Yesterday our 46th president, Joseph R. Biden, Jr., finally became our next president. While I was excited and hopeful, the fact that many of my friends and family are feeling the exact opposite weighs on me. A friend posted a paragraph touting the wonderful things that had occurred in the past administration, mostly focusing on the economy and the stock market. However, nothing was mentioned about the many Americans who felt left out of this MAGA world, the outright lies that led to an insurrection on our Capitol, and 400,000 dead Americans. So here’s what I’m hopeful about happening in our country in the immediate future.
More civility. The past administration normalized the insult. Members of the press, leaders of blue states (or red states that didn’t vote for him) and former employees all felt his public wrath. I am so encouraged that President Biden is making civility a vital tenet of his administration. As George W. Bush said on Inauguration day, things would be better if we all practiced the golden rule. Amen.
Telling the truth. We all watched the heartbreaking events of January 6 play out in front of our eyes. The people who attacked the police and defaced a national symbol of our democracy did so because they truly believed that the election was a fraud. The former president repeated lies and conspiracy theories so often that many people believed them and thought their actions were patriotic. “Alternate facts” are lies, and I am hopeful this administration will tell the truth.
Using the Federal Govt. to Attack Covid: As a student of history, I have waited for the federal government to use their full power to save us all, as FDR did with the New Deal in the 1930’s and then later during World War II. Without leadership and vision from the White House in the 1950’s and 60’s, we would probably never have been able to send astronauts into space. Instead, in 2020 we got confusing messages or no information at all. Our president admitted later that he was terrified to let the country know how bad things were going to get, because it would make him look bad and “cause a panic.” Instead, he pushed the problem on to the states, and to add insult to injury, he awarded help to states that he thought were deserving (red), and insulted the leaders of states he didn’t care for (blue). Who ever heard of a president who would punish the citizens of an entire state because he didn’t care for the way they voted? Yes, he does get credit for the “Warp Speed” covid vaccine, but it is still puzzling that it was so difficult to find a covid test for many months. Also, making the simple act of wearing a mask to protect us all a political statement was not helpful.
As a Boomer, I remember what happened when the Soviet Union beat us in the space race. The “Sputnik” campaign focused all of our energy on scientific education, research, and innovation. I look forward to our Sputnik moment, when we all embrace the public will to beat this virus. We are all in this together!
