I am glad Biden did the Covid-19 Memorial Event on Tuesday evening. In case you did not get to see it here is the 20 minute video:
Joe Biden participates in national COVID-19 memorial | USA TODAY
While I understand everyone's desire to get past the virus and resume 'normal life,' I have great fears that we could come through this experience with a much greater toleration for deaths of seniors, the sick and minorities all in the name of "keeping the economy going." I am also concerned that our fear for shutting down the economy has led to such a proliferation of virus mutations that more rapidly spreading and more vaccine resistant strains may continue to raise the death total for many months to come.
The ceremony was very simple, not a lot of words, and Biden left most of the message to be given by Cardinal Gregory and the women, i.e. the traditional mourners in society, even though he does a good job as a mourner. Unfortunately he will probably have many opportunities to be mourner in chief during the next four years
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I was very disappointed that the Mass was not televised. American Catholic should be proud of Biden's Catholicism as well as that of many political leaders in state government, the legislative branch, and the judiciary. While some years back people tended to think of religion as something private separate from politics, I think we are beyond that and have to recognize religion as important to all aspects of life, e.g. health care as well as politics.
Why We Are All Nuns: Catholic Pride; Universal Call to Holiness provides an explanation for my concept of Catholic Pride which is not the same as Catholic identity. When many people including non-Catholics and non practicing Catholics came to the defense of the Nuns who were criticized by the Vatican with the phrase "We are all nuns), they were expressing pride at the many accomplishments of Catholicism (e.g. education, health care, social services). It is possible to have Jewish pride without being Jewish, and American pride without being American. Or as Kennedy said "I am a Beliner."
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The most enjoyable part of the inauguration itself was to watch Obama afterwards as he worked the crowd. Today must surely seem to him, as well as to many of us, like the end of a four year long nightmare, where he suddenly wakes up and finds that his Vice-President has become president and a woman of color has become Vice-President. Sure more like the outcome for his presidency that had once been his dream.
Your thoughts?
I wish he had thanked election workers in his address. We all owe them a debt, especially the people in the Georgia Sec of State's office, and those tabulated in Detroit who continued to work despite the yahoos pounding on the doors and windows.
ReplyDeleteBeyond that, the day was fairly predictable, though Biden hit the truth theme harder than I thought he would.
The news commentators are making more of Harris's gender, ethbicity, and blended family than in her qualifications.
I feel glad we have competent people in charge once again.
The pandemic will be a big challenge. 16,000 doses of Moderna were delivered spoiled to Michigan on the last day. It got too cold in transit.
Americans have never valued the lives of old people who don't work or have a lot of wealth to throw around. That isn't going to change.
I'm not sure I'm "proud" of Biden's Catholicism, tough maybe it helped form his empathy for others. I expect the majority of practicing Catholics find him a very poor specimen because of his failure I be sufficiently anti-abortion.
I liked Amy Klobuchar's opening speech, and I wish she had gotten much more traction as a Perez candidate. I liked Lady Gaga's dress and rendition of the national anthem. I liked that Woody Guthrie's song was sung by J-Lo. I liked Bernie Sanders's big mittens. I liked that Mike Pence showed quiet decency and character. I liked the AME pastor's benediction.
I feel more hopeful about the short-term.
Apologies for typos. I would fix and repost, but my "delete" button has disappeared ...
DeleteI also feel more hopeful about the short term. That the day was a predictable inauguration was a big plus, for me. And I liked Klobuchar's speech; she's relatively young, maybe she will get more traction in the future. Also maybe a position in the new government.
DeleteAs for the judgey Catholics who think Biden is a poor Catholic, don't even get me started. It's like my mother used to say, when you point a finger at someone, there's three pointing back at you.
Yikes, about the 16,000 doses of Moderna vaccine that got spoiled; how awful. And by getting too cold in transit? I thought they had to stay very cold.
DeleteI don't have details. Moderna has to be kept frozen, but not as frozen as Pfizer, apparently. Things like this are going to happen as up to four vaccines may be on hand shortly--Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson, and Astra Zeneca--and all of them have different storage and dosing protocols.
DeleteI poked around a very little bit on Google re: the spoiled Moderna doses. Seems about 12,000 of the doses were shipped to Michigan; another 4,000 were destined for Maine. Whether it was the same issue for both states isn't completely clear. The report that the doses were too cold came from Michigan. McKesson Corp, which is a pharmacy distribution company, was the shipper for the Michigan doses. Everyone is investigating but no clear-cut answers yet as to what happened.
Deletehttps://www.freep.com/story/news/health/2021/01/19/moderna-covid-19-vaccines-spoiled-michigan/4219827001/
I'm sure I wasn't the only one who heaved a sigh of relief after the new president and vice-president were actually sworn in this morning, and no violence occurred. Of course I realize that this isn't the last we have heard of the ones who don't accept the results of the election. But this moment of the peaceful transfer of power was a necessary benchmark in order to move forward.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the link to the Covid memorial service from last evening. I missed that, and I do want to watch it. I would also have liked to have watched the Mass at St. Matthew's cathedral this morning. But Biden may have wished to avoid appearing to be like the self-righteous Pharisee doing his praying on television. I did read the text of the homily given by Fr. Kevin O'Brien, which is available on several sites. I thought it was good.
I liked Biden's inaugural address a lot; thought it was stirring, and struck the right notes.
Also very good was the poem by 22 year old National Youth Poet Laureate, Amanda Gorman, which emphasized unity in a wounded America.
Bernie's mittens are getting a lot of attention in my Michigan knitting group. Everyone commented on how chilly he looked, and him an old man with a heart condition. Some people wanted to knit a hat for him to match.
ReplyDeleteApparently there is a story about the mittens: "Bernie’s mittens are made by Jen Ellis, a teacher from Essex Junction, Vt," [Buzzfeed's Ruby] Cramer wrote on Twitter. "She gave them to him 2+ years ago and was surprised when he began wearing them on the campaign trail. They are made from repurposed wool sweaters and lined with fleece made from recycled plastic bottles." https://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/story/news/2021/01/20/inauguration-day-bernie-mittens-vermont-senator-sanders-meme/4231629001/
Out of 20 harmless comments about his mittens and the scarf the pastor wore, one person added, "WHO GIVES A SH*T!?!?!?" Nope, those Trump voters aren't gone, and they're apparently easily enraged by homemade knitwear ... Sigh.
On Jack's point about seniors: Shai Held's essay in the Atlantic about COVID and the elderly: The Staggering, Heartless Cruelty Toward the Elderly Callously.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/03/respect-old/607864/
OK, will stop now and go finish making supper.
To the point the Atlantic article was making, for years people have been setting the generations against each other. A favorite theme of columnist Robert Samuelson was that benefits for the old such as Medicare and Social Security were taking away from the young and keeping them impoverished. Thankfully he has retired (presumably he was well off and didn't need the safety net, either that or he was hypocritical about it). But there are other pundits and a whole school of thought that it's a zero sum game and the generations have to be in competition for scarce resources.
DeleteYes, we are old and useless, sucking resources away from younger people whose lives are more productive and important. I don't buy that. But I have made end of life arrangements to ensure that medical interventions will not extend my stay in a society that does not value me. Ending up in a nursing home abused and neglected by staff because I have no advocate is not the way I plan to make my exit.
DeleteFor a society which supposedly thinks seniors are "old and useless" we sure have elected a lot of them lately!
DeleteThe difference is that they are still working and not sick. They are also often cosmetically enhanced to look younger. Anyone remember Biden's hair transplants and teeth caps decades ago that caused some minor joking? And I didn't see a woman on that stage who didn't color her hair.
DeleteThat he went to morning mass really meant a lot to me. Love that he began with thanksgiving and blessing.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, had to work today so wasn't able to follow along with the events. Had the television on in background for an hour or so, and it all seemed orderly and rather dull - exactly my hopes for the next four years!
Kamala Harris's "First" milestones are worth noting and celebrating. I would guess that, as a former veep himself, Biden will be solicitous of her desire to contribute.
I see a lot of potential in her. She could evolve to have a strong role like Michele Obama but with the added prestige of the Vice-Presidency. I hope Biden will regularly meet with her just like Obama did with Biden. Actually he could give her a lot of points on dealing with the Congress.
DeleteIn the above post I added some thoughts I expressed in an article for the Pray Tell blog back in 2012 on Catholic Pride which I do not equate with Catholic identity.
ReplyDeleteI is very possible to have pride in the accomplishments of Catholicism (or America) without being a Catholic (or an American). Catholic pride (and American pride) can be very consistent with deep criticism of Catholicism (and America).
Possibly as notable as Biden's inauguration was the swearing in of the two Georgia Democratic Senators. Mitch McConnell's reign as Senate Majority Leader ended today (at least for the next couple of years), and Chuck Schumer's reign has begun. It should make at least a marginal difference for Biden's agenda.
ReplyDeleteIt seems McConnell and Schumer have been working out a power-sharing arrangement. Each party has 50 senators; Schumer gets the Majority Leader job by dint of Harris's tie-breaking vote. I believe the Senate committees will have equal numbers of Democrats and Republicans with Democrats chairing them all, so Democrats will control committee agendas. News reports from yesterday indicated that Schumer and McConnell were on the verge of finalizing their agreement, but apparently they hit a major snag within the last day or so: the filibuster. The report I read said it could take several more days to work it all out.
Naturally, as someone with conservative leanings, I would like to see the filibuster preserved. Personally, I think all of us should wish for it. Consider that the Democrats' House majority is quite thin, and Republicans could hold that majority in two years' time. The same could be true of the Senate. Personally, in this post-Trump GOP world, I think it's pretty unlikely that the Republican Party would get its act together - I think it's more likely that we're entering another 40-year stretch of Democratic control of Congress - but these things are difficult to predict.
I don't think they will do anything about the filibuster, at least for now, because what goes around can come around. The fact that they are basically split 50/50 I don't see as a bad thing. They will have to work together, and it won't be as much of a temptation to run roughshod over each other.
DeleteI would have predicted a longish period of Democratic control after Watergate, but it didn't happen for very long. Carter was a one term president, and after that was 12 years of Republican presidencies. The Iran hostage situation hurt Carter. We never know what wild cards will pop out of the deck. Of course if Trump actually does form his own party that could change things, too.
The narrow edge that the Democrats have does not bode carte blanche for Biden. I.e., Senator Manchin from West Virginia is basically Republican. Senators have been known to switch party. Democrat does not equal progressive or even moderate. Environmental legislation might not sit well with a coal guy. Getting John Fetterman as PA senator in 2022 would move things in the right direction.
ReplyDeleteThe inauguration as liturgy is an idea I am surprised Catholics have ignored. Chris Richards at the WaPost offered interesting commentary on Lady Gaga's performance:
ReplyDelete... when Lady Gaga sang “The Star-Spangled Banner” during the inauguration ceremony for President Biden on Wednesday morning, she customarily split the “yet” into two syllables, but instead of bending the melody like a question mark, she shot through it like the downward stroke of an exclamation point. Gaga wanted us to pay attention, and she did it by pinching and stretching other words throughout the anthem, as well as donning a spectacular outfit, which included a golden dove brooch that appeared to be life size. Pomp flirted with camp, and familiar words unfolded at irregular rhythms, and our eyes weren’t allowed to glaze over, and neither were our ears.
I think Gaga did well. She put her imprint on it without mangling it with a lot of self-indulgent styling, just a little at the end. I loved it.
DeleteRaber said it was too slow, but I think that was the point. Let it sink in, people. We are dumb asses, and we almost wrecked everything. The flag is still there. Let's not take it for granted.
DeleteI might have posted this before--Arnold Schwarzenegger talking about Trump. It is heart-felt, corny, and, in my view, ought to shake up every single dumb-ass Republican who feels the election was "stole" from them. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAWvl-g_6rg
Nothing profound here as far as my observations are concerned.
ReplyDeleteBut I did find the entire inauguration and the related events (such as the Covid memorial at the Reflecting Pool, and even the entertainment) to be moving - striking all the right notes. I actually enjoyed the entertainment much more than when the various artists simply appear on stage in DC. I liked the different venues, showing different American cities. I liked the way they honored different groups of people with profiles. I also liked the titles of many of the songs chosen by the vocalists - a few strong messages in the choices!
I liked Biden's speech and his emphasis on compassion,empathy, healing, unity and TRUTH.
I have attended several inaugurations/parades in person, but the last time was years ago (when our sons wanted to go). I enjoyed this one the most. I have watched on TV after recent elections, and actually don't remember which election inauguration was the last one I watched. Maybe Obama. Maybe Bush the Younger. Obviously they weren't memorable.
This one was - because of the trauma of trump's presidency and especially the trauma of his behavior after the election. He most certainly was hoping to overthrow the results as I had feared he would try to do - a coup. He signaled his intentions for months. But I had thought that he would be forced to stop his attempts after the Electoral College certified the results on Dec 14. Nope - he had more tricks up his sleeve. At least he did stop short of declaring a national emergency and calling out the troops.
I held my breath until they were all safely inside the White House
I was in Calif in 2016 when we learned that trump had won. I woke up around 3 am -and I cried. I was so upset, and so full of fear for our country. How could a man like that be elected?
What was WRONG with Americans that so many millions would vote for him? I had not ever been terribly upset by my candidate losing in all the previous elections. I never saw them as an actual threat to America as I did trump. But none of those candidates (except for George Wallace - and I wasn't yet old enough to vote in that election) campaigned on a racist platform meant to incite fear and hatred of the other - of Latinos, of Muslims especially in 2016. Later trump's incitement of white supremacists became more and more clear.
Last night I cried again - tears of relief after four years of daily assaults on our country, assaults on the minorities in our country, assaults on our Constitution by trump. Assaults on reason, compassion, empathy. Assaults on TRUTH.
Four years of growing fear for my grandchildren and for all Americans not descended 100% from white Europeans - what kind of country would America be?
The most experimental and risky part of the American Experiment is that different races, beliefs, viewpoints can live peacefully together and resolve their conflicts peacefully. If it can be done here, it can be done anywhere. White supremacy doesn't make me feel more secure, it makes me feel less secure. The less of it, the better. White supremacy is a weakness in our country and an impediment to fixing our real problems.
DeleteStanley, that's why I have little hope that the American Experiment can survive. Public education, which was on the ropes before Trump and has become even more precarious during the pandemic, socialized generations of Americans.
DeleteYou can (and I will) argue that that education was often Euro-centric, highly selective, and self-congratulatory. But it provided common points of reference essential in navigating a highly diverse society.
The rise of home-schooling, demands of religious schools for vouchers because of claims that they are saving public school students, and any number of special-interest elite private schools for rich people are on the rise. That means these common reference points are being whittled away. You already see this in the increasing number of climate change deniers, flat earthers, conspiracy theorists of all types, history challengers, and people who prefer not to play with a full deck of facts.
That, I think, will spell the dissolution of the United States as we know it at some point in the not-too-distant future. Hopefully, this will not involve a blood bath.