Most of those in our nation's capitol and throughout the eastern seaboard looked at the massive weekend snowstorm as (at best) an inconvenience to (worst case) a nightmare. As in most cases of extreme weather, there were those who loved every second of it...
I've always felt a little sorry for reporters who find themselves trying to do their job while drunken/obnoxious idiots are around.
There are countless videos out there that show these inebriated fools jumping into a shot, grabbing a reporter, shouting obscenities, etc...
The movie's message was clear:
Look at the lives you've touched with your own life. You may not believe it, but you've made some people's lives better, simply by being you. It took showing George Bailey what life would be like without him for George to understand how truly important he was...