Columnists

2019 has been a dark year. Americans have spent much of the year under the grim shadow cast by mad emperor Trump. Nonetheless, there is much to be thankful for. Here are ten reasons to be grateful.

1.Nancy Pelosi: Twelve months ago, when it was clear that the Democrats had won a substantial majority in the House of Representatives, some pundits suggested that it was time for Nancy Pelosi to move on -- someone else should become Speaker of the House.

What a mistake that would have been! During 2019, Pelosi has been the primary leader of the Democratic Party, effectively leading the House Democrats through the treacherous impeachment landscape -- and simultaneously overseeing the passage of more than 400 major pieces of legislation. At the end of the year House Democrats impeached Donald Trump, setting the stage for a historic 2020 trial. Thank you, Nancy Pelosi. -more-

The human brain is a bodily organ responsible for thought, action, emotion, and many other things. Without a brain, people would not be human beings, and we would lack consciousness as well as the ability to procreate and transmit our genetic information.

The human brain, like any other organ in the body, is subject to diseases. One disease is called "Schizophrenia." Schizophrenia is treatable but not curable with today's medical science. Schizophrenia is analogous to other diseases, such as too low or too high of a thyroid production. That is why medication works to help many individuals who suffer from a mental illness.

Religious people often have other opinions, ones that science can easily debunk. Mental illnesses are brain disorders. This means that some part of the brain is malfunctioning. -more-