Final Jeopardy

Over the past six months or so, we have endured a major pandemic that’s killing us and an election that drove a divisive wedge between us. Beneath the surface another drama was unfolding that threatened to diminish us even further: the life-long host of “Jeopardy” was dying of cancer.

At the end of each weekday, when the sound and fury of nightly news programs concluded their chaotic reporting of the trauma and tragedy of the day, we welcomed the game show with host Alex Trebek. We watched the new contestants along with the returning champions compete with their knowledge of categories in Jeopardy and Double Jeopardy before Final Jeopardy produced a clear winner.

Contestants were given clues from which they were to answer by formulating the correct question. For example, the clue might be “Over 350,000 deaths due to Covid 19 have occurred in this country in the northern hemisphere in the last year”. The answer would be “What is the United States”? Clue: “He was declared the winner of the presidential election.” Answer: What is “It depends on if you choose truth or alternative facts”? Wrong! By the way, competent judges were on hand to disallow alternate facts as answers, which was a refreshing change from the White House news briefings.

Let’s make sure we are on the same page with the very term before us. Merriam-Webster defines the “jeopardy” in two ways: “1 : exposure to or imminence of death, loss, or injury : danger placing their lives in jeopardy workers in jeopardy of losing their jobs. 2 law : the danger that an accused person is subjected to when on trial for a criminal offense.”

On Wednesday, when our nation’s capital was attacked by domestic terrorists, law enforcement officers found themselves in jeopardy, their very lives on the line to defend the sanctuary of democracy. Senators and Representatives, who were carrying out their constitutional duty to certify the election results, were in jeopardy of losing their ability to execute their jobs. The anarchists who have been arrested for their heinous crimes are definitely in jail and in deep jeopardy. Even the current President, who clearly encouraged the insurrection, has put himself in jeopardy, even though he has several “get out of jail free” cards. Be that as it may, he is definitely going to lose his job.

While I may not miss current occupant of the White House, I will miss Alex who has been a staple in our household for the past 37 years. He brought us the challenge of being informed in so many categories and challenged us to play the game along with the contestants with all our mind and heart and soul. He also came to each game with a dignity and touch of class that allowed us to trust and respect him for all he was worth. Those qualities filled a vacuum in the market place and body politic portrayed by the preceding newscasts on any given day.

As we move beyond January 20, our common hope is that we may return to the real priorities that are jeopardizing our country’s future. Instead of attacking each other, we need to contain the pandemic with all the masks and distancing and vaccines we can throw at it. We have to face up to a failing economy, the racial unrest in the soul of this country, poverty and lack of health care…we know the list all too well because of what has not been done.

Final clue: “Name four things that might bring us together”.

Final answer: “What are faith, hope, love, and the return of an older game show called ‘Truth or Consequences'”?