My 2010 Person of the Year

No one ever told me that Time Magazine had a monopoly on choosing the 'Person of the Year'. However,being that they are a a vast media conglomerate, naturally, who they choose carries a lot of weight. I'm not knocking their selection of the young, dynamic entrepreneur Mark Zuckerberg, who, as indicated, is  credited with connecting more than half a billion people with through Facebook and mapping the social relations among them. And because Facebook's 26-year-old CEO also is credited with creating a new system of exchanging information that is changing how people live their lives. While his accomplishment(s) is awesome, personally he is not my 2010 person of the year.'

Well who would that person be?

First, let me layout my basic criteria for deciding on my selections.  The person:
  • Has been an inspiration to me in a big way in how he/she has handled a particular life situation.
  • Has not succumbed to what others think  about him/her.
  • Has been resilient in overcoming things that life  has thrown his/her way.
  • Has been honest and truthful.
  • Has transcended the notion that money makes a man/woman.
  • Is proud of their culture.
  • Inspires others who come from all walks of life, cultures an races.
  • Keeps his/her word.

Of course their are some other intangibles seen and unseen that figure in the equation for instance like my admitting to my prejudicial preferences, but I must confess that I have a pretty good worldview on who should be allowed to be person of the year.

So, who is that person?

First of all, there is no one person that should ever be considered the sole person of the year--never.  Of course, Jesus is not one person, he is omniscient.  And,since this is the case, I would not consider Him as a person, but as God.  So to all you die hard religious moralists who is always ready to declare Him as number one, please get a life.  His (Jesus) credentials could and and should never be compare with us mortal men. He is in a class of His own. Amen.

But without further redo, Michael Vick is My 2010 Person of the Year.  While the Wall Street power brokers are busy assigning the numbers to who they may choose as that person, and the media seems to have only a nose for the dirt in people's lives, someone should be able to take the debate to a everyday people level.   Getting back to the very rich Zuckerberg and his enviable competition, some felt that another impact came from the Wikileaks founder.  Rob Enderle, an analyst with the Enderle Group, said he was surprised that this year's Person of the Year wasn't Assange since Wikileaks has made such a public splash, as well as a hefty impact on various governments.


"I actually thought Julian Assange had a bigger impact this year because he moved governments," Enderle said. "It made me feel like they were pressured to take the less controversial person. Facebook is very powerful but it isn't yet a force for anything. Twitter is actually stronger when it comes to world changing events. But Zuckerberg would have been my second choice."

If there was any comparison to tribulations that a person have faced, there would be some natural parallel between Assange and Vick.  Of course, Vick has served physically served (And, continues to serve time)time for indicted actions and Assange is considered an outlaw for his alleged illegal activity in revealing some not so nice stuff about the empire(s).  Both know what it means to be loved and hated.  Most have labelled Vick's journey as a redemption story (I prefer the word "survival") and there are many see Assange as an enemy to the the state.  While Assange as shaken the foundation of what journalism is meant to be,Vick has the unlikely distinction of  shaking a farcical foundation of the white man love for animals (No, contrary to popular belief Vick is not the originator of cruelty, but white people not only have a history for cruelty to black people but also cruelty to animals).

So in choosing my person of the year, it should be obvious that people who are able to overcome the constrictions and misnomers of a vindictive world have a true spot in my heart.  This is what a real Christian world is all about.  Jesus would be proud.  While Vick is far from perfection, he proves that he can take what has been given and has discovered how to make it work for him.  In doing so, the masses of who have (and continue to)  experienced powerlessness, poverty, racism, indifference, and hate should be inspired.  And, last, but not least, as mentioned earlier, there is no one person who can possibly stand alone in this honor but maybe a top ten list should be forthcoming as I've observed many Michael Vick's in 2010 who have refused to bow to popular indifference and choose to overcome.  The real life story in 2010 (and
2008/2009) about the dynamic and incomparable Michael Vick, for the most part, has not be under reported, but misreported.

Links:

Michael Vick, Racial History and Animal Rights

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