By Jameson Coleman, Staff Writer
“This is our historic moment of crisis and challenge, and unity is the path forward. And, we must meet this moment as the United States of America. If we do that, I guarantee you, we will not fail.” Bold words uttered from our fresh Commander-in-Chief, Joe Biden, during his Inauguration at the Capitol. These few words, while inspiring and possibly even a bit rallying, are expressing several large steps that America is unfortunately not ready for yet.
Don’t get me wrong, a cry for unity is refreshing, to say the least. This last year, or four, felt like every American opinion, regardless of political ideology, was put into the ring with Jake LaMotta, and we all gave up five rounds ago. Messy analogies aside, I wholeheartedly agree with the aforementioned statement from Biden about unity. Every American citizen should, but there isn’t one political candidate that can promise or provide that for us. It is no secret that we as a nation are more divided than we have been in years past. With tensions rising in the political climate, it seems you are either an enemy or an ally. Gone are the days of centrism. Why am I telling you all this? More importantly, what’s the draw of Inauguration Day in correlation to this stale approach to politics? Symbolism.
While it’s clear that a new president can do little in terms of pleasing both parties at the risk of garnering hate from the very party that supports them, there is something the people can do. Much like Biden said, America needs to find common ground. The Inauguration of a new president is more than a showy way of congratulating a leader; it’s a send off from the old era to the new. Seeing as this year’s “send off” ended with a Capitol riot and no shaking of hands between the previous president and the incoming, it’s safe to say symbolism has been thrown out of the window. The symbol of unity isn’t something that needs to be repaired – it needs to be rebuilt from the ground up. It’s our leaders’ job to help with that, but the buck stops at us.
I’m sure no one is particularly thrilled about the next four years: weary and heedful seems to be the general consensus. Conservative commentator Ben Shapiro seems to have nothing but despair when it comes to the future of unity in America. In a recent Politico article he says, “But one thing is certain: If anyone expects Americans to come together once the Trump era is over, that’s a pipe dream.” After a year full of riots and political unrest, a smooth transition of power on Inauguration day would surely have put some minds at rest. Regardless of the less than smooth transition we received, we can’t afford to let America suffer at the hands of divide yet again. Some people, however, seem a bit more optimistic about America’s possible future. Jordan Peterson, a clinical psychologist and political spokesperson, went to Twitter to share his response to Kamala Harris’ comment that America is “United in Spirit.” Peterson writes, “No, you’re not. And cliches won’t make it so. But maybe you could be again. And you have four years to get it right.”
Starting with this new presidency, we take on responsibility as well. The Inauguration was more than a transition of presidents this year – it was the transition of a new age. It’s a symbol that we need to do better. It’s a reminder that idolizing politicians never leads to good. It’s a reminder that we as Americans must be better than our messy politicians. Inauguration day isn’t a day for Joe Biden’s win; it’s a day for our new beginning. Whether that be good or bad, I only hope America learns from its mistakes. It has to.
