The word on many people’s lips this week was ‘inauguration.’ And what a defining moment in American history it seems to have been. Donald Trump left the White House to be replaced by Joe Biden. The United States is divided and gripped by a pandemic that has left over 400,000 of its citizens dead. President Biden has accused Trump of a lack of focus and compassion in tackling the crisis. Only time will tell if he can make a better fist of it.
The swearing in of President Biden was a very different spectacle from previous events. Gone were the huge crowds to be replaced by a much smaller, socially distanced audience. Mask wearing was mandatory and hats off to the man who sanitised the lectern with antiseptic wipes after every speaker. He worked like a Trojan and was my unsung hero of the day. He was the one who deserved to go viral, not Bernie Sanders and those outlandish gloves.
We had a bevy of ex-presidents, J-Lo, Lady Gaga and, most bizarre of all, Garth Brooks. I had forgotten he even existed. There were speeches, laughter, tears and lot of strong words and firm promises. President Biden’s speech was heard across the world. Many regard him as a beacon of hope after the dark, narcissistic Trump era. Others regard him with fear, suspicion and even outright hatred. Whatever their views, most want the terrible scenes from Capitol Hill the previous week never to be repeated.
But what of the word itself? Inauguration. Well did you know that it’s origin dates back to Roman times when all major political decisions were made by augurs. These were soothsayers who could determine the will of the gods by observing the flight patterns of birds. I kid you not. Whether or not the most powerful army ever known went to war or not could hinge over what a flock of geese decided to do on a wet Wednesday in Rome. The Latin verb inaugurare translates as ‘to take omens from birds in flight.’
There’s a joke there about ‘a wing and a prayer’ but I won’t subject you to it. Needless to say, whatever you might think of them, I’m glad our political, scientific and medical leaders nowadays don’t rely on such tactics when making the big decisions that are needed to guide us out of the mess we are currently in. Because this virus doesn’t differentiate between blue and red or, as in Ireland, orange and green. It infects, spreads and kills indiscriminately.
So, whatever your thoughts on the inauguration and events preceding it, whether or not you think the election was fraudulent, now is the time for everyone to come together and put our differences behind us. Because that is the only way we are going to have any hope of returning to normality and leading the lives we were created to live. It’s time to look forward and not dwell on the toxic events of 2020. Even the geese in the sky know that. Thank
Black Thoughts 
I agree that people here need to come together. Holding my breath to see what may come…
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Thank you. Thinking of you all 🙂
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I don’t like Biden, I’m not even a Democrat. But I’m just glad to have a new president who hopefully won’t be causing a daily ruckus on Twitter.
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Yes. It’s a start lol
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The last 24 hours has already shown that Biden is going to make a “better fist” of it.
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Let’s hope so 🙂
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There’s a joke there about ‘a wing and a prayer’ but I won’t subject you to it.
I curious…how does the joke go?
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I’m not going to go there lol
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Ok 😀
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Unity can only come after accountability, from where I sit. Still, President Biden has wasted no time in correcting some of his predecessor’s most egregious mistakes. Others, such as rebuilding our reputation with our allies, will take more time.
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I agree Sharon. The world awaits.
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It is wrong to imply a false equivalence between believing Biden was duly elected and thinking the election was fraudulent. The only reason people think the cleanest election ever was fraudulent is because of Trump’s propaganda. He lost 64 cases charging election irregularity, and won one very minor one. Nor is it wise to “put our differences behind us.” Unlike the conflicts that have plagued Norther Ireland, this is not between two sides with differing views, each of which has valid grievances. It is between one side that believes in science and human rights and democracy, and one side that doesn’t. We must remain vigilant against them moving forward.
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Hi Lorna. Thank you for your perspective. ‘Conflict’ is a very emotive word in Northern Ireland. It gives a certain legitimacy to what were cowardly, terrorist deaths on both sides. I don’t think many families of the 3000 who died would say their loved one was killed as a result of ‘valid grievances.’ I don’t believe all republicans are bad, just as I don’t believe all democrats are correct. We need to strive towards a middle ground where differing views can be expressed and debated with courtesy and restraint.
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I am thinking that once there are terrorist acts “on both sides,” each side has valid grievances. I’m sorry if that phrasing offended you. My point is that while in Northern Ireland there were terrorist acts “on both sides,” in the US, terrorist acts have been almost exclusively on one, extremely ignorant side. People who urge the left to meet the right in a middle ground do not understand that the right has worked tirelessly to destroy our democratic institutions, especially over the last four years. They do not understand that the right espouses white supremacy and the oppression of women and Christian fundamentalism and lunatic conspiracy theories (like the stolen election nonsense) and violence. The right has repeatedly demonstrated that it has no interest in moving left, and in fact has pulled the country drastically to the right since Reagan. To “meet them halfway” now would be to capitulate. Although there are plenty of “nice” Republicans, they all thought it was OK to elect a racist, serial rapist, and they sat on their hands while he kidnapped kids and held them in concentration camps, and when he contributed to the American death toll from the pandemic by politicizing its management and the wearing of masks. The personal niceness of Republicans is what Hannah Arendt called “the banality of evil.”
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First, a minor commentary- not everyone who supported Trump is an extremist. I live in a very red Trump state and yes am surrounded by Trump supporters – some very extreme who believe the entire election was a fraud and stormed the Capitol to prevent Armageddon among other things, but also those who voted for him and believe he lost. The media does a good job of portraying any conservative as an extremist and that is just false. I am struggling because the only family I have left alive believes the complete opposite as I do as to the direction our country is going. I am on the hopeful side – though not a Democrat, nor am I a Republican. I vote for the person best suited to the position. Those are hard to find these days.
Now for the euphoria. I love Inauguration Day! I always have. No matter who the new president is, this day is a shining star in the history and future of our nation. Institutions matter. I cried as the Lady Gag sang our National Anthem, I cried as Pres Elect Biden emerged from the capitol and walked forward to take his oath of office as the camera panned across the flag-ensconced Mall and history once again was made. And, while I am not a fan of our new VP, I applauded the achievement of our first woman VP and pray that Kamala Harris will make ALL women proud. I flew my own flag with pride after seeing the symbol of my country desecrated over and over again with hatred in the guise of patriotism. I am praying President Biden succeeds in leading a great nation to continued greatness. Our president only succeeds if the WHOLE nation succeeds. He has his work cut out for him and he has my prayers. God Bless America. And God bless our new president.
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I, too, loved the inauguration – much more so than in years past, I felt it was more personal and slower paced – thoughtful, if you will. The Parade Across America was great as were the evening festivities. Such a calm, happy relief from the negativity and trauma of the last four years. Of course I can only blame myself for my constant anxiety brought on by reading and watching all things political. Now I’ll just look at Bernie memes for the next few days.
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Good post.
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Thank you 😊
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Hear hear! Let’s get on with the job in hand. We need everyone to put their shoulders against the wheel.
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Most definitely. How are things in Japan?
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Things are great in Japan. Just working from home is getting a tad boring, as you know yourself.
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Tell me about it lol. Stay safe 🙂
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For anyone interested, Heather Cox Richardson is an American historian and professor at Boston College…..she writes a daily newsletter entitled Letters From an American. Reading her kept my sanity in check.
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Thank you for the link, Elizabeth 😊
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The poetry reading was especially beautiful. I liked the smaller setting, overall. Cheers.
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Thank you 😊
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The departure of a disgraced Trump is the only good news the world has had in a very long time. Such a global sigh of relief and a spark of hope in Joe Biden. The whole world needed this.
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I’m minded to agree. Let’s hope so. Thank you for reading.
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I watched some of the inauguration on TV. I think it went as well as it could be.
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At least it passed peacefully.
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