Written by Tanya Free   

The year 2010 can be best described as a social and political rollercoaster. This wild ride has taken us from rallying to assist victims of the devastation in Haiti earlier this year to ending the year pledging our support to the people of South Korea facing threats from their neighbors to the North. We experienced the highs of health care and financial reform in early 2010 that brought us back from the verge of financial ruin and ended the year applauding the repeal of DADT and ratification of the START Treaty. We struggled through the many downs of 2010 including the BP Oil crisis, the resurgence of Islamophobia, the politics of fear and the ever present bigoted hate speech fueled by an ever increasing number of extreme talk show hosts and right wing media outlets.

Many of you joined the conversation on TanyaFree.com debating issues ranging from sexual abuse in the Catholic Church to questioning the celebration of Confederate History Month in Southern states. We followed the emergence and influence of the Tea Party and monitored their significant influence on November’s midterm elections. Our TV, radio, Facebook and Twitter friends followed with intensity the shenanigans of every politician from Sarah Palin and Sharron Angle to Alvin Greene and Charlie Rangel. We watched with curiosity and disdain as the saga of the NAACP, Shirley Sherrod and Andrew Breitbart unfolded before our very eyes.

TanyaFree.com took us on the road this summer to Glenn Beck’s Restoring Honor Rally and Jon Stewart’s Rally to Restore Sanity. We were honored to have the privilege to interview real Americans and participate at the One Nation Working Together Rally on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. This year has given us so much to discuss that it would be impossible to even scratch the surface in this mere space. Take a moment to reflect on 2010 by reviewing the archives of TanyaFree.com to get a quick glimpse of what was one heck of a year in American politics. I would like to thank each and every one of you who took the time to watch and listen to our broadcast, visit and comment on our sites and most importantly, took the time to get involved. Your support and encouragement has afforded me the opportunity to not only continue, but to expand the conversation in 2011.

I am excited to announce that I have accepted the challenge from many of you and the always supportive staff and management of WCLM Radio and have agreed to host The Tanya Free and Friends Talk Show Wednesdays at 2:30pm beginning January 19.

Get ready for the ride! Join me as we strive to continue the conversation in 2011 every Wednesday on WCLM 1450AM and www.wclmradioonline.com

Live Life with a Purpose!