Time magazine on Monday revealed its Top 10 list of nominees for 2018’s “Person of the Year.” And it was everything you’d expect.
Of course there were “Separated Families,” and Christine Blasey Ford, and the March For Our Lives Activists, and Robert Mueller, and Baba Yaga Vladimir Putin, and Meghan Markle. And the liberal mag even nominated President Trump, mainly so it could say he spent his second year in office “navigating crises involving both himself and his staff, attacking an encircling investigation implicating people close to him, and enacting several controversial policies, ranging from separations at the border to an international trade war with China.”
But we’re here to drop our own list of who should have been nominated for “Person of the Year.”
The California Firefighters
The “Camp Fire” in northern California was the deadliest and most destructive wildfire in the state’s history, responsible for at least 85 civilian fatalities and the destruction of more than 18,000 structures and 153,000 acres. Firefighters battled the blaze for more than two weeks; five were injured. Meanwhile, the “Woolsey Fire” raged through Los Angeles and Ventura counties, killing three and destroying more than 1,600 homes and nearly 100,000 acres. That fire was fully contained in eight days. The loss of life and the destruction of property would have been far greater had it not been for the brave firefighters who worked round the clock.
The U.S. Border Patrol and U.S. Troops
To the delight of liberals — some of whom reportedly bankrolled the operation — thousands of Central Americans marched to the U.S.-Mexico border in September and October. To counter the danger, Trump dispatched thousands of U.S. troops to the border, in case things went badly. And they did. On November 25, hundreds of refugees stormed the border, forcing the U.S. Border Patrol and Army troops to fire tear case and rubber bullets into the mob. The situation was volatile, but quickly defused by the display of power. Again, had the U.S. Border Patrol and U.S. troops not been there, things could have been a lot worse.
Brett Kavanaugh
The newest Supreme Court Justice, Brett Kavanaugh, has devoted his life to public service. He clerked for Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy in his early 30s, worked with federal prosecutors for a decade and joined the George W. Bush White House as associate counsel. Bush nominated him to the U.S. District Court of Appeals, where he worked for another 12 years.
In a last-minute bid to derail his nomination to the Supreme Court, Senate Democrats trotted out allegations from 36 years ago to impeach his character. The allegations were never corroborated — not even by people the accuser said were witnesses. But the Democrats had gotten their wish, just like with Justice Clarence Thomas: They’d impugned a good man’s character, all in the name of politics. Still, Kavanaugh never caved, and he sits on the High Court today.
J.J. Watt
While other NFL payers were busy taking a knee to diss America, the Houston Texans defensive lineman decided to take as different tack.
“I’m sitting here watching the news and checking the Internet and seeing everything that’s going on with Hurricane Harvey and the damage it’s causing back home,” Watt said in a video he posted to Instagram on August 27, 2017. “It’s very difficult. That’s our city. It’s very tough to watch your city get hit by such a bad storm and not be there to help. Not be there to help with the recovery. Not be there to help with the process. It’s very tough.”
He made a simple request: “Please donate to help these people out.” And the money flowed in — more than $41 million to be exact. Now that’s making a difference.
Trenton Lewis
Never heard of Trenton Lewis? Most people hadn’t until a story appeared that told of his daily struggles. Lewis, 21, is raising a child on his own, 14-month old Karmen. “My pride is strong,” he told CNN. “Whatever she needs, I’m the person who is supposed to provide it for her.”
So every day, he walked 11 miles to get to his job for his 4 a.m. shift. He did that for seven months, never telling anyone. But his co-workers at a UPS facility in Little Rock, Arkansas, found out and they set out to make things better for Lewis. They raised $2,000 and got him a car. Then they called him into a meeting to surprise him with the keys to a 2006 Saturn Ion.
It was a small act, but the story exploded on the internet. Seems people like a bit of good news, too.
Aaron Feis
Aaron Feis was an assistant coach on the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School football team in Parkland, Fla. When a former student began a shooting spree at the high school, Feis reportedly ran toward the gunfire and used his body to shield three students from the shooter. He suffered a gunshot wound and died after he was rushed into surgery, one of 17 to perish that day.
“He died the same way he lived — he put himself second,” said the school’s football program spokesman Denise Lehtio. “He was a very kind soul, a very nice man. He died a hero.”
Yes, Feis didn’t marry a prince or accuse a Supreme Court nominee of sexual impropriety, but he changed the lives of all those around him, making him an ideal “Person of the Year.”
Operation Homefront
Operation Homefront’s mission is “to build strong, stable, and secure military families so they can thrive — not simply struggle to get by — in the communities they have worked so hard to protect.”
“Occasionally, military families struggle and need help with rent or mortgage payments, major repairs, utility bills, or groceries. Operation Homefront has fulfilled over 38,000 requests from military families across the U.S., providing more than $22.5 million in relief through our Critical Financial Assistance program. At Operation Homefront, 92 percent of expenditures go toward delivering our programs and services,” says the group.
The group also sponsors a “Military Child of the Year” award that goes to a child “who has designed a bold and creative solution to address a local, regional or global challenge.” Seems that winner’s work will be a bit more valuable than Bob Mueller’s.
Kevin Hart
Comedian and actor Kevin Hart’s worth a cool $150 million. He doesn’t need the headache of being the host of the 2018 Academy Awards, but he took on the job just the same (even though critics almost always roast the host). Within 48 hours, he was booted. Why? Because Hart said the words “gay” and “fag” on his Twitter feed years ago.
Hart did the right thing: “I sincerely apologize to the LGBTQ community for my insensitive words from my past,” he wrote on Twitter. But when the mob demanded another pound (or 80) of flesh, Hart said nuh uh.
“I swear, our world is becoming beyond crazy, and I’m not gonna let the craziness frustrate me or anger me, especially when I’ve worked hard to get to the mental space that I’m at now,” he said. “I’m almost 40 years old. If you don’t believe that people change, grow, evolve as they get older, I don’t know what to tell you.” Exactly right.