Hail to New Chief

That loud and labored breath of air you just heard was the sigh of relief from several billion people in the world, knowing that Donald John Trump is no longer president of the United States. Yes billions, because it wasn’t just the millions of Americans who voted for Joe Biden to become the 46th president, but countless more people who say things can firmly get back to normal. At least how it was before Trump became president in 2016. However, Joseph Robinette Biden is sitting in the Oval Office, a culmination following decades of public service in the arena of American politics. The contrast between Biden and Trump is like black/white, zig/zag, up/down being polar opposites of each other in how they became president. That won’t matter now that Trump is an ex-president and Biden will try to undo the damage/image done to this nation. A task that can’t get done unless Trump’s supporters accept the facts of the election and move on. That will be difficult because his supporters are not willing to accept the results of votes counted in Republican led states where Republicans put all kinds of voting measures into effect to limit how many voters could cast ballots. The results were certified by conservatives in charge of the elections and by conservative judges who ruled against Trump’s legal challenges. If one of the “values” that conservatives proclaim to be a bedrock American principle is “law and order”, and “the rule of law”, many appeared to be ready to abandon those principles.

The insurrection at the Capitol on January 6, 2021 showed the nation/world that relations in this nation are at an all-time low. We have been hearing Republicans and defenders of the president make a plea to not try Trump in the Senate, because it will “cause further division”. They will not talk about how the division in this nation got worse than in previous years. They will not mention Trump’s name and if Congress gets any blame, it will be the old blame game of partisan issues or somehow tied to activities of minority protests. They will not mention police practices that have led to multiple protests across the nation, where they have supported Trump for “maintaining” law/order, but except for a few Republicans, have been silent when right wing groups are violent. They will talk about unity and “bringing the nation” together, only that you have not heard one of them say, that the road to unity “begins with me”. They talk about unity, never mentioning “I” will try to change things, knowing that would anger their base and that it is the “other side” that needs to make the first step.

Joe Biden is stepping into a moment in American history where the nation is once again at a crisis crossroad. He was there when he and President Obama rescued the nation from the brink of a depression and led the nation to an economic recovery where millions of jobs were created and some (including Republicans) got richer in the process. That’s another subject you don’t hear talked about. The pandemic will test Biden in the early days of his presidency, but it appears that he has assembled a top-notch team of experts to bring the pandemic under control. There are those Republicans like McConnell and Graham who have known Biden for a long time in Congress and know that Biden is not known as a “divider”, that their words about Biden will carry much weight with the conservative base that will remain loyal to Trump. They know that Biden earned the right to sit in the White House fairly, and that is the conversation that they need to communicate among conservative circles if this nation is to begin any kind of a healing process. Biden, just like Obama faces a formidable (not impossible) task ahead. But if this nation wants to regain an image of “one America” where people from all walks of life come together for the common good, now is the time. It’s like a “win or go home” football game. It’s which team wants it the most, a united America or a divided one. The nation does not need another January 6, 2021. Remember, the world is watching. So is God.