TIME GIVES US 2012 ‘PERSON OF THE YEAR’
By: Hope Wilkos, Writer/Blogger Photographer: George Whylie Videographer: Maxine NolanAs the year 2012 comes to a close, it is time to remember those individuals that contributed so much to a significant year amidst turmoil and tribulations.
We all anxiously awaited the announcement of TIME Magazine’s ‘Person of The Year’. TIME has been one of the most respected magazines for decades and we always look forward to seeing who they view as the top individual of the year.
After four years of trying to shape our country, pick up the pieces and then try and do it for another four years, President Barack Obama took the top title of ‘Person of The Year’.
He stands for what we have come to know as the ‘New America’. He forged ahead trying to heal our economy and build international trust. In a re-election year, the competition was tough but with much to his credit such as wars stopped and started, re-emergence of the auto industry, tax cuts being extended, debt levels inflated, terrorists such as Bin Laden found and executed, a health insurance program revamped and the passage of a bill giving gay service members the right to walk in uniform with their partners, Obama has much to put in the history books.
It could be seen in the victory of winning a second term in office and the tragedy of having to comfort parents in Connecticut recently, President Obama is definitely a man of character and heartfelt emotion and not afraid to show it. He is a caring spirit for the people that have once again put him back in the White House. He won in some of the most difficult battleground states.
Winning a second term now holds its own set of challenges. Can agreement be reached between the parties on the fiscal cliff issue before we go off the edge? How does the unemployment rate continue to drop and how do we put people back to work at a continuous rate? What part does America play in a world at odds? These are all arduous questions that the man of the moment must continue to lend guidance to. On January 20, 2013, Obama will be the first Democrat in more than 75 years to get a majority of the popular vote twice. This marks only the fifth time it has been done in U.S. history.
Obama believes in the voice of our younger generation because it is their world very soon and so we must pave the way. They are our future. He wants a smarter government by the time his second term comes to an end and results to show for eight years in office. His immediate goals include a major push on immigration reform and a way to lower medium-term deficit through raising tax rates, reforming the tax codes and finding that happy medium between the parties on entitlements.
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Looming large is climate change and how to attack it, opportunities for early-childhood education and lessening the burden of college tuition in the long term. Mass shootings have also become one of the top priorities in the last couple of months and Obama stands strong on the premise that change in gun control is imminent.
Can President Obama beat the odds stacked up? We can see that he will formidably try.
Runner-up for the title of ‘Person of The Year’ is Malala Yousafzai. Only 15 years old, this young girl from Pakistan has a wisdom that stretches far beyond her years. She stands for freedom of speech and a confidence to stand steadfast for what you believe in. She gives promise to those that feel imprisoned within the confines of their culture. Malala was shot in the head by a Taliban assassin as she rode to school in October of this year but she continues to have hope and builds strength as she is treated in a specialized English hospital and undergoes rehabilitation every day. She is an outspoken champion of girls’ rights to receive education in countries around the world. She knows the risks, accepts the responsibilities and desires to take the chance and will not be silenced. She speaks out for her cause. Because she is a child herself, she has become one of the most powerful children’s-rights advocates. Before the shooting, she had met with the late Richard Holbrooke, U.S. Special Envoy to Pakistan and Afghanistan, to plead for assistance for Pakistani schools. November 10th became Malala Day across the globe and she has gained followers such as Megan Smith, VP at Google and Mark Kelly, astronaut and husband of former Congresswoman and shooting survivor, Gabby Giffords, and of course, Prime Minister Gordon Brown.
Other Runner-Ups inclue CEO of APPLE, Tim Cook. Taking the reins after the death of one of the greatest innovators of all time, Steve Jobs, Cook has kept the company on a winning streak and has made it one of the most highly valued companies of all time, even overcoming Exxon Mobil by far. Tim Cook is a man with a mission and a passion for his company and what it stands for. He is humble yet driven. The year 2012 has been one of the most intense years yet for new APPLE products and Tim Cook proves he can keep the company on top.
Mohamed Morsi is known as the Power Broker and Egypt’s Islamist President. It seems as if the weight of the world rests in his power. He became the first Democratic elected leader of Egypt. He has included non-Islamist officials in his cabinet, curbed military power in his country and refrained from populist economic policies. Morsi believes in representing his people and his widespread influence is evident.
Lastly, TIME’s final runner-up for ‘Person of The Year’ is Fabiola Gianotti with a legendary reputation, skills and expertise and intelligence that are unsurpassed. She has a dedication to her field that is admired by all. She has dominated the field of physics beating the odds in a man’s world of science. Gianotti is one of CERN’s top scientists to discover what gives particles their mass, known as Higgs Theory. She is an inspiration living in a world of constant experimentation.
Congratulations go out to all the influential winners of this prestigious TIME Magazine Award. They will continue to leave their imprint far into 2013.
PHOTO CREDITS: Google Images, TIME Magazine, NY Times, Pete Souza/The White House
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