It’s a Wonderful Life
Are we Bedford Falls or Pottersville?
I guess everyone has now or had in their past a Christmas or Hanukah tradition. Growing up, my family’s was watching the movie “White Christmas” starring Danny Kaye, Bing Crosby, Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Ellen. It was my mom’s favorite and we scheduled our holiday around when it would appear on TV.
My friends’ families would be watching “Miracle on 34th Street,” “Holiday Inn,” or “It’s a Wonderful Life.”
I never continued the White Christmas tradition and I never really watched any Christmas movie consistently (except for Die Hard, the Bruce Willis Christmas movie).
In fact, it wasn’t until 15 or 20 years ago that I watched “It’s a Wonderful Life” for the first time. Have you seen it?
The story goes like this: George Bailey is born in Bedford Falls, NY, a pleasant but sleepy little town.
Growing up, George saves his younger brother Harry from drowning. As a teenager he worked in the pharmacy where he saved the pharmacist from dispensing the wrong medicine and accidentally poisoning a customer. George planned on going to college and, before enrolling, he planned to travel the world.
Prior to leaving home, George’s father passed away suddenly and George was forced to work at the Bailey Brothers Building and Loan, the family business. The building and loan does well under George and funds homes for many of the residents.
George marries his sweetheart Mary and they raise their children as a happy, loving family.
As the business prospers, the town’s evil banker, Henry Potter schemes to take control of the building and loan. Potter already owns the town’s bank, department stores and other businesses and is also a slum lord having built many low-quality homes for the poor.
A mistake by George’s uncle Billy forces the building and loan into insolvency. All this is too much for George who, thinking he’s a failure, gets drunk and prays for help. At wit’s end, he contemplates suicide by jumping off a bridge. He’s stopped by Clarence, an angel sent from above. George says he wishes he was never born and unbeknownst to George, Clarence grants his wish.
George goes into town only to find that it’s not the Bedford Falls he knew. It’s now Pottersville.
Henry Potter owns everything. All the nice shops are gone, replaced by bars and sleazy clubs. People are mean. Criminals roam the streets. The pharmacist is charged with murder because George wasn’t there to stop him. George sees his brother’s grave because he wasn’t there to save him. George glimpses Mary, his wife who, in Pottersville is a spinster librarian.
George realizes he’s not a failure. Bedford Falls was a wonderful place in part because of him.
Clarence gives George his original life back and he returns to his family a changed man.
* * *
So, why am I describing the movie to you? Well, when I watched this movie a few years ago, I happened to realize that I think the U.S. has turned into Pottersville.
Years ago in my memory, the U.S. was more like Bedford Falls. Folks knew their neighbors, went to pot luck dinners at church, disciplined their kids (or their neighbors’) when they did wrong, and believed the U.S. government when they were told things.
Now I don’t think we became Pottersville quickly. It was a small conversion, law by law, policy by policy, invention by invention. What triggered it? Maybe the Vietnam War, maybe Watergate, maybe 9/11; who knows? But we’re closer to Pottersville than we’ve ever been.
Consider:
According to a 2023 Gallup poll, 54% of Americans say the state of moral values in the country is “poor.”
Major cities are facing a “doom loop” where populations and businesses are declining but city services and pension costs continue to grow out of control.
A study found that violent crime tripled when suspects were released on zero cash bail.
The home ownership dream is broken, as most people cannot even think about home ownership even with two incomes.
More than 1 in 9 Americans live in poverty. Yet we’re supposed to be living in the greatest economy in the world.
Homelessness rates jumped by double digits in 2024 as Americans battled to afford housing.
75% Of Midtown NYC Arrests Are Illegals. According to the NY Post it’s 60% in Queens. Common crimes are assault, robbery, and domestic violence.
According to a CNN poll American trust in vaccines is plummeting. No wonder since we were lied to so much about the Covid vaccines.
Millions of Americans are sleeping in their cars. But we’re told the economy is fine.
An upscale San Francisco shopping center is a total ghost town with just three tenants. The majority of shops are vacant and the decline is attributed to “the presence of bums at the entrance, demanding spare change, going to the bathroom in the walkways, shooting up, pulling their pants down, and assaulting and robbing people.”
During the “summer of love” in 2020, American cities were ravaged due to the George Floyd death. Per the complete autopsy report, the full autopsy report states further that “no life-threatening injuries [were] identified.” Now we know we were lied to.
According to PBS, sex education should start in kindergarten.
I could go on.
* * *
Sorry to paint such a dismal picture. Yes, there’s much good in us, but I haven’t seen much of late.
2024 was a bittersweet year for many of us. I hope 2025 is so, so much better!
Happy New Year!
I fully agree with you Chipper! But don't despair, the 'Good Years' have begun and will blossom on January 20th.