were extremely proud compared to 40% of those aged 35 to 54 and 50 % for Americans over 55. However, in 2013 85% of Americans aged 18 to 29 were extremely or very proud. What has happened?

I again blame our educational system for much of this because in our schools the United States is portrayed as just one of many nations and an oppressor one at that which continues to suffer from all forms of systemic racism and whose history began in 1619 with the arrival of the first slaves, according to the New York Times’ left wing project of the same name.

In the coming year we must regain control of our borders because a nation that does not control its borders is destined to become a piece of land and not a nation. This nation has always welcomed those who come here legally and will continue to do so. While the U.S. population represents about 5% of the total world population, close to 20% of all global migrants reside in the United States.

The Biden administration has allowed the situation at the border to go out of control to further its own ends and to retain the support of the far left of the Democratic Party. 3.8 million people have entered the United States through its borders since President Joe Biden took office in 2021 — nearly half of whom slipped into the country illegally and were never caught.

The Biden administration continues to blame Republicans for a failure to enact comprehensive immigration legislation which is an out and out lie. Homeland Security only needs to enforce the laws already on the books to stem the tide of illegal immigration.

If the current situation continues the nation that most of us grew up in will be irrevocably changed. Our major cities may become ghettos filled with illegal immigrants who never integrate into our society. Further our national security is endangered by the hundreds of thousands of gottaways some of whom are very likely terrorists intending to do us harm at a future time.

Gov. Hochul’s signing of legislation establishing the Community Commission on Reparations Remedies to make non-binding recommendations that the Legislature does not have to act on is nothing more than “virtue signaling” taken to ridiculous lengths to satisfy the progressive downstate Democratic wing. I hope that when the commission reports back in a year’s time on reparations that the report only gathers dust. Paying reparations for things we did not do is akin to Biden’s attempt to make taxpayers who never went to college or have paid off theirs and their children’s education debts bail out those who were willing to pay outrageous sums for a college education.

Finally, after 70 years of Army service I believe that Beetle Bailey should be promoted to Private First Class or even Specialist Fourth Class. While I am in a promoting mood, I believe that Sgt. Snorkel should be promoted to Sergeant-Major, and Lt. Fuzz have his gold bars replaced by the silver bars of a First lieutenant. Lastly General Halftrack should retire and become the golf pro at the Camp Swampy golf course.

Happy new year!

Thomas Kirkpatrick Sr. is a Silver Creek resident. Send comments to editorial@observertoday.com.