My Middle-aged White Lady Perspective: Oh, What a Difference!

I didn't watch the last inauguration. I couldn't. 

I watched this one. I had to.

I wanted to hear words of comfort and truth and reality and understanding. I wanted to hear about equality and I wanted diversity and I wanted to hear words that were meant for everyone, instead of for only some people. I wanted to hear words that hopefully will calm our allies, but not embolden our enemies. I wanted to hear from someone who doesn't think he's the center of the universe, nor God's gift to the rest of us. 

It needed to be different from the one four years ago; it had to be different from the one four years ago. The man is different from that other one, the moment is different from that other one, the world is different now than it was four years ago.  I needed it to be different, as did many other people. 

And it was different. I heard what I needed to hear, to take some of the weight off my shoulders, to ease some of the stress I have felt for more than five years. 

 ...my fellow Americans, this is America's day. This is democracy's day. A day of history and hope of renewal and resolve through a crucible for the ages. America has been tested anew and America has risen to the challenge...

For now, on this hallowed ground, where just a few days ago, violence sought to shake the Capitol's very foundation, we come together as one nation, under God, indivisible to carry out the peaceful transfer of power, as we have for more than two centuries. 

And he reminded us that "the American story depends not on any one of us, not on some of us, but on all of us, on we the people who seek a more perfect union." And that 

This is a great nation. We are good people. And over the centuries, through storm and strife, in peace and in war, we've come so far. But we still have far to go. We'll press forward with speed and urgency, for we have much to do in this winter of peril and significant possibilities, much to repair, much to restore, much to heal, much to build, and much to gain. 

Climate change, and the pandemic, and the economy, and racial injustice - much to do - and this, too, perhaps our biggest challenge: "... a rise of political extremism, white supremacy, domestic terrorism that we must confront and we will defeat." 

To overcome our challenges, we need "the most elusive of all things in a democracy: unity. Biden referenced Abraham Lincoln, who famously said, "if my name ever goes down into history, it'll be for this act. And my whole soul is in it.” And then, told us, with conviction,

My whole soul was in it today. On this January day, my whole soul is in this: Bringing America together, uniting our people, uniting our nation. And I ask every American to join me in this cause.

We need to be united to "fight the foes we face: anger, resentment, hatred, extremism, lawlessness, violence, disease, joblessness and hopelessness. With unity, we can do great things, important things." And yet, he's a realist.

I know speaking of unity can sound to some like a foolish fantasy these days. I know the forces that divide us are deep and they are real, but I also know they are not new. Our history has been a constant struggle between the American ideal that we're all created equal and the harsh, ugly reality that racism, nativism, fear, demonization have long torn us apart.

But, he said, "In each of these moments, enough of us, enough of us have come together to carry all of us forward. And we can do that now."

We can see each other not as adversaries, but as neighbors. We can treat each other with dignity and respect. We can join forces, stop the shouting and lower the temperature. For without unity, there is no peace, only bitterness and fury. No progress, only exhausting outrage. No nation, only a state of chaos.  

Let's begin to listen to one another again. Hear one another, see one another, show respect to one another. Politics doesn't have to be a raging fire, destroying everything in its path. Every disagreement doesn't have to be a cause for total war. And we must reject the culture in which facts themselves are manipulated and even manufactured.

It's not a cage match. It doesn't have to be a slugfest. It doesn't have to be calling for bipartisanship, and never inviting anyone from the other side to participate. It doesn't have to be proudly not speaking to leaders from the other party - for months on end. 

Those calls for unity were completely fake, and everyone knew it, including the person doing the talking. He's gone now, thankfully.  And our new president, before his swearing-in? He invited the leaders of both houses of Congress, leaders from both parties, to join him this morning. Not to stand with an upside-down Bible in front of a church, but to pray together, for our country, in a church.

My fellow Americans. We have to be different than this. America has to be better than this. And I believe America is so much better than this. Just look around. Here we stand in the shadow of the Capitol dome, as was mentioned earlier, completed amid the Civil War, when the union itself was literally hanging in the balance. Yet we endured, we prevailed... And here we stand just days after a riotous mob thought they could use violence to silence the will of the people, to stop the work of our democracy, to drive us from this sacred ground. 

It did not happen. It will never happen. Not today, not tomorrow, not ever. Not ever.

It did not have to come to this. It never should have come to this. And a night-and-day different president is what we need, and what we got, and who we heard from today. 

What are the common objects we as Americans love, that define us as Americans? I think we know. Opportunity, security, liberty, dignity, respect, honor and yes, the truth. 

Opportunity, security, liberty - not "we will make America wealthy again."  

Dignity, and respect, and honor. After four years where disrespect was encouraged, and celebrated, and retweeted ad nauseum, we now have a president who will not stand for it.  Tonight, when President Biden swore in his appointees, he told them that he would fire them on the spot if he heard they had treated others - anyone - with disrespect. 

And yes, the truth.  Not over 30,000 lies or false statements - the truth.

Recent weeks and months have taught us a painful lesson. There is truth and there are lies, lies told for power and for profit. And each of us has a duty and responsibility, as citizens, as Americans, and especially as leaders, leaders who have pledged to honor our Constitution and protect our nation, to defend the truth and defeat the lies.

 Not by turning inward, but turning towards each other. 

We can do this if we open our souls instead of hardening our hearts. If we show a little tolerance and humility, and if we're willing to stand in the other person's shoes, as my mom would say, just for a moment, stand in their shoes. Because here's the thing about life. There's no accounting for what fate will deal you. Some days, when you need a hand. There are other days when we're called to lend a hand. That's how it has to be. That's what we do for one another. And if we are this way, our country will be stronger, more prosperous, more ready for the future. And we can still disagree. 

Not by stepping away from our allies, not by barging in front of them, not through abusive "America first" policies, but by honoring and embracing our alliances. 

So, here's my message to those beyond our borders. America has been tested and we've come out stronger for it. We will repair our alliances and engage with the world once again. Not to meet yesterday's challenges, but today's and tomorrow's challenges. And we’ll lead, not merely by the example of our power, but by the power of our example. We'll be a strong and trusted partner for peace, progress and security.

Strong and trusted. Contrary to some opinions, we can be both. We need to be both. And I hope we will be both, again.

My fellow Americans, I close the day where I began, with a sacred oath before God and all of you. I give you my word, I will always level with you. I will defend the Constitution. I'll defend our democracy. I'll defend America and I will give all, all of you. Keep everything I do in your service, thinking not of power, but of possibilities, not of personal interest, but the public good. And together we shall write an American story of hope, not fear. Of unity, not division. Of light, not darkness. A story of decency and dignity, love and healing, greatness and goodness. May this be the story that guides us. The story that inspires us and the story that tells ages yet to come that we answered the call of history. We met the moment. Democracy and hope, truth and justice did not die on our watch, but thrived. That America secured liberty at home and stood once again as a beacon to the world. That is what we owe our forbearers, one another and generations to follow. 

I really needed to hear these words today. 

I was proud of us again, today. I was hopeful again, today. 

My eyes are wide open, but today, my heart was wide open, too. 

What President-elect Biden Said Yesterday

After the Electoral College voted and affirmed that the guy who won the election actually won the election, that guy addressed the nation. Below are his remarks, in case you missed them.

Good evening, my fellow Americans. Over the past few weeks, officials in each state, commonwealth, and district, without regard to party or political preference, have certified their winning candidate. Today, the members of the Electoral College representing the certified winner, cast their votes for President and Vice President of the United States in an act just as old as our nation itself. And once again in America, the rule of law, our Constitution and the will of the people prevailed. Our democracy - pushed, tested, threatened - proved to be resilient, true and strong.

The Electoral College votes which occurred today reflect the fact that even in the face of a public health crisis unlike anything we've experienced in our lifetime, the people voted. They voted in record numbers. More Americans voted this year than have ever voted in the history of the United States of America. Over 155 million Americans were determined to have their voices heard and their votes counted. In the start of this pandemic, this crisis, many were wondering how many Americans would actually vote at all. But those fears proved to be unfounded. We saw something very few predicted, even thought possible, the biggest voter turnout in the history of the United States of America, a number so big that this election now ranks as the clearest demonstration of the true will of the American people, one of the most amazing demonstrations of civic duty we've ever seen in our country.

It should be celebrated, not attacked. More than 81 million of those votes were cast for me and Vice President-elect Harris. That too is a record. More than any ticket has received in the history of America. It represents a winning margin of more than seven million votes over the number of votes cast for my opponent. Together, the Vice President-elect and I earned 306 electoral votes, well exceeding the 270 electoral votes needed to secure victory. 306 electoral votes is the same number of electoral votes that Donald Trump and Vice President Pence received when they won in 2016. At that time, president Trump calls the Electoral College tally a landslide. By his own standard, these numbers represented a clear victory then, and I respectfully suggest they do so now. If anyone didn't know before then, they know now. 

What beats deep in the hearts of the American people is this - democracy, the right to be heard, to have your vote counted, to choose leaders of this nation, to govern ourselves. In America, politicians don't take power, people grant power to them. The flame of democracy was lit in this nation a long time ago. And we now know nothing - not even a pandemic, or an abuse of power - can extinguish that flame. And as the people kept it aflame, so too did courageous state and local officials and election workers. American democracy works because America makes it work at a local level. One of the extraordinary things we saw this year was that everyday Americans, our friends and our neighbors, often volunteers, Democrats, Republicans, Independents, demonstrating absolute courage, they showed a deep and unwavering faith in and a commitment to the law. They did their duty in the face of the pandemic. And then they could not and would not give credence to what they knew was not true. They knew this election was overseen by them. It was honest, it was free, and it was fair. 

They saw it with their own eyes and they wouldn't be bullied into saying anything different. It was truly remarkable because so many of these patriotic Americans are subject to so much, enormous political pressure, verbal abuse, and even threats of physical violence. While we all wish that our fellow Americans in these positions will always such courage and commitment to free and fair elections, it is my sincere hope we never again see anyone subjected to the kind of threats and abuse we say in this election. It's simply unconscionable. We owe these public servants a debt of gratitude. They didn't seek the spotlight, and our democracy survived because of them, which is proof once more that it's everyday Americans, infused with honor, character and decency that is the heart of this nation.

You know, in this election, their integrity was matched by their strength, independence, and the integrity of our judicial system. In America, when questions are raised about the legitimacy of any election, those questions are resolved through the legal processes. And that's precisely what happened here. The Trump campaign brought dozens and dozens and dozens of legal challenges to test the result. They were heard again and again, and each of the time they were heard, they were found to be without merit. Time and again, President Trump's lawyers presented arguments to state officials, state legislatures, state and federal courts, and ultimately to the United States Supreme Court twice. They were heard by more than 80 judges across the country. And in every case, no cause or evidence was found to reverse or question or dispute the results.  

A few states went for recounts. All the counts were confirmed. The results in Georgia were counted three times. It didn't change the outcome. The recount conducted in Wisconsin actually saw our margin grow. The margin we had in Michigan was 14 times the margin president Trump won that state by four years ago. Our margin in Pennsylvania was nearly twice the size of the Trump margin our years ago. And yet, none of this has stopped baseless claims about the legitimacy of the results. 

Even more stunning, 17 Republican Attorneys general, and 126 Republican members of the Congress, actually - they actually signed onto a lawsuit filed by the state of Texas. That lawsuit asked the United States Supreme Court to reject the certified vote counts in Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. This legal maneuver was an effort by elected officials and one group of states to try to get the Supreme Court to wipe out the votes of more than 20 million Americans in other states and to hand the presidency to a candidate who lost the Electoral College, lost the popular vote, and lost each and every one of the states whose votes they were trying to reverse. 

It's a position so extreme, we've never seen it before. And a position that refused to respect the will of the people, refused to respect the rule of law, and refused to honor our Constitution. Thankfully, a unanimous Supreme Court immediately and completely rejected this effort. The Court sent a clear signal to president Trump that they would not be part of an unprecedented assault on our democracy. Every single avenue was made available to president Trump to contest the results. He took full advantage of each and every one of those avenues. President Trump was denied no course of action he wanted to take. He took his case to Republican governors and Republican Secretaries of State as he criticized many of them, to Republican state legislatures, to Republican-appointed judges at every level. And then the case was decided after the Supreme Court's latest rejection, a judge appointed by president Trump wrote, "this court has allowed the plaintiff the chance to make his case and he has lost on the merits." Lost on the merits.

Even president Trump's own cybersecurity chief, overseeing our elections, said it was the most secure election in American history, and summarily is let go. Let me say it again. His own cybersecurity chief overseeing this election said it was the most secure in American history. 

You know, respecting the will of the people is at the heart of our democracy, even we find those results hard to accept. But that's the obligation of those who've taken on a sworn duty to uphold the Constitution. Four years ago, when I was the sitting Vice President of the United States, it was my responsibility to announce the tally of the Electoral College votes to the joint session of Congress, had voted to elect Donald Trump. I did my job. And I'm pleased but not surprised by the number of my former colleagues in the Senate who have acknowledged already the results of the Electoral College. I thank them. And I'm convinced we can work together for the good of the nation on many subjects. That's the duty owed to the people, to our Constitution, to our history. 

You know, in this battle for the soul of America, democracy prevailed. We the people voted, faith in our institutions held, the integrity of our elections remain intact. And now it's time to turn the page as we've done throughout our history, to unite, to heal. As I said in this campaign, I will be president for all Americans. I'll work just as hard for those of you who didn't vote for me as I will for those who did. There's urgent work in front of us. Getting this pandemic under control and getting the nation vaccinated against this virus, delivering immediate economic help so badly needed by so many Americans who are hurting today, and then building our economy back better than it ever was. 

In doing so, we need to work together, to give each other a chance to lower the temperature. And most of all, we need to stand in solidarity as fellow Americans, to see each other, our pain, our struggles, our hopes and our dreams. We're a great nation. We're good people. We may come from different places, hold different beliefs, but we share a common love for this country, a belief in its limitless possibilities. For we, the United States of America, have always set the example for the world for a peaceful transition of power. We'll do so again.

I know the task before us won't be easy. It's tempered by the pain so many of us are feeling. Today, our nation passed a grim milestone: 300,000 deaths to this COVID virus. My heart goes out to each of you in this dark winter of the pandemic, about to spend the holidays and the new year with a black hole in your hearts, without the ones you loved at your side. My heart goes out to all of you who have fallen on hard times through no fault of your own, unable to sleep at night, staring at the ceiling, weighed down by the worry of what tomorrow will bring for you, and equally important, for your family.

But we faced difficult times before in our history. I know we'll get through this one, but together. That's how we get through it - together. So, as we start the hard work to be done, may this moment give us a strength to rebuild this house of ours upon a rock that can never be washed away. As in the Prayer of St. Francis, for where there is discord, union; where there is doubt, faith; where there is darkness, light. This is who we are as a nation. This is the America we love and that is the America we're going to be. So thank you all, and may God bless you. And may God protect our troops and all of those who stand watch over our democracy. Thank you.

It was certainly a different tone than we're used to hearing from the current president, don't you think?