President Joe Biden: ‘This Is America’s Day’
America #America
President Joseph Robinette Biden Jr., calling it “democracy’s day,” delivered a message of national unity and justice for all Wednesday after taking the oath of office to become the 46th president of the United States amid an inauguration ceremony unlike any other.
The 21-minute inaugural address, delivered on the steps of the Capitol before a small crowd compared to the hundreds of thousands who usually gather for such occasions, focused on healing, justice and the perseverance of American democracy, urging unity in the country and sending a message of strength to both the American people and the world at large.
“At this hour, my friends, democracy has prevailed,” Biden said.
The incoming president spoke just before noon in a style seen throughout his campaign, largely bypassing the lofty language often associated with the inaugural address, opting for a casual tone, a simple message and a sincere sentiment: “This is America’s day.” The highly anticipated address marked the most important speech of his nearly half century in public life, coming at a time the nation is steeped in political, social, economic and public health crises.
Although much of the inauguration ceremony looked different than in years past, Biden’s speech remained relatively conventional. With no constitutional backing, the inaugural address is not a requirement, although all but five presidents have chosen to deliver the speech since George Washington first did so in 1789. Even so, the tradition is open-ended, leaving the direction up to the new administration. For Biden, that direction was one of speaking to the American people, recognizing the crises the nation faces and expressing confidence in the country’s future.
Historically, inaugural addresses have ranged dramatically in length, from George Washington’s 135-word address in 1793, to William Henry Harrison’s 8,460-word address in 1841, which lasted nearly two hours. Former President Donald Trump’s 2017 inaugural address was just over 15 minutes long, while both of Former President Barack Obama’s inaugural addresses neared the 20-minute mark.
But one key difference marked the first moments of Biden’s address: He did not thank his predecessor. Biden appeared to deliberately leave out the former president’s name as he welcomed in the new era of his presidency.
Customarily, during the inaugural address, the new president thanks the previous administration for its part in the peaceful transfer of power, while the former president sits behind the new leader in a symbolic gesture of continuity. This year, neither did Biden thank the previous administration of former President Donald Trump nor did the former president attend the inauguration. Biden did, however, acknowledge former Vice President Mike Pence, who was in attendance.
Video: Biden attends church service before inauguration (Reuters – US Video Online)
Biden attends church service before inauguration
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In his address, Biden notably asked for a moment of silence for those who had lost their lives in the past year during the coronavirus pandemic, made clear the historic meaning of Vice President Kamala Harris’ inauguration and sent a strong message to the world.
“America has been tested,” he said. “We’ve come out stronger for it. We will repair our alliances and engage with the world once again, not to meet yesterday’s challenges but today’s and tomorrow’s challenges, and we’ll lead not merely by the example of our power but by the power of our example.”
Following an especially polarizing election, Biden has repeatedly emphasized the need to unify the country and to serve both those who voted for him and those who did not. In his inaugural address, he stressed the message of unity, calling for a period of healing together.
“Disagreement must not lead to disunion,” Biden said. “I pledge to you, I will be a president to all Americans – all Americans. And I promise you, I will fight as hard for those who did not support me as for those who did.”
Acknowledging disagreements over politics, news sources and even facts themselves, he emphasized the dangers of further polarization nationally and called for an end to the forces that separate Americans.
“The answer is not to turn inward, to retreat into competing factions, distrusting those that don’t look like you,” Biden said. “We must end this uncivil war that pits red against blue, rural versus urban, conservative versus lieberal. We can do this if we open our souls instead of hardening our hearts.”
But he also conveyed the history of tolerance and inclusion represented on the National Mall and issued a strong message to those that would resort to violence to assert their political will, as an angry crowd did when they stormed the Capitol just weeks ago.
“A riotous mob thought they could use violence to silence the will of the people, to stop the work of our democracy, to drive us from this sacred ground,” Biden said. “It did not happen. It will never happen – not today, not tomorrow, not ever.”
Biden frequently veered toward personal appeals, assuring Americans that, even if they felt they couldn’t trust the election outcome or the government or the Democratic Party, that they could trust him. He leveraged his credibility, accumulated through decades of public service and bipartisanship as he pledged himself to the nation and to its democracy, asking Americans to do the same.
“I give you my word: I will always level with you,” Biden said. “I will defend the Constitution. I’ll defend our democracy. I’ll defend America. … And together, we shall write an American story of hope not fear of unity not division of light, not darkness. The story of decency and dignity, love and healing, greatness and goodness. May this be the story that guides us, the story that inspires us, and the story, that tells ages yet to come that we answered the call of history. We met the moment, democracy and hope, truth and justice did not die in our watch, but thrive.”
Copyright 2021 U.S. News & World Report