Christmas is almost upon us and it promises to be the merriest Christmas in many years for most Americans.
Our long, twin nightmares of deep economic recession and seemingly-unending wars in the Middle East are over. It is fair to say that as a nation, we are in a much better place than we have been than at any time in the past six years.
However, the lingering effects of the problems we have faced for most of the past decade still haunt us today and are very real for far too many of our fellow citizens. Americans of all ages still are encountering a difficult job market and our returning veterans, many of whom face both the physical and psychological wounds of war, have urgent needs that must be addressed.
In addition, there always are a fair number of our fellow citizens who, by reasons of chance or circumstance, are not enjoying fully the fruits of living in a country that in many respects is still the envy of others around the world and for whom the Christmas season brings no joy.
So we urge those of our readers who count themselves fortunate to do something, no matter how small it may seem — whether it be donating to Toys for Tots, the local food pantry, or the Salvation Army Santa — for those who are in need this holiday season. We can assure you that the phrase, “It’s much better to give than to receive,” truly will become meaningful if we do something for those in need this holiday season.
We wish all of our readers a happy, merry, and safe Christmas.