Friday, March 29, 2024

Biden Sworn in as President, calls on Americans to End Political Division

Today, Joe Biden, the 46th President of the U.S., gave his inaugural speech at the Capitol, which just two weeks ago was attacked by domestic terrorists.

Amid a devastating global pandemic and a threat of possible domestic terrorism, Biden was sworn in as the 46th President of the United States.  During his inaugural speech he pledged to unite the country and called on all Americans to end the “uncivil war” that has affected the nation.

During the ceremony that kept up with tradition while also being unlike any other inauguration in U.S. history, President Biden took his oath of office before a small and socially distanced audience in D.C., which has been locked down due to multiple threats; the COVID-19 pandemic  as well as domestic terrorist attacks just a few weeks ago.

During his speech, Biden stated, “I know speaking of unity can sound to some like a foolish fantasy these days, I know the forces that divide is deep, and they are real. Our history has been a constant struggle between the American ideal that we’re all created equal and the harsh ugly reality of racism, nativism, fear, demonization. This is our historic moment of crisis and challenge — and unity is the path forward. We must end this uncivil war that pits red against blue, rural versus urban, conservative versus liberal. We can do this if we open our souls instead of hardening our hearts”.

In attendance at the small ceremony were most members of Congress and Supreme Court, former Presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush, and Bill Clinton, as well as Vice President Mike Pence. But Trump was among those who did not attend the ceremony, making him the first president to skip his successor’s inauguration in more than 150 years.

As president, Biden will have the responsibility to immediately confront several major crises facing the country including the global pandemic, economy collapse, and a devastating political division in the country. The inaugural theme is “America United”, a theme Biden campaigned on and which he focused on during his speech. “We’ve learned again that democracy is precious. Democracy is fragile, and, at this hour, my friends, democracy has prevailed.” he said.

NBC