Inauguration Day

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It is inauguration day in this country. Joe Biden will be sworn in as this nation’s 46th president. He will preside over a deeply divided people, spurred to view their neighbors through a mixture of ideological lenses. People on both sides of the aisle view their opposition more and more as enemies, not misguided, but malicious. The media, having won their proxy campaign against the former president, now return to their rosy coverage of their preferred candidate while continuing to attack anyone with an opposing viewpoint, essentially cementing their role as a quasi-governmental agency, and oblivious to the calls within the Democratic party to “rein in the media.”

I hope that soon to be President Biden succeeds in bringing the country back together, pulling us back from the superheated rhetoric that has percolated through our media and social media, egged on by algorithms who play on our needs for validation and ply our emotions in order to extract revenues from the ad agencies that advertise on their various platforms. I hope that he is willing to reach out to the people who supported the past president not as a conqueror, but as a leader, giving them a chance to be welcomed back to the table and to have their voices heard.

But I have my concerns. The pandemic isn’t going away. The metrics we had used to justify the lockdowns and the continued suppression of the economy shift like the tides. Even some of the democratic governors are admitting that it’s time to open back up. The level of anxiety, fear, and worry about the future of this country are palpable. People are struggling, and the party in power shows little interest in removing the government from the situation. Rather, it seems as though they were looking to use this crisis, as well as several others, as opportunities to reshape the American economy, justice system, and political landscape in their favor, or at the very least, against their opponents. This isn’t some grand conspiracy, but rather, the consensus movement of people who look at what they’re doing as “the morally right thing.”

It isn’t an ethical thing, it is akin to faith, the holding of one’s convictions so close that nothing can shake it. They place their faith in human institutions and ideals, granting them godlike powers, and believe that they know what is best, that they are the “superior” thinkers. History shows time and again the results of “superior” thinkers.

I hope that people realize the tracks we are headed down don’t go anywhere good. It isn’t a large leap from exile to execution. De-platforming and censorship don’t remove the ideas, but drive them underground, and the tighter the circle is drawn on acceptable thought, the less people will believe that those in power truly represent their interests, which turns them to the outcasts.

I worry that the coalition of competing interest groups that formed against the former president will fracture, and that they will leave a wide swath of collateral damage in their wake, trying to seize the reigns of power and use it as they see fit. I worry that the infighting will detract from the real events, and that the media’s rose colored glasses will be welded on so tightly that they lose all credibility, essentially becoming nothing more than glorified tabloids.

I will pray for Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, and the safety of our nation as he is sworn in. I will pray that God grants him strength, wisdom, and serenity. But I will work on my own issues: my physical, emotional, mental, financial, and spiritual well-being. I will remind myself that this world is temporary, and try to speak with others who are interested. I will keep going forward, stumbling, fumbling, bumbling, and making mistakes like anyone else. I can’t expect perfection from anyone, nor can they from me.

To those who have followed this blog, thank you. I sincerely mean it. I hope to continue to grow this avenue of discourse over the coming years. Be safe, be kind, and be strong.