Fulton County Ohio Media

Is there any more that can be said about the Trump-incited mob that attacked the U.S. Capital Building yesterday that has not already been voiced by someone? I’m sure there will be, but will it change what happened? Of course not. Will it make any difference? We can only hope and pray. The tragic event that took place on Capital Hill on January 6, 2021 will now take it’s rightful place in the “Where Were You When” category of American history under the “Shameful, Needless and Preventable” sub-group.

So, who do we blame? Better yet, who do we not blame? We all saw it coming and we all let it happen. Donald Trump began constructing this bomb since the beginning of the 2016 Presidential campaign. When, to the surprise of many, including Donald himself, he won the election, he moved his bomb making lab into the White House. From there he began to perfect his weapons of mass distraction and test fired one every time he found himself in political hot waters. Yesterday he launched his most destructive and lethal one to date. And, hopefully, his last.

Finally, after yesterday’s insurrection which failed to achieve Trump’s objective, Donald is agreeing to a “smooth and peaceful” transition of power. If true, it comes two months too late. But nobody will be holding their breath waiting for it to happen. Regardless, Donald and the Trump family will be out of office in less than two weeks. The next question is how do we recover and where do we go from here?

Undoubtedly, it will take many years, a lot of work and a lot more understanding, compromise and forgiveness to heal our nation. We have never been more divided in a four year stretch since the years of 1861 to 1865. Obviously, our differences and disagreements over past four years pale in comparison to what took place 160 years ago so it gives us much hope that we come back from this and return to the great nation and role model to the rest of the world we used to be.

For now, the causes behind the self-inflicted black eye American suffered on Capital Hill yesterday will be analyzed and debated in search of a vaccine that will protect us from repeating a similar attack of our democracy. Many will still argue in support of the violence but their voices will fade and reason will take hold. I still have faith in America.

If 2020 has taught us anything it’s to never doubt that the entire world can flip upside down with very little notice and it will not flip back without a monumental effort from nearly every person in every country on the planet. Life on earth will not return to “normal” just because we hung a new calendar on the wall. As convenient as it may be, we cannot blame current circumstances, good or bad, on a time period. The challenges faced by the human race with the current pandemic will be at least as difficult as they were 100 years ago if not more. The pandemic of 1918 did not disappear in 1919. In fact, it stretched into 1920. I would encourage everyone to be as vigilant as possible in whatever you do and wherever you go in 2021. The virus is real. It’s effects are real. The safety measures recommended by medical science to avoid COVID-19 are also real. The choice is yours. Please choose wisely.

My name is Bill O’Connell and I live in Swanton, Ohio, a village of approximately 3700 residents located about 15 miles west of Toledo. I retired in 2012 and began helping my family restore and re-open a shuttered bowling center and banquet hall which took just over one year. Several months after it was up and running I began working as a sub-contracted sports journalist/photographer for the Swanton Enterprise and Fulton County Expositor. Just short of two years with those two weekly papers I took a similar position with the Village Reporter, a weekly publication that covered Fulton and Williams County and held that for almost four years. While with the Reporter I covered virtually every type of event from sports to festivals to council and school board meetings to business ribbon cuttings.

Now I am trying something very similar in substance but very different from a technology aspect, a blog and website. My plan is to continue covering local sports, including all seven Fulton County school districts with photography and short articles along with human interest stories from around Fulton County. I will also write editorials on various subjects and will continue a daily cartoon called “About Face” that I now post on my Facebook page. To start, there will be very few postings on my site but my goal is to develop it over the next few months. Also, any photos I publish can be copied for no charge. I will be looking for an easier way to make my photos available. Please let any of your friends and relatives know about my site if you think they may be interested. Thank you.