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| President Joseph R. Biden taking the oath of office (Sky News) |
Although I have my differences with him on some of his policies, I believe that at the core he is a decent man with good old fashioned American values. Most of which are centrist. Hopefully it will be those values that guide him. I don’t see anything radical being implemented.
The President is a religious man. A devout Catholic. But he is also an American that realizes the nation he will serve is not Catholic alone. It consists of people of many faiths - or of no faith at all. And that the rights of all should be protected. As an Orthodox Jew, my hope is that the moral values that that both Catholicism and Judaism share will influence his decisions.
I also hope that he can achieve the goal he has articulated of uniting the country. To achieve this he surely realizes that he must win over - the over 74 million people that voted for his opponent. Even those who believe that his electoral win was a fraud. That so many Trump supporters that still believe that, might make this task harder than ever. But in my view, not impossible.
The vast majority of Trump supporters are decent hard working Americans that have nothing to do with the racist rabble that stormed the Capital a couple of weeks ago. Just because both supported the former President does not mean they have anything else in common. Those racists are the same fringe element that has always been around - emboldened by their President to come out from under their rocks and act. My hope is that those fanatics go back to their home under a rock where they belong and stay there.
The President must assure Trump voters that not all the policies implemented by his predecessor will be overturned. He must assure them that he will not govern from the left but from the center and retain some of the conservative policies that have been working. I realize that some of those policies will be overturned. But if he chooses wisely he might win over some Trump voters. That would be a good start towards unifying the country.
At this time I would like to address the ardent supporters of the last President. I know you are all disappointed. I know that some of you still believe the election was stolen. But there is nothing anyone can do about it anyway. As Americans we need to give the new President a chance. There is a need to step away from the false narrative that the Biden presidency is illegitimate.
This is not the first time a Democrat has occupied the White House. And it won’t be the last. The republic has survived anyway. And even thrived. What unites us is far greater than what divides us.
The success of United States is not a fluke. It was not by accident that we became the most powerful country with the most successful form of government in history. Under Presidents of both political parties, the American credo of freedom has been the operating principle that has enabled the American people to achieve great personal and national success.
We should heed the words uttered by Abraham Lincoln at a time when America was even more divided than it is now: With malice towards none, with Charity for All. It is time to end the divisiveness and acrimony. I understand the feeling of loss. I too will miss the kind of conservative policies that were implemented under the last President, But now is not the time to look back. We must look forward. And by we, I Include congress.
Congress should commence doing the business of the people and not waste time on an impeachment trial that will have no real practical value. There is important work to be done. There is a pandemic raging that has not yet been tamed. Despite the fact that vaccines are now available, people are still dying. And as a result of the pandemic the economy has suffered immeasurably. Too many people have lost jobs and businesses. Too many people can’t even put food on the table. Not a minute should be wasted.
President Biden is my President now just as former President Trump was before. I will be giving the President the chance to succeed. As we all should. And may God continue to bless this great land of ours, the United States of America.