Clinton Township Newsletter

3 F e b r u a r y 2 0 2 1 OUR ADVERTISERS SUPPORT US. PLEASE HELP US BY SUPPORTING THEM. 21 Cratetown Road • Lebanon, NJ 08833 (908) 735-8336 • winneday@ptd.net Visit winnewald.com Now Enrolling 2021 Campers th 70 Summer Season - Ages 4-13 In the of Hunterdon County Employment Opportunities Available from Carol Beder's I don't know about you but I'm looking forward to "precedented times." I've had just about enough of the unprecedented ones, thankyouverymuch. As I'm writing this in mid-January, the news is changing so fast that each time I refresh my favorite news website, there's a different headline, from one minute to the next. We've just been through not only the drawn-out and nail-biting Election of 2020, but also the Senate run-offs in Georgia, a violent insurrection at our Nation's Capitol building, the resignations of some of the current administration's cabinet members, and a second impeachment for the current president – for the first time in our Country's history. And, oh yeah, we're still in the throws of this deadly pandemic, and it has recently been mutating into more dangerous and contagious strains while also spiking... again. I'm probably forgetting about a dozen other important news items – it's been a whiplash-causing news cycle lately. So... Happy February.(!) One thing that really saddens and frustrates me right now is that we as a people do not agree on facts. It isn't complicated to make a post full of false information look real and authentic, and it is all too easy to circulate that false information. Additionally, we live in (according to Jeff Orlowski, creator of documentary, The Social Dilemma) an era of customized news where we are all stuck in our own feedback loops on social media. No longer do we all watch the same news on the same news channel. (Where have you gone, Walter Cronkite, our Nation turns its lonely eyes to you.) I long for the days of respect for those with whom we disagree, the ability of politicians to admit wrongdoing, and reverence for the truth. I'm hoping that in the future the FCC or some other entity will find a way to regulate the huge amount of information provided over the internet. We need a set of standards of veracity so our citizens can easily discern truth from fabrication and deception. Perhaps this concept is at odds with freedom of speech – thankfully I'm not a lawmaker or a politician. Y'all figure it out. Just fix it, please. Despite all of this, I remain hopeful and positive. Optimism seems to be my automatic reset, thank goodness, even though it might not always be the most realistic viewpoint. I think we as a Nation are figuring out all of the possible weaknesses of our democracy. I also trust that our lawmakers and government will take steps to ensure that those vulnerabilities are improved upon, in order to form a more perfect union and to, for goodness sakes, insure domestic tranquility. At the same time, I think/hope that once the majority of citizens are vaccinated for Covid, we are headed for another Roaring Twenties. We'll see amazing things happening in all corners: the stock market, the design world, infrastructure, transportation and, of course, in the medical world, to name a few. This month is a time to celebrate love, so let's all show some love to not only our family and friends, but also to those with whom we disagree. (Of course, those two groups aren't always mutally exclusive). This is a hard-ask for all of us, but it's important during this turbulent time. I hope by the time you read this everything will have calmed down. With lots of love to you and your families, Julie Flynn "All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident." ~ Arthur Schopenhauer

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