A partial look at the 2021 Presidential Inauguration
Transcript and Video: HERE, courtesy of Politico and msn.com.
What a Truther Hears: “There is always light, if only we are brave enough to see it, if only we were brave enough to be it.” … “The plea for justice for all will be deferred no longer.” … “History, faith and reason show the way, the way of unity.” … “Our history has been a constant struggle between the American ideal that we are all created equal and the harsh, ugly reality that racism, nativism, fear, and demonization have long torn us apart.” … “Many centuries ago, Saint Augustine, a saint of my church, wrote that a people was a multitude defined by the common objects of their love. What are the common objects we love that define us as Americans. I think I know. Opportunity. Security. Liberty. Dignity. Respect. Honor. And, yes, 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.” … ”This is a time of testing. We face an attack on democracy and on truth.” … “Before God and all of you I give you my word. I will always level with you. I will defend the Constitution. I will defend our democracy. I will defend America.”
The National Anthem, ‘This Land Is Your Land,’ and ‘Amazing Grace’: Sung by Lady Gaga, Jennifer Lopez, and Garth Brooks. (Courtesy of Yahoo News, Billboard, and TVLine.)
The Two Mikes: Those watching on NBC had the potential of President Biden’s inaugural address diminished for them by historian Michael Beschloss and commentator Mike Barnicle, among others. Beschloss couched the speech entirely in the context of the last four years as if Biden were not the oldest U.S. president ever and had not been a U.S. senator for 36 years and Vice President for eight — all before Donald Trump became president. For Beschloss, Biden’s three words “Democracy has prevailed” meant that the storming of the Capitol two weeks ago had not toppled “democracy,” nor had Covid, economic crisis, nor racism. Barnicle, a longtime friend of Biden’s, focused on the personal: Biden’s resilience, humanity, generosity, tolerance, and optimism.