Maybe the lessons of the past year will help make 2004 a better year for everyone.

It’s always good to learn from the past. Heading into 2004, let’s look back at some of the lessons we’ve learned in 2003.

• Public service is a laudable and necessary part of a democracy. We in Lawrence had the privilege of seeing a display of true, old-fashioned bipartisanship during last summer’s dedication of the Dole Institute of Politics. Bob Dole, a former U.S. senator and chair of the national Republican Party, shared the west campus podium with leading Democrats including former President Jimmy Carter and former Sen. George McGovern. The Democrats came to Lawrence to honor the generation of World War II veterans, of which Dole was a part, and to honor the principle of public service, but also to show their respect for the former Kansas senator. We don’t have enough of that respect in politics today. American politicians need to re-learn the ability to approach one another as colleagues and friends who sometimes disagree, rather than as enemies to destroy.
• Getting rid of Saddam Hussein — or even capturing him alive — won’t solve all of the problems in Iraq. It seems apparent that the effort the United States expended to gain initial control in the country will pale by comparison to the long-term commitment it will take to create a democracy that can stand on its own without U.S. assistance.
• Being on a corporate board of directors isn’t an easy job. Just ask the members of the Westar board. The year ended with Westar CEO David Wittig and former executive vice president Douglas T. Lake entering not guilty pleas to federal charges of trying to financially plunder the state’s largest utility company. But the charges don’t end there. Former board members, including former KU Chancellor Gene Budig and Frank Becker, a past chairman of the Kansas Board of Regents, are included in a $100 million lawsuit claiming they contributed to the deception of Westar investors. The lesson here is that board members shouldn’t take their jobs lightly and should be careful how much trust they place in their top executives.
• Life is short; we should make the most of it. As is true in any year, 2003 had its share of tragic deaths. Sudden, unexpected events like the woman who was killed when a fleeing driver careened into her car on 31st Street last August or the blown tire that resulted in the death of a standout Free State High School student last weekend are reminders that any day could be our last. We should acknowledge the impact of nature — and whatever power controls it — to make humans seem small, as it did in the horrible earthquake last week in Iran. We should remember the great sacrifice made by men and women in American uniforms who voluntarily put themselves in harm’s way to protect the principles of freedom. We should treasure our lives — and our freedom — more because of their service.
• Although some people seemed to doubt it for a time, Lawrence and Kansas University WILL survive the departure of basketball coach Roy Williams. In the year to come, astute Jayhawk fans should give new coach Bill Self some encouragement and a little time to settle in before eating him up with second-guessing.

The year ahead will be filled with new lessons waiting to be learned, but it also should be filled with hope. Like a newborn child, the beginning of a new year is a symbol of new possibilities and new potential. We should all do our best to take advantage of what 2004 has to offer.

Happy New Year.