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The final GOP debate before the New Year wrapped up last night and we saw Chris Christie back on the main stage, Donald Trump promising to build a “great wall,” and a battle between Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio.

Overall, it was a rather tame debate. I think if you were still up in the air about which candidate you support, this debate didn’t do much to convince you. I also think it’s safe to say that at this point, after the 5^th debate, that you probably already have a nominee who you want to see as the president and further debates won’t radically make you change your mind.  Here’s a recap of last night’s debate and a run down about the candidates who might actually have a shot at this whole presidency thing.

Chris Christie appeared on the main stage again after pushing himself into the headlines recently, but didn’t give an outstanding performance, certainly not enough to convince potential supporters to back him or vote for him. He can hold his own in a debate, that is for sure, and his experience makes him more qualified for the job than many of his fellow candidates. Christie’s glaring problem is that he mentions his law background and his home state every other sentence. Being proud is one thing, but it seems to me that his only claim to fame is New Jersey, but that ride can only last so long. I don’t think he will be earning more support any time soon.

Carly Fiorina garnered a lot of positive attention after her first debate, and after that was catapulted onto the main stage. After that, she was slowly climbing in the polls, but now she’s stalled and no one seems to be taking her seriously. I’m all for girl power, but she’s playing the feminism card way too much. She’s focusing too much on the fact that she’s a woman, and less on her policies and ideals. For that reason, I don’t see her going anywhere fast.

I was a huge fan of Ben Carson early in the election season, but since then I’ve stopped shouting it from the rooftops. Carson was promising because he’s a regular guy, he isn’t a politician, and he’s incredibly smart; those things can’t be debated. Since his first shining debate performance, it seems like he’s been on an apology tour after a series of disparaging comments. He’s proved time and time again that he has no knowledge about foreign affairs or any key policy issues. At last night’s debate, he even turned down moderator Wolf Blitzer’s request for him to interject into the conversation between Rubio and Cruz, which further proved to me that’s he’s still incredibly uncomfortable speaking on such issues.

Donald Trump is still leading by a pretty significant margin in the polls, but Cruz and Rubio are gaining quickly. It’s honestly shocking to me that Trump has lasted this long simply by his racist commentary and ignorance on foreign policy. His debate performance wasn’t worth writing home about, but the GOP is starting to squirm when they realize Trump really could be their candidate. They even resorted to trying to convince Mitt Romney to throw his hat into the ring again, but he vehemently declined.

The GOP’s best bet is either Ted Cruz or Marco Rubio. They both had an outstanding debate performance and constantly demonstrate that they have a firm understanding of government and foreign policy and the right personality to run the country. They differ on some principles, but they are the most closely aligned with conservative ideals. It’s rumored that Hillary Clinton’s camp is most nervous about Rubio, probably because he has the potential to steal minority votes from the Democrats.

We have become numb to violence in this nation. It’s not our faults, but the fault of the criminals who set out to kill innocent people and strike fear into those around them. We no longer get that dropping feeling in the pit of our stomachs when breaking news flashes across our eyes showing body counts. Now, that feeling is replaced with an aching in our hearts that feels all too familiar. A feeling that has never had time to heal, so it’s just become an open wound that never has time to subside.

It’s a sad day when it’s hard to name the attacks that have happened within the year, not only in this country, but even in other countries. Most recently, Paris has been in our prayers. Before that, it was Beirut. It was Sandy Hook. It was Aurora. It was Boston.

We are a nation divided. What will end the violence? What will end the innocent bloodshed? Everyone has an opinion. More guns, less guns. Stricter immigration laws. Better mental health counseling. Less video games. Less bullying.

It seems like nothing is off the table. Some is domestic, some is foreign terrorism. On Wednesday, the wound was further aggravated in Americans everywhere.

On Wednesday morning, Syed Farook and Tashfeen Malik were a normal American couple. They dropped their daughter off at a relative’s house for the day. They were on their way to a doctor’s appointment. To their family and any acquaintances, they seemed like an average couple. They went to work each day, cared for their 6-month-old daughter, and spent time with their family. They met on an online dating website, and Malik was brought over from Saudi Arabia and they were married. Farook’s co-workers described him as quiet, but average. He worked hard each day. His brother-in-law saw him only a week earlier. They spoke about their families, work, and trying to lose weight. No one saw what was coming.

At 11 a.m., everything changed in San Bernardino, California. Dressed for battle, they opened fire on Farook’s place of work, a social services center for the disabled. They killed 14 people. Mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, husbands, wives. Twenty-one others were injured. Later that day, Farook and Malik were killed in a shootout with police, leaving behind their now orphaned 6-month-old daughter.

It has become clear to us now that the attack was an act of terrorism. Their home was a stockpile of assault rifles, semi-automatic handguns, and ammunition. Enough bullets and bombs were found that could slaughter hundreds of people. 1,600 rounds of ammunition were found in their SUV after police killed them. 12 pipe bombs were found in their home, along with bomb making materials and tools, and over 3,000 additional rounds of ammunition. Who knows what their plans were had they escaped from police. Would they have targeted somewhere else? Would they have planted bombs? Several bombs were found nearby, but were able to be disarmed before they were detonated.

Farook’s family insists he showed no behavior that was radical leading up to this. He grew up in California and had a normal life. He was a devout Muslim who prayed each day and had memorized the Quran. He attended mosque regularly with his brothers. One day about three weeks ago, he stopped attending.

Malik followed Islam very closely, wearing a hijab each day. Her background is still murky, but she seems to have been radicalized at some point, and recruited Farook. A Facebook account she had under an alias was found that showed her pledge to ISIS. She came to American in July of 2014 on a fiancée visa. In order to receive the visa, she had to submit to an interview and extensive background checks to analyze if she posed a threat.

By August, they were married.

While it’s unclear if their attack was a direct order, what is clear is that they were acting as terrorists.

The rampage on Wednesday was the deadliest mass shooting in American since the shooting at Sandy Hook in 2012, when 26 children and adults were killed in the town of Newtown, Connecticut. This is the deadliest act of terrorism in the country since the terror attacks on September 11, 2001.

America was attacked on Wednesday. Syed Farook and Tashfeen Malik, a married couple with a young daughter, walked into a social services center in San Bernardino, California and opened fire.

This was Farook’s place of work. It was their holiday party, in fact, and he and his wife arrived dressed for battle, and opened fire, killing 14 people and injuring 21 others. Later that day in a shootout with police, they were killed. They left behind a now orphaned 6-month-old daughter, family who didn’t see this act coming, and millions mourning the senseless act of terror carried out on American soil.

At first, the motive was unclear. Some even said it was a case of workplace violence, but the word terrorist soon took over when it was discovered that the couple had ties to ISIS and a stockpile of enough of weapons to kill hundreds of people. While we aren’t yet sure if their attack was a direct order from ISIS, we know that Malik had pledged her allegiance to ISIS on a Facebook account she held under an alias.

Co-workers and family alike can’t imagine how Farook could have escalated to murdering innocent people when they only knew him as an average co-worker, brother, and dad. He was born and raised in California, and was a devout Muslim. He memorized the Quran and attended mosque with his brother regularly; until he didn’t.

Last July, he went to Saudi Arabia and returned with a fiancée. They had met on an online dating website. He was looking for a traditional Muslim woman. Malik arrived on a fiancée visa, went through the proper screening process, and they were married a month later. Malik was more mysterious to Farook’s family. She wore a hijab constantly and spoke very little. Her background is still mysterious to authorities, although we now know about her ties to ISIS.

Everyone had a reaction to the massacre, and everyone offered their opinions. Politicians weighed in with their proposed solutions, and how it could have been prevented. Some think we need stricter gun laws. Some target immigration laws. Others think mental illness should be the focus. Debates sparked on the news, between liberals and conservatives, and among friends on Facebook. Who is to blame? How can we stop it from happening again, and most importantly, what do we do now?

The most shocking reaction has to be the New York Daily News headline. In big, bold letters taking up their whole front page, was “GOD ISN’T FIXING THIS.”

Before we discuss that, let’s talk about political correctness. To be absolutely candid, it is destroying the country. We all must walk on eggshells, never state our opinion unless it is the popular one, and must never, ever, offend a single soul. Those are the rules. America is so politically correct that news anchors were afraid to even imply the attack in San Bernardino was an act of terrorism. The words “Muslim” and Islam” were said in hushed tones and the topic was danced around throughout the coverage. God forbid anyone be accused of being racist. Low and behold, it was terrorism, which we know now. They were both Muslim. They both had ties to ISIS. But everyone was afraid to say it. What if we offended someone?

Political correctness could even be blamed for this attack. No, seriously. In the weeks leading up to the attack, neighbors noticed suspicious activity. No one reported it, however. When asked why they wouldn’t tell someone, anyone, about this very important detail, they cited racism. They were afraid they would be labeled as racist. They didn’t want to be accused of racial profiling.

I think we are all worried about that implication these days.

Now, to the New York Daily News.  Their headline was meant for shock and awe, to sell papers. We know that. And it worked, because we are all talking about it.

They poked fun at anyone, most importantly the politicians, who offered prayers in the aftermath. They taunted the belief that prayers work, and made those of us praying and offering prayers look silly. As if our beliefs are ridiculous. They openly declared war on Christianity. They think prayers do nothing, and that to make a real impact, one must “do” something.

The kicker is, you can do both. You can pray while “doing” something. It’s not fair to condemn praying as a reaction to tragedy but not condemn discussions about gun laws.

The headline in itself is ridiculous, because God can indeed fix this, and he already has done so. God has given us solutions before; Christ. He sent his Son to die for our sins and bring redemption to the world. Just because bad things happen, doesn’t mean God isn’t present. Who knows what he is protecting us from that we don’t know about.

Maybe one day Christ will return and further “fix” us. He will fix the human race. Maybe he will bring an end to violence. Until then, pray. It isn’t in vain.

The world we live in is a scary place. It seems like we hear more about bad things than good, and I think the bad news is just overrunning anything good that is going on. We are faced with constant threats. Hometown threats that involve petty criminals, nationwide threats that make us afraid to go to a movie theater or school, and the worldwide threats that make us wonder when the other shoe will drop.

By now you have heard of the terror attacks in Paris. As I watched the coverage unfold on my TV, chills coursed through my body. It was all too familiar. I had flashbacks to September 11. It wasn’t even just that, but I thought of all of the attacks from terror groups, past and present. I have chills because I don’t know when the next attack will be. Will it be on American soil? What if someone I know is in the crossfire? It’s a scary thought.

Over 100 people dead and the number is rising. Right now, they’re reporting 6 attacks total across Paris. Maybe less, maybe more. Right now it’s so unclear through all of the mayhem. Footage shows men ripping off their shirts to tie around the wounds of others in a mall that was attacked. Floods of people are shown rushing out of the soccer stadium. Some escaped from the theater as others were shot execution style before police were able to rush in and kill the shooters.

Before today, the mood was different. It was a fairly slow news week, with the Republican debate and Starbucks dominating the top stories. The story we couldn’t seem to escape was about a red cup. A red coffee cup to be exact. You see, in years prior, Starbucks had their signature red holiday cups emblazoned with Christmas and winter designs. This year, for no reason other than what I assume to be a design choice, they went with plain red cups. You’re probably thinking, “Who cares?” Well, a lot of people. A lot of Christian people who say that Starbucks is waging a war against Christmas. They are calling for boycotts. They are going to Starbucks and saying their names are “Merry Christmas” just so the employees are forced to write it on their cups. That isn’t what a boycott is, but I guess I can understand their overall message. I can’t even scroll through my social media feed without seeing someone talking about the now infamous red cups, whether against them or for them.

I’m writing this as I’m watching the news live from Paris, and it really makes me realize even more what’s important in life. We only have this one life, and we shouldn’t go through it constantly offended by nothing or trying to pick fights with people who have differing views or opinions. We should be on each other’s side. We should be kind to others. Just maybe, if we put out more positive in the world, it will be a better place for everyone. We can never get rid of truly evil people, and for them we pray. We pray for everyone in Paris and anyone who is affected.

It seems like no matter where we turn, we’re seeing another story about police brutality and racism shoved into our faces. The stories dominate our newsfeeds on social media, they are given the top spot on the news, and everyone has an opinion. A majority of the time, the police are condemned and the whole group of men and women who vowed to protect us are written off as racists and power hungry.

My co-worker said something interesting to me today. I was reading more about the state trooper in Georgia who, faced with the task of informing 4 young children that they were now orphans, decided to postpone the bad news to give them a fun Halloween. I was recounting the article I just read, especially focusing on how sweet it was that he would be so selfless, while chills ran through my body. It was a very touching story, and I found it so refreshing to see a positive story about a brother in blue going viral such as this did. Then she said it.

“I’m surprised the kids opened the door for him. I asked why she said this, considering the man that stood before them was a police officer.

“A lot of parents these days tell their kids to watch out for the cops.”

I grimaced. She wasn’t wrong, but hearing it put so plainly still shocked me. The realization of this fact made my blood boil. Growing up, I was told that men or women in uniform were the good guys, the heroes. If we were ever lost or in trouble, go to them. They will protect us and help us. Personally, I still feel that way. The realization that kids growing up these days might be told otherwise, was heartbreaking. Sure, there are bad eggs, like with any group of people. They certainly shouldn’t get a free pass, but scrutinizing every man and woman behind a badge simply for that reason alone? It’s shameful.

We are shown more videos of cops harming people more than cops helping people. I’m not surprised, since this better fits the current narrative of America. I implore you to search for the good. They are out there. Some of my more vigilant Facebook friends have done just that, and I smile when I scroll past a video, photo, or article about a valiant cop. This trooper in Georgia is the latest, but he’s certainly not the only one.

There’s the cop who makes it a point to hang out with kids on his beat. He brings them snacks and shows them he’s not the enemy. He plays games with them. He talks to them. There are the cops who pull a man over and notice none of his kids are in car seats, because he can’t afford them. The cops use their own money to buy each kid a car seat. They said later that while they could have given the man a ticket, that wouldn’t help. That wouldn’t fix the problem. There’s the cop who notices a woman can’t pay for groceries, so they help her.

These cops aren’t looking for attention. They don’t need validation. This is the oath they took. Protect and Serve. They want to make our communities a better place. It’s important to remember that, even in the face of adversity.

There’s something that has been bothering me for a while now. Since I began my career in journalism, which started the moment I first had my work published in college, I have heard whispers online, and sometimes in person, of those who denounce the media in all forms.

“The mainstream media is brainwashing us!”

“What are they trying to distract us from?”

“All journalists are liars!”

And so on.

Now, as far as the lying goes, I understand it’s hard to trust those of us in the media when there are a select few who don’t deserve our trust. At this moment, Brian Williams comes to mind. A life-long career ruined and his name smeared because for some reason, he decided to flat out lie to his trusting audience. But for every journalist who plagiarizes or lies, there are 10 who are upstanding citizens and have committed their lives to feeding knowledge to the world. Just like we shouldn’t judge all Muslims based on the extremists, we shouldn’t decry all of those in the media because of a few bad eggs.

The hatred goes a step further than this. Some citizens of our beautiful country think that the media makes it their goal to feed us lies. That they’re trying to distract us from something bigger going on by making every headline about another subject. Take for example, Ebola. While Ebola isn’t a new disease, a few months ago there was an epidemic. Some parts of Africa and the surrounding areas had an outbreak on their hands. Thousands of people died. Ebola even came to our country, so naturally it dominated news headlines across the country. Thanks to talented doctors and scientists, a treatment was developed that allowed some of those infected to be treated and cured. The outbreak slowed and those infected in the US were healthy again. Slowly but sure, Ebola faded from the teleprompters on the morning news and became a page 3 story as opposed to the front page. It’s a normal news cycle.

There were no nefarious intentions, but so many were flooding the comment thread. “What were they distracting us from?” Some even gave suggestions as to what was going on during the Ebola outbreak that the media would need to take our minds off of and hide from us. Some actually gave me a good laugh.

Why am I bringing this up now? I had a conversation with one of my closest friends today. She’s a Democrat, but I still love her anyway. We were discussing the election when she asked me if yesterday’s election determined our presidential candidates. I let out a chuckle before informing her that no, yesterday was a local and state election. The presidential candidates won’t be chosen for at least a few more months. She didn’t know, because she refuses to watch the news. She doesn’t pick up the newspaper. She doesn’t peruse online blogs or news websites.

I told her this was proof of what I have been telling her all along. She should read the news. She should be informed of what’s going on in the world and not rely on me to be a talking head who recites the day’s headlines whenever she asks. She should know about all of the presidential candidates and not blindly vote for the most popular Democrat because she’s registered that way.

“F the news. Media propaganda! All of it! That’s why deep down you want a different job. I refuse to be spoon fed poisonous lies by idiots who want to control our minds.”

I couldn’t help but laugh. Where does she get this stuff? Where does anyone get this idea from? The media is not the enemy. If it weren’t for the media, where would we all be? We would be ignorant sheep, wandering around without proper clothing since we didn’t even know the weather forecast.

The takeaway? Pick up a newspaper! Flip on the local news while you get ready for work. Participate in healthy discussions about politics. No matter what your opinions, we should all be educated and informed. And just to drive the point home, there are no conspiracies, and the media isn’t trying to deceive you. We can’t help that not all news, is good news. We have dedicated our lives and careers to what we do. Some reporters and photographers even put themselves in harm’s way on more than one occasion. Give them the respect they deserve!

It was a busy week for Dems and Republicans alike. After much anticipation and speculation, Joe Biden finally announced that he will not be running for president. It was met with some cheers and some groans. It seemed that many democrats really wanted Biden to run. The current Vice President has a high approval rating and is well liked among politicians. There were a few campaigns to “draft” Biden in order to coax him into running. Aside from Biden being a popular choice, Dems were frustrated with Hillary Clinton. Between her swirling scandals and her rigid personality, Dems weren’t crazy about her position in the race. She is quickly associated with the words “liar” and “untrustworthy” by Americans. The Dems felt more confident with Biden.

Joe had his reservations, however, and most people think it is because of his late son, Beau. Beau Biden passed away only a few months ago, and Biden and family are still grieving. Biden was quietly meeting with supporters and talking with his family to decide if running right now would be the most beneficial thing for the entire family. On top of that, Hillary had a promising performance in the first Democratic debate. After her glowing reviews, many felt Joe’s window of opportunity was closing. In the end, Joe decided it wasn’t the best time for him or his family, so he decided against throwing his hat in the ring.

For the GOP, it was a week of rebirth in a way. With John Boehner’s resignation as Speaker of the House, the GOP scrambled to find a worthy replacement. After a tremulous year, they needed someone young and fresh, who could shine a new light on Congress and be a positive influence going forward. There were a few rumors that former vice presidential candidate, Paul Ryan, would be elected and was the GOP’s first choice for the new Speaker of the House. Almost immediately, Ryan shot down these rumors, but a few days later it was announced that a unanimous vote elected Paul Ryan as the new Speaker of the House.

The third GOP debate took place this week, and t was a bit of a shake up from what we’re used to (and tired of) seeing. Donald Trump is beginning to fall in the polls while Ben Carson and Marco Rubio slowly creep up, snagging the majority in key states. It’s still early, so things can always continue to change, but this is a good sign for those who don’t consider Trump a serious candidate.

The debate itself was a bit of a circus, in part because the CNBC moderators seemed to be biased and throw “gotcha” questions at the candidates. They did their best to push through, although the Republican National Committee was less understanding, and has suspended the next debate as a result and has severed their relationship with NBC.

As for the debate itself, Marco Rubio was crowned the winner. He made himself stand out by not attacking his fellow candidates and making his views heard. He certainly has the drive and passion to be our next president, and it will be interesting to see where he goes from here.