It started out with pure controversy. 
And bit idiocy, due to Y2K.

Now, let’s start.
The United States presidential election of 2000.
Which looking back now, 10 years later, has literally shaped our country to what it is.
On November 7, 2000. Al Gore, the nominee for the Democratic Party, is announced President of the United States at 7:50 P.M. Eastern Time. The announcement came shortly after Gore presumably won the State of Florida’s critical 25 electoral votes, 10 minutes before polls officially closed. Which ensured victory. 
(Trust me, if you’re not big on politics, it’s confusing.) 
[Think of the Presidential Election as high school. You announce your run for presidency to the students. And eventually as the votes come in, the least popular are eliminated. Until two are left. With one winner that will run the school. With of course restrictions, as in politics. Now, we got the “popular vote” from the students a.k.a. the citizens of America. And then we got the “Electoral College” being the votes from the teachers a.k.a. the Representatives. Now this is where it gets really confusing. Basically, people aren’t voting for the president, they’re voting for a indirect election. Basically meaning, you’re voting for the teacher choice of either nominee one or nominee two. Let’s say there’s twelve teachers. If nine out of twelve teacher’s choices were elected to be nominee one, then nominee one wins automatically. So in conclusion, you’re voting on what decision the teacher will vote for. It’s confusing.]
Now, as Gore was presume winner. Shortly after, Bush was said to actually have won Florida. Which resulted to Florida claiming “undecided” and was issued to make a recount. And just six hours later, Bush was claimed winner of Florida and elected as President of the US. The controversy comes in small details. Biggest being that Bush’s brother, Jeb, ensured victory for his brother, no matter what. Coming off to many as a rigged election. Rigged or not. Bush was declared president. At least for the next four years.

 
As the year went on, Bush was actually a popular and positive president. The public loved him and he had a huge approve rating. But all changed on the day where our country as we once knew it ended. 
2001.
The Attacks of September Eleven. 
President Franklin D. Roosevelt once said that the attacks on Pearl Harbor were to be “a day that will live in infamy.” As tragic as Pearl Harbor was, that was a military base attacked by a military force. The attacks of the World Trade Center in New York are another story. That was an attack on people. Not Americans, or soldiers, or workers, but people. With families who they thought they would see that night. Over 3,000 lives were lost. Leaving a scar that some say will never heal to those who saw those buildings collapse that tragic day. A day I remember clearly. A day I will forget. A day which will live in infamy, not just for America, but for the world. Causing some of the biggest events of the decade.


2001-2002-2003.
The War on Terror and the War in Iraq.

Just two months after 9/11, America went to war with Al-Qaeda forces in Afghanistan. Starting a path that will leave (and still is) thousands dead, trillions of dollars spent, a country (if not two) in ruins, and a hated president. At first it seemed that the war was going to be relatively short. Al-Qaeda forces were easily overtaken by American forces. But the turning point came when Osama Bin-Laden was able to escape and abide capture, just a couple of short hundred meters away from American bombings and Rangers. Now, as of today, his location (and his well-being) is still unknown. Some say if his capture ever were to take place, too much damage has been done to make a difference. Acting as bullet wound infected on the war. It’s no longer about 9/11. Now, many say, it’s just a vendetta. As the war went on, Bush was backed by the public and congress. But in 2003, all changed once again when Bush asked for a Declaration of War against Iraq. Claiming the country not only was heavily populated by Al-Qaeda forces. But also hosting deadly and dangerous Weapons of Mass Destruction at the hand of Dictator, Saddam Hussein. Millions all over the world protested an invasion on Iraq. Saying it was unnecessary and another personal vendetta for the Gulf War. The invasion (and war) took place anyway. And in months, Saddam was captured. But the memorable part of this event (and war again) was that no WMD’s were ever found. Ending with many saying, the war was about oil control. The war officially ended on August 30, 2010. 7 years & 152 days later.

2004.
The “Boxing Day” Earthquake in the Indian Ocean and Tsunami in Indonesia.
On December 26, 2004, a 9.3 earthquake occurred off the coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. The third largest and the longest (10 minutes) earthquake ever recorded in history. The earthquake was so strong, it literally changed the surface of the planet. Submerging parts of Indonesia. The earthquake also triggered a series of devastating tsunamis along the entire coast of the Indian Ocean. In the end, over 300,000 lives were lost. Over 10 million were left homeless. And billions of dollars of damage occurred. But the Humanitarian response was even more overwhelming than the disaster. The world came together and helped. Donating over 14 billion dollars to restoration. Being one of the highest donations in history as well.


Mother Nature took no rest though, and just couple months later visited the other side of the globe.
2005.
Hurricane Katrina.
A disaster that is shameful when it comes to the response of the American Government. Many flee when a hurricane is to strike a city. Some stay. In either case, the city usually isn’t destroyed to an unrecognizable point. Hurricane Katrina did just that. In less than 24 hours, the eye of the storm hit and overwhelmed the city’s levee system. The sudden amount of rising waters caused the levees to give way and fail. Leaving the water to flow freely over the city. The storm wasn’t the issue, nor the event we remember. The story we remember is people of New Orleans being literally left to fend for themselves. Some stranded on the roofs of their homes. Some on amateur boats. Some in the dirty water. It took FEMA over a week to give any response. As weeks went by, the city fell into chaos. Looting took place all over. And violence rose to a deadly point. Some stole food for their family. Some stole flat screens. The National Guard did not care. And the response some guards took was just disgusting. The government’s decision was to place all victims in the Louisiana Super Dome. Calling it “a shelter of last resort.” As time went by, the city became unhealthy. With all the filth left from the storm’s debris, flu viruses spread. Along with other diseases. Causing the “state of emergency” city to simply get worse. Most of the residents lost their homes and businesses. Thousands left homeless, which resulted to many leaving the city. As they thought it was beyond repairable. In the end, almost over 2,000 lives were lost. And over a staggering 170 billion dollars in damage. Making it the most costliest hurricane in history.


2007-2008-2009.
The Economic Crisis in America. 
This one is not only confusing as well. It’s also down right an annoying problem that hasn’t, nor is it, going to go away any time soon. From 2007 to present, over 9 major (well-known) banks were bailed out to prevent bankruptcy. The government loaned billions! The result of the meltdown was started as a domino effect. Once the banks started to fail, mortgages went up, people couldn’t afford their homes, homes were lost, people spent less, jobs were going down, so on so forth. This separately isn’t all that serious, we can live through it. Most know how it feels to live on a tight budget. But with all of this to happen in less than three years caused the country to meltdown. Almost to the point of a new depression. And now, an inevitable recession. The collapse of the housing bubble was just the start of it. To this day, the economy still doesn’t even deserve to be in the trash. While America’s hard working are making nothing. Wall Street, who two years ago was that same trash, is now making more than ever.


2008.
The Presidential Election of Barack Obama.
This one is funny. Many whine. Many cheer. In the end, it’s history. After 43 Caucasian presidents. An African-American man was voted in the Oval Office. Barack Obama was a relatively unknown senator from Illinois prior to the election. But took the country by storm. From his promises of change and hope. To his race. To his secretly impressive political background. Obama easily went one to be one of the choices for nominee of the Democratic Party. The amazing thing was that if Barack wasn’t chosen to be the nominee, Hillary Clinton would have been. Either way, we would have a female or African-American for nominee to run for president. Obama won and went on to accept his nominee. When election day came along. Barack Obama, by a landslide, beat opponent Senator John McCain and went on to be the first African-American President. 
 

2010.
Haiti & B.P. & the Chilean Miners.
Right off the bat, the last year of the decade was not our friend. Once again, another devastating earthquake struck. This time in country of Haiti. On January 24th, a 7.1 earthquake struck the town of Leogane. 25 miles west of Port-au-Prince. Haiti’s capital. The earthquake, without exaggerating, flattened cities to the ground. Numerous devastating aftershocks followed as well. The quake was the sixth most deadliest in history. Over possibly 230,000 lives were lost. And one million Haitians were left homeless.

Just months later, an oil rig explosion  off the coast of Louisiana and Mississippi occurred. Leaving 13 workers dead, but over 206,000,000 gallons of oil spilled onto the coasts of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Florida. For over three months, oil spilled day after day. Becoming one of the worse man-made disasters to nature in history. 

And then a disaster that was averted. On August 5th, a cave-in occurred at the San José copper-gold mine in the Atacama Desert near Copiapó, Chile. The accident left 33 men trapped 2,300 feet below ground. The miners survived underground for a record 69 days. All 33 were rescued and brought to the surface on October 13. The first miner emerged from the Fénix 2 rescue capsule at 12:10 A.M. And the last, just shy of 24 hours at 9:55 P.M. After the last trapped miner was brought to the surface, the rescue workers held up a sign stating “Mision cumplida Chile” (“Mission accomplished Chile”) to the estimated more than 1 billion people watching the rescue on live television around the world.


These last ten years have been memorable. In good and in bad ways. It’s easy to forget these disasters or events. But it’s important to remember. Not because it’s history. But because it’s time that you lived in. Moments you saw with your eyes. 20, 75, 200 years from now, people will read about these events. And they’ll see it as history. But we see it as our lives.


“History is a relentless master. It has no present, only the past rushing into the future. To try to hold fast is to be swept aside.”
- John Fitzgerald “Jack” Kennedy. 

“And so, my fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.” - John Fitzgerald Kennedy.
 
“There are those who look at things the way they are, and ask, “Why?” I dream of things that never were, and ask, “Why not?” ” - Robert Francis Kennedy.

The bonds of Brotherhood are truly unique. A lot can separate the two. Power, money, recognition, spouses, football teams. All jokes aside. Love keeps that bond tight. I may not be the best brother to mine. But damn me if I ever deny the fact that I love that kid.