AND THEY'RE OFF! — The Weekly Opine

A lot could change in the next 11 months. (Photo credit The Weekly Opine)

Contenders already stepping up

It’s never too early to start getting it right. So, today The Weekly Opine announces the first batch of 2025 Person of the Year candidates.

Obviously, there is plenty of time to add to, or subtract from, this preliminary list. Still, the charade emanating from the nation’s capital begs us to recognize measures of sobriety right now. We endeavor to acknowledge acts of courage, sanity and goodwill toward others. Many of us know that common sense and compassion are two of the main ingredients missing from our fractured discourse. So, why not give a shout out to some of the people trying to make things better?

Once again, it takes a woman to stand up to Trump. (Photos credit Washington Post)

Bishop Mariann Budde

An early frontrunner, Bishop Budde calmly, and with sincere authority, dissected Trump when the fake Christian, felon president dared show up at her church the morning after inauguration. Bishop Budde turned the attention-grabbing spectacle of the Trump klan and his VP JD Vance, all pretending to be of The Word, into a lesson about speaking truth to power. Interviewed the following day, Bishop Budde said she wanted to show how “mercy and compassion” are two of the “pillars of unity.” Wholly unafraid of the bully Trump and his newly pardoned January 6 convicts, Bishop Budde’s sermon conjured up images of the biblical David. She ‘slew’ Goliath while he shifted uncomfortably in his seat. Maybe, petrified members of Congress were inspired, will locate their courage, and will follow Bishop Budde’s example.

Pardon? “No thanks” said this grandmother. (Photo credit BBC)

Pam Hemphill

Speaking of pardons, 71-year-old, self-proclaimed MAGA granny Pam Hemphill refused to accept Trump’s foolish pardon. Ms. Hemphill, who plead guilty at trial, said plainly, “It’s an insult to the Capitol Police, to the rule of law and to the nation. If I accept a pardon, I’m continuing their propaganda, their gaslighting and all their falsehoods they’re putting out there about January 6.” Ms. Hemphill also equated the ‘Stop the Steal’ movement to a cult. It may be wishful thinking, but hopefully other MAGAs (some of whom I know personally) will at long last become stewards of the fairness and compassion they pretend to embrace at church every Sunday. As the saying goes, “Ms. Hemphill, your table is ready.”

Chef Jose Andres

Whether the need is in the Gaza strip, or a hurricane-ravaged community in Haiti or the U.S. Southeast, or wildfire-ravaged Los Angeles, Chef Jose quickly springs into action, mobilizing his World Central Kitchen to feed people in desperate need of food. While too many government officials engage in fruitless finger-pointing, excuse-making and threats to withhold life-saving assistance, Chef Jose chooses positive, purposeful conduct over divisive, negative chatter. Way back in November 2017, I wrote a column about Chef Jose, one of the world’s greatest humanitarians. As I said in 2017, Chef Jose’s power of persuasion, sheer force of will and determination are awe inspiring. He remains a beacon of hope in a world that’s gone mad. It’s not surprising Chef Jose received the prestigious Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Biden a few weeks ago.

Another strong woman leader. (Photo credit Axios)

Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum

A world leader not afraid of Trump, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum mixes intelligence-fueled practicality with a dash of sarcasm and amusement when dealing with the childlike hoodlum Trump. Her retort regarding Trump’s quackery that the Gulf of Mexico be renamed the Gulf of America was priceless. President Sheinbaum said that North America should be renamed “Mexican America.” She concluded saying “the entire world” will still call the Gulf of Mexico the Gulf of Mexico. Clearly, smarter than Trump, President Sheinbaum responded to Trump’s threats of tariffs on Mexican products with an understanding of the danger tariffs pose. President Sheinbaum said Mexico would respond in kind, that tariffs are “not acceptable” and would lead to inflation and unemployment in both countries. Sheinbaum has agreed to conditionally accept some deportees from the U.S.

Did somebody say “they ‘get it’?” (Photo credit The Weekly Opine)

Costco management and shareholders

At a time when billionaire tech bros risk spraining their ankles, as they step over one another trying to curry favor with Trump, Costco chose to zig while other companies’ zag. It’s not a matter of bravery or heroism. It’s just that Costco is committed to their principles, confirmed when shareholders voted to retain Costco’s DEI initiatives. Simply put, Costco said, “A diverse group of employees helps bring originality and creativity to our merchandise.” Costco explained its “commitment to an enterprise rooted in respect and inclusion is appropriate and necessary.” So, while corporations – including my former employer McDonald’s – choose the scaredy cat route by sucking up to Trump, Costco stands tall like the Burj Khalifa skyscraper towering over the Dubai landscape.

Imagine Snoop Dogg’s surprise when his Instagram account lost more than half a million followers. (Photos credit Yahoo, Instagram)

The 571,000

Remember last year when Snoop Dogg was the toast of American culture? Dogg was omnipresent, pushing consumer products like Corona beer, appearing in TV ads with Martha Stewart, and he was all over NBC’s Olympics coverage. Snoop showed up during NBC Sports NFL broadcasts. Then Dogg turned into a “dog” when he made the mistake of performing at a recent Trump inauguration event. This after saying in 2017 that any Blacks supporting Trump are “sell-outs.” On cue, after he performed for Trump, more than half a million of Snoop’s Instagram followers hit the “unfollow” button. It was a massive “see ya” delivered by every day, regular folks who know a chump when they see one. For taking action those 571,000 people, names unknown, are in the running for Person of the Year.

But wait, there must be more

By no means am I suggesting this is a complete list of early bird Person of the Year candidates. You probably have other worthy candidates. If so, feel free to share them with me. But after the barrage of cruelty and stupidity displayed by the Trump administration, commencing with his inauguration, it’s a suitable time to focus on folks using their brains and platforms to help rather than harm.

Can I get an “amen?”