How Can 2020 Possibly Be Redeemed? People Offer Their Opinions.

This year has been very…challenging so far.

Every single thing that could have gone wrong seems to have happened and we’re only halfway through 2020.

But, as you know, it’s important to remain positive and to at least hope that things will get better.

So let’s all be good to each other and pray that things turn around quickly.

Folks on AskReddit offered their opinions on what could possibly redeem 2020.

1. That would be amazing.

“While searching for a Covid-19 treatment, someone discovers a cheap broad spectrum anti-viral.

Think the discovery of penicillin, just for viruses.”

2. Keep your fingers crossed.

“Someone discovers how to cure cancer cheaply and easily.”

3. A personal victory.

“I currently have a crush on a girl who works at the bank. I’m not sure if she is interested in me as well. I get a little nervous when I talk to her. I think she already knows I am interested in her.

If I get the chance to ask her out on a date and she says yes, I will climb a mountain and yell with happiness that she said yes.”

4. Let’s feel the love.

“Love, understanding, patience.

For me 2020 is like winter in Game of Thrones. So what would redeem 2020 is for people to realize that life is crazy for everyone but when we work together with love, understanding and patience we can go through anything and actually thrive.

It’s like the saying goes: when the snows fall and the white winds blow, the lone wolf dies but the pack survives. Humanity is the ultimate pack. If people realize this we will not only have redeemed 2020 but every single year after that as well.”

5. They should do this.

“The government forgiving my wife and my student loans for being essential healthcare workers.”

6. Please!

“Everyone actually judging people by their actions and the end of identity politics.”

7. Have to act now.

“Governments and massive organisations taking climate change seriously and actually doing something about it to reverse the problem….”

8. A big change.

“A drastic change of how our governments are functioning and how the officials that are supposed  to protect us are operating.

It’s time that the main goals of a country aim to protect its people – not profit off of and harm all who serve to protect the corrupt at little personal gain.”

9.  The well being of all.

“A sense of humanity and responsibility amongst everyone.

When humans feel responsible not just for themselves but for others, the good and well being of all.

That would redeem everything.”

10. Let’s hear it.

“To have all the governments, secret services, special forces, security/intelligence agencies, secret religious ‘guardians of the truth’ societies, etc WORLDWIDE come clean with all their dirty secrets, lies and misinformation.

Fucking waterboard the lot of them if that’s what it takes. Then, when everyone is on the same page and the conspiracy theorists are happy (they can be quiet for a while then, too), we can actually start to right some wrongs, and maybe, just maybe, humanity can advance in unity towards a common goal.

No one gets out of life alive, most of us ultimately want the same things, so if we can get our shit together, start playing on the same team, share knowledge/resources, and have some fucking compassion/empathy/respect for one another, 2020 might be salvageable. I dunno.

Send everyone to their rooms and don’t let them out until they’re ready to give it a go??”

11. Wouldn’t that be great?

“David Bowie is found to not be dead after all but has spent years in hiding recording new music.”

12. Smoke up!

“The cure to COVID-19 turns out to be hidden in cannabis plants and the whole world decriminalizes’ it making it legal worldwide.”

13. Real progress.

“World wide ban on punishment for being lgbtq+.

Not yet marriage everywhere. Just no more beatings and executions. No one going to jail for being queer. I would also hope that the BLM protests make a big change. Less murdering black trans women would be a nice touch.”

14. Wouldn’t it be nice?

“Benevolent aliens landing on Earth and staging an intervention, bringing gifts of science, knowledge and humanity.”

15. A new health standard.

“Not sure about the rest of the world, But I know what could be great for America.

Covid 19 bringing a complete reset in the health industry. Changing it from ridiculously priced treatment to affordable prices for basic human rights.

Not only that, but due to the protests a complete change in law enforcement as well so there’s no situations where law enforcement has the ability to shoot down someone non hostile.

These two changes would be well worth the 6 months of quarantine and poverty Covid has brought on the world.”

Okay, now we want to hear from you!

In the comments, tell us about how you think this disastrous year can be redeemed.

Please and thank you!

The post How Can 2020 Possibly Be Redeemed? People Offer Their Opinions. appeared first on UberFacts.

People Talk About What They Think Can Redeem 2020

When the books are written, 2020 is gonna be a big chapter, probably up there with 1968.

We have civil unrest, protests, a divided populace, a health crisis, and a whole other host of issues we’re dealing with right now.

So, what could possibly redeem 2020?

Here’s what AskReddit users had to say.

1. You never know…

“Scientists discover that a unique side-effect experienced by COVID survivors is that their lungs develop the ability to sequester carbon directly from the air, which gets processed in their bodies and harmlessly removed in their stool.

And that’s how COVID becomes the unexpected cure for climate change and carbon pollution.

Which sounds silly, but I also never in a million years would have guessed that 2020 would see the revival of drive-in cinema (still hard to believe I’m typing this), so what the hell?”

2. Here’s how you should do it.

“Benevolent, advanced aliens publicly stepping in to correct the course of our civilization.”

3. Time for progress.

“Progress.

Actual remedies for the problems that got us here.

Criminal Justice Reform and and Public Health policy that prevents pandemics instead of just reacting to them.”

4. Let’s hope for it!

“Scientists find a cure for Covid and miraculously Cancer as well.

Government works out universal health care, universal basic income. The mars rover accidentally trips the the alien tera-forming button a-la Total Recall.

Elon Musk unveils he’s invented teleportation and an unlimited energy supply. Peace reins across the world. Atlantis is discovered.

We receive contact from an alien society that was just waiting for us to evolve enough to be civil in the universal society.

We learn all of us are one and the cosmos groove electric.”

5. Come together.

“People realize how unity is required to overcome the most difficult challenges on earth so people come together to challenge, among other things:

Global Warming

Income Inequality

Racism.”

6. Could happen…

“If a bag filled with $50,000,000,000 in crisp thousand dollar bills suddenly falls from the sky and lands in my front yard…”

7. Just wear a damn mask!

“The anti-maskers realize what idiots they’ve been and stop making everything worse with their conspiracy theories and dumbfuckery.”

8. We need it.

“At least for here in America, the election of a candidate who takes the role of president seriously, can lead us through national tragedies, and organize people to find solutions rather than cause more problems.”

9. Here’s the list.

“Free universal wifi released without comcast or Verizon stopping it somehow.

Jeff Bezos decides to open a new warehouse in every major city, but instead turns them into homeless shelters.

The government gets out of the student loan game. Causing tuition to drop and loans to become affordable again.

Cure for cancer

Game of thrones releases a secret 9th season with 10 episodes showing brann brann having visions of season 8 making it retconned.

Me getting a girlfriend.”

10. Just do it, already.

“The national legalization of weed in the US that would make my year.”

11. The time is NOW.

“Big steps being made to mitigate the climate catastrophe we have waiting for us in the next decade or two.”

12. Here, here!

“4-day work weeks, universal income, social reform.”

13. Who could that be…?

“A certain US president losing his reelection might be a start on the path to redemption.

But the broad spectrum antiviral discovery would be good too.”

14. Education is important.

“Making people more educated on how can we to do something for one another with love and compassionate to one another.”

15. Shut it all down.

“For America, most immediately, it would be shutting things down. No talk of the NFL returning, shops reopening, K-12 schools reopening, or colleges reopening in the fall.

Ideally, we would lock things down solidly through the end of the year, suspend nonessential travel between states, and find funds to support everyone through this. If other countries can do it, and if we always find funds to bail out banks and corporations, why not care for our people?

Employers would be required to allow employees to work from home, and justify why others must remain onsite. Those who must work onsite would have access to daily testing via their employer. Free testing for everyone, and free care for those who test positive.

To continue this fantasy, employers would also be required to develop policies for employees to work offsite long-term, and face real penalties for firing employees or outsourcing jobs. Again, ideally, this would bring about a shift in management models nationwide.

I think we have a tendency to think that all of this, from the inability to have a football season to universities only offering online classes, is a permanent thing, and it isn’t–or it doesn’t have to be, if we really make an attempt at locking down.

Other things that seem unrealistic atm, but could be possible some day: voting from home, more options for students to learn remotely, and for free, a total revamp of the current K-12 curriculum, free healthcare, free assessments and mental healthcare starting in childhood, better support systems in communities, especially for our poorest, youngest and elderly members, truly separating church and state, getting money out of politics, everyone having the time and inclination to pay attention to and get involved with local, state, and national politics, reigniting an interest in recycling and conservation, giving people the time, money, resources, and freedom for self-actualization from an early age.

There are so many things that would make 2020 and our future better.”

16. To the future!

“It turns out 2020 was just the introduction to 2021 when all of humanity gets an extremely fast change of mentality. By 2025 we turn this bitch around and the world turns into something similar to an utopian planet where there’s no crime, corruption or prejudice. We finally reach the golden age.

Science, education and culture get all the funding that we gave to military and marketing, so within 20 years we colonize other planets, and by 2070 we start colonizing other galaxies too.

By 2147 we discover traces of an unknown element on one of the surrounding planets. Two years later a weird crate is found on mars, holding some advanced technology. Scientist study it and quickly find out how mass effect fields work, which results in humans finally discovering Faster Than Light travel.

But before we can even get to use it, we find out that one of Pluto’s moons is actually some technology, some kind of relay, that’s been there for thousands of years. We dig it up only to realize that it’s a mass effect relay that basically teleports you to various parts of space.

In 2157, the first contact is made.”

What do you think?

What could happen that would redeem this awful year?

Talk to us in the comments!

The post People Talk About What They Think Can Redeem 2020 appeared first on UberFacts.

People Talk About What They Think Can Redeem 2020

When the books are written, 2020 is gonna be a big chapter, probably up there with 1968.

We have civil unrest, protests, a divided populace, a health crisis, and a whole other host of issues we’re dealing with right now.

So, what could possibly redeem 2020?

Here’s what AskReddit users had to say.

1. You never know…

“Scientists discover that a unique side-effect experienced by COVID survivors is that their lungs develop the ability to sequester carbon directly from the air, which gets processed in their bodies and harmlessly removed in their stool.

And that’s how COVID becomes the unexpected cure for climate change and carbon pollution.

Which sounds silly, but I also never in a million years would have guessed that 2020 would see the revival of drive-in cinema (still hard to believe I’m typing this), so what the hell?”

2. Here’s how you should do it.

“Benevolent, advanced aliens publicly stepping in to correct the course of our civilization.”

3. Time for progress.

“Progress.

Actual remedies for the problems that got us here.

Criminal Justice Reform and and Public Health policy that prevents pandemics instead of just reacting to them.”

4. Let’s hope for it!

“Scientists find a cure for Covid and miraculously Cancer as well.

Government works out universal health care, universal basic income. The mars rover accidentally trips the the alien tera-forming button a-la Total Recall.

Elon Musk unveils he’s invented teleportation and an unlimited energy supply. Peace reins across the world. Atlantis is discovered.

We receive contact from an alien society that was just waiting for us to evolve enough to be civil in the universal society.

We learn all of us are one and the cosmos groove electric.”

5. Come together.

“People realize how unity is required to overcome the most difficult challenges on earth so people come together to challenge, among other things:

Global Warming

Income Inequality

Racism.”

6. Could happen…

“If a bag filled with $50,000,000,000 in crisp thousand dollar bills suddenly falls from the sky and lands in my front yard…”

7. Just wear a damn mask!

“The anti-maskers realize what idiots they’ve been and stop making everything worse with their conspiracy theories and dumbfuckery.”

8. We need it.

“At least for here in America, the election of a candidate who takes the role of president seriously, can lead us through national tragedies, and organize people to find solutions rather than cause more problems.”

9. Here’s the list.

“Free universal wifi released without comcast or Verizon stopping it somehow.

Jeff Bezos decides to open a new warehouse in every major city, but instead turns them into homeless shelters.

The government gets out of the student loan game. Causing tuition to drop and loans to become affordable again.

Cure for cancer

Game of thrones releases a secret 9th season with 10 episodes showing brann brann having visions of season 8 making it retconned.

Me getting a girlfriend.”

10. Just do it, already.

“The national legalization of weed in the US that would make my year.”

11. The time is NOW.

“Big steps being made to mitigate the climate catastrophe we have waiting for us in the next decade or two.”

12. Here, here!

“4-day work weeks, universal income, social reform.”

13. Who could that be…?

“A certain US president losing his reelection might be a start on the path to redemption.

But the broad spectrum antiviral discovery would be good too.”

14. Education is important.

“Making people more educated on how can we to do something for one another with love and compassionate to one another.”

15. Shut it all down.

“For America, most immediately, it would be shutting things down. No talk of the NFL returning, shops reopening, K-12 schools reopening, or colleges reopening in the fall.

Ideally, we would lock things down solidly through the end of the year, suspend nonessential travel between states, and find funds to support everyone through this. If other countries can do it, and if we always find funds to bail out banks and corporations, why not care for our people?

Employers would be required to allow employees to work from home, and justify why others must remain onsite. Those who must work onsite would have access to daily testing via their employer. Free testing for everyone, and free care for those who test positive.

To continue this fantasy, employers would also be required to develop policies for employees to work offsite long-term, and face real penalties for firing employees or outsourcing jobs. Again, ideally, this would bring about a shift in management models nationwide.

I think we have a tendency to think that all of this, from the inability to have a football season to universities only offering online classes, is a permanent thing, and it isn’t–or it doesn’t have to be, if we really make an attempt at locking down.

Other things that seem unrealistic atm, but could be possible some day: voting from home, more options for students to learn remotely, and for free, a total revamp of the current K-12 curriculum, free healthcare, free assessments and mental healthcare starting in childhood, better support systems in communities, especially for our poorest, youngest and elderly members, truly separating church and state, getting money out of politics, everyone having the time and inclination to pay attention to and get involved with local, state, and national politics, reigniting an interest in recycling and conservation, giving people the time, money, resources, and freedom for self-actualization from an early age.

There are so many things that would make 2020 and our future better.”

16. To the future!

“It turns out 2020 was just the introduction to 2021 when all of humanity gets an extremely fast change of mentality. By 2025 we turn this bitch around and the world turns into something similar to an utopian planet where there’s no crime, corruption or prejudice. We finally reach the golden age.

Science, education and culture get all the funding that we gave to military and marketing, so within 20 years we colonize other planets, and by 2070 we start colonizing other galaxies too.

By 2147 we discover traces of an unknown element on one of the surrounding planets. Two years later a weird crate is found on mars, holding some advanced technology. Scientist study it and quickly find out how mass effect fields work, which results in humans finally discovering Faster Than Light travel.

But before we can even get to use it, we find out that one of Pluto’s moons is actually some technology, some kind of relay, that’s been there for thousands of years. We dig it up only to realize that it’s a mass effect relay that basically teleports you to various parts of space.

In 2157, the first contact is made.”

What do you think?

What could happen that would redeem this awful year?

Talk to us in the comments!

The post People Talk About What They Think Can Redeem 2020 appeared first on UberFacts.

A Judge Who Once Sentenced a Man to Prison Swore Him in as an Attorney

It was twenty years ago when Hillsdale County Circuit Court Judge Michael Smith sentenced Robert VanSumeren to 70-240 months in prison for robbery. This November, Smith showed everyone the meaning of a second chance by swearing in the 40-year-old as the county’s 169th attorney.

Joined by his wife, Dana, his two sons, and his sponsor, Marie Reimers, VanSumeren has officially completed his unbelievable redemption story, which began on the wrong side of Judge Smith’s courtroom all the way back in 1999. After his parents split up during his teenage years, VanSumeren turned to drugs and alcohol to cope with the pain. Unfortunately, those vices led to same damaging decisions, including robbing a gas station with a BB gun. Following an unarmed bank robbery, VanSumeren found himself in front of Judge Smith, who sent the newly convicted felon to prison.

Spending six years behind bars taught VanSumeren a valuable lesson and inspired him to turn his life around. Upon his release in 2005, the formerly troubled teen showed he would not squander a second chance at success. VanSumeren studied hard and earned a bachelors degree from Western Michigan University in 2006 before finishing up his masters in 2009. Yet, that wasn’t enough for the former inmate.

“Even as I started working on my bachelor’s and master’s in humanities, law kept floating back through my mind, but the obstacle was I didn’t know if I could make it,” he said.

In 2015, VanSumeren began his law degree at Wayne State University. While enrolled, he ironically learned from the same federal prosecutors and former judges who he detested back in his teenage years. Despite self-doubt about whether he should be open about his past, the father of two came to realize that he had to embrace all aspects of his story in order to move forward in his quest to become an attorney.

“In the community of people who have had legal troubles but have gone on to be professionals, there’s a debate about whether to disclose or not to disclose, to kind of go on with your life or talk about it,” he said. “I’ve chosen to talk about it and tell my story, and when people find out they’ve generally been very supportive.”

VanSumeren earned his law degree in early 2018 before passing the bar exam in July of that same year. However, he still had another significant hurdle to pass: getting the approval of the Character and Fitness Committee. After a lengthy process, the committee gave its blessing and recommended VanSumeren for approval to join the State Bar of Michigan.

His journey from inmate to attorney would not have been possible without the support of Reimers. Now a staff attorney at Lakeshore Legal Aid, Reimers befriended VanSumeren during their first year of law school. She commends her former classmate for his perseverance and believes he is a great example for others to follow.

“It takes a lot of courage to go to law school and pass the bar exam knowing that there’s something in your past from when you were 19 that might keep you from becoming an attorney,” she said. “I’m just so proud of him.”

Judge Smith echoed Reimers’ sentiments for Hillsdale County’s newest attorney, stating that VanSumeren should be commended for his turnaround. That reaction is obviously rare in any courthouse, so let this case show you that it is never too late to write a redemption story.

Case closed.

The post A Judge Who Once Sentenced a Man to Prison Swore Him in as an Attorney appeared first on UberFacts.