Biden Our Time

Welcome to the Wise Madness of the Biden era. I watched an inauguration for only the second time of my life, the first was 2009, Obama’s first. I didn’t watch alone, thanks to Zoom I watched with Katherine, Beth, Alison, and Sylvia. That made a big difference, I live blogged through Obama’s. This time I just soaked up everything and shared my excitement. I got to be a prophet. I was talking to Lena on Facebook before the Zoom and she said it was snowing in DC. I said it will stop and the sun will come out when Biden is sworn in. I was right! The timing wasn’t exact but close enough for government work.

There were so many right notes, some musical, especially Lady Gaga’s beautiful and original interpretation of The Star-Spangled Banner. After the insurrection that resonated, the flag was still there. Two weeks earlier the Capitol was the scene of attempt to overthrow democracy, yesterday was a celebration of that attempt failing. The Capitol was cleaned and refurbished, just as the Federal government was. For years, the right has been co-opting the symbols of America,  yesterday we reclaimed them for all Americans. We are not sunshine patriots even when in the shining sun.

The highlight was Amanda Gorman’s poem, The Hill We Climb. It took a while to even realize it was a poem. It was a speech made of words perfectly cobbled together. She said just what I’ve found myself wanting to say so often of late. America is not the perfection that any change flaws that reactionaries see it as, but neither is it the monument to injustice that many critics see.

And yes we are far from polished

far from pristine

but that doesn’t mean we are

striving to form a union that is perfect

We are striving to forge a union with purpose

To compose a country committed to all cultures, colors, characters and

conditions of man

She understands.

It’s because being American is more than a pride we inherit,

it’s the past we step into

and how we repair it

Oh hell. Listen to the entire thing.

She looks 16, chronologically she’s 22, and by wisdom, an elder.

I took pride in the juxtaposition of the two Bronx girls, Jennifer Lopez and Justice Sotomayor. Justice Sotomayor, I should call her Sonia, comes across not as a celebrity but the kind of person you run into on the street or invite over for coffee. She’s my people. Hey Sonia when the quarantine is over let’s hang out. What’s your favorite pizza place?

Kamala Harris represented my diversity in the executive branch that the preceding 232 years, a Jamaican and Indian woman. Now we can say without irony, “only in America.” If we’re lucky she’ll next be at the top of the executive branch. We’ve had 232 years of affirmative action, promoting white Christian males before all others, that’s an American tradition that I’ll be glad to see end. Biden is only the second Catholic president. Lincoln and Jefferson were non-denominational the rest have been protestants. Maybe one day we’ll be ready for an atheist.

Can there be a bigger contrast than that between Biden’s call for unity and Trump’s “American Carnage?” Biden was not my top choice, or even one of my top five, but I never doubted that he had the character to be president. When he says he’s going to be a president for all Americans, not just those that support him, I believe him. He didn’t set policy, but he set an agenda, the problems we need to face; The pandemic, rebuilding the economy, racial justice, and the survival of the planet. What moral person would oppose any of these? These are things that should unite us. The problem as he pointed out is that some believe in lies that deny these are problems. We must also stand for and stand up for truth.

In addition to the joy of the occasion there was the joy of spending time zooming with people that I love; only Alison is blood they are all family. The day made me feel good about the country, and good about my life. When Muslims make a rug, they put in one imperfection as only Allah is perfect. In that spirit I’ll make one quibble and say that I hope to see a day when the president won’t end his speech with “God bless America.”

We have a new and much better president but that’s not the end, just the starting line. We have so much work to do, and it won’t be easy. We must all work together but that does not mean we must all think alike. Compromises must be made to get anything done, but that doesn’t mean splitting differences down the middle. We need to exert pressure in the direction we want things to go, without giving up the effort when it’s not the exact direction we want to go. It’s not easy, Biden, Harris, and each of us will have to adjust as we go. That is one of Biden’s greatest strengths, that he understands that what matters is getting things done, not winning debating points. The job is just starting.