Year’s End

The Moving Finger writes, and having writ,
Moves on: nor all your Piety nor Wit
Shall lure it back to cancel half a line,
Nor all your tears wash out a Word of it.
--

Omar Khayyam.

Ten years ago this month, the nation was consumed with the saga of Bill Clinton's impeachment over the Monica Lewinsky affair. The House of Representatives brought the articles on Dec. 19; debate raged through Christmas and New Year's, and many an otherwise pleasant holiday party was no doubt spoiled by disputes over whether Clinton should resign in deserved disgrace for his offenses against his office, or fight the politically trumped-up charges about an affair that was nobody's business but his wife's.

Today all that seems so long ago and far away. So: Ten years from now, what will be remembered of 2008?

Barack Obama's election to the presidency, of course. That moment marked the culmination of an American journey -- one in which the nation took more than 200 years to fulfill the proposition that all men are created equal. Whatever the future may hold for the Obama administration, nothing can sully that triumph.

Without a doubt, Americans also will recall the economic implosion of the past few months. The challenge of the hour is to live through it well, so that others may look back with admiration at the country's capacity for fortitude and hope.

The world will remember some highlights and records from the Beijing Olympics. In China, they will recall as well the devastating earthquake in Sichuan. In India, they will remember the terrorist attacks in Mumbai. In Georgia, they will remember Russian incursion. In Kosovo, they will recall the date on the anniversary of independence, and Nepal will mark it as the anniversary of democracy.

But much else that so inflamed passions this year will fade into the forgotten realms of trivia quizzes. Who will recall Eliot Spitzer's dalliance with Kristen? Or the controversies surrounding the Rev. Jeremiah Wright and Bill Ayers? The name Rod Blagojevich will prompt head-scratching: Wasn't he a tight end for the Detroit Lions? Even Sarah Palin might merit only a footnote.

In world-historical terms, perhaps the most significant event was one of the least contentious: the Large Hadron Collider near Geneva went online. But science is a tree that bears fruit slowly, and no one will know what may come of the research at CERN for perhaps many years.

. . .

Closer to home, the year seemed more placid. The General Assembly debated matters such as payday lending, a smoking ban, and uranium mining, but left no lasting legacy for good or ill. The courts threw out one half of a transportation funding package on the grounds that it was unconstitutional; the voters threw out the other half on the grounds that it was laughable.

Some things that ought not to have happened, such as the departure of the Richmond Braves, did. Some things that ought to have happened, such as efforts to improve Richmond's jail, did not.

Altria moved to Virginia. Gene Nichol left William and Mary. Chesterfield debated growth in the Upper Swift Creek area. Richmonders participated in a lengthy, healthy, and fruitful series of forums on a new master plan for downtown. Henrico sought to clear up confusion surrounding ZIP codes and taxes.

Umesh Dalal, the city auditor, continued to catalog the Augean Stables of city government. Deborah Jewell-Sherman stepped down from her perch as superintendent of the city schools, which posted gains during her tenure. Interim Superintendent Yvonne Brandon made a strong impression. VCU endured continuing fallout from Rodney Monroe's degree, and Virginia Tech continued to wrestle with the aftermath of the April 2007 massacre.

In Chesterfield, huge turnout for the Democratic primary left some precincts overwhelmed -- and county officials chastened. In Petersburg, St. Joseph School nearly folded, and was rescued by a fundraising campaign. Powhatan was struck by a horrific shooting homicide, while crime in Richmond continued to fall. Colonial Heights, Suffolk, and other spots were hit by tornadoes. There was turbulence in the local economy, too -- notably (but not exclusively) at LandAmerica, Circuit City, Chesapeake Corp., Genworth, Busch (bought by Belgians ), and Hilb Rogal & Hobbs (bought by Brits).

. . .

Locally, these names also made note: James Crupi, a consultant who made a return engagement in River City, which he found (mostly) better than when he had left it 15 years before; Sheila Hill-Christian, who departed the Wilder administration in a mysterious hurry; Eric Cantor -- who did not make it to the bottom of the GOP presidential ticket, but who did make it nearly to the top of the Republican leadership in the House, where he took over as minority whip; and Dwight Jones, who left the General Assembly to win election as Richmond's next mayor.

And these names were inscribed on tombstones: Millie Jones; William F. Buckley Jr.; Al Smith; David Thomas Shannon; Richard Lower; Alma Hunt; Jesse Helms; Alexander Sozhenitsyn; Malcolm Pitt Jr.; Frederick Scott Bocock; Elsie Holland; Avery Cardinal Dulles; and Richard Charles Holmquist. They are remembered -- fondly.