The Current | Vol. 31 Issue 17

January 12, 2021 | nsucurrent.nova.edu 11 Opinions A nation looking to heal On Nov. 7, President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris addressed a crowd of supporters outside their headquarters in Wilmington, DE. The speech that was delivered that night gave the American people a glimpse of what the next four years would be like. It was a speech that will be remembered for years to come due to its historical significance. The speech signaled the end of the Trump administration, which will go down in history as one of the most divisive administrations the U.S. has ever seen. Vice President-elect Kamala Harris began the night by stating that the American people “chose hope and unity, decency, science and yes, truth” this election cycle. She made sure to state that, although she is the first Black and Mixed race Vice President in history, she is “not the last” -- a campaign slogan that will echo throughout time as a reminder to the American people. Shortly afterwards, she welcomed Biden on to the stage.. The words that Joe Biden would utter next would be addressed to a people who have suffered greatly for four long years due to a loosecannon president. With families torn apart, neighbors against neighbors, fighting and anguish in the streets, unrelenting warfare online, old friends made enemies, emotions manipulated, careers ruined, the country was locked in a cold civil war. President Trump actively referred to his political opponents as his “enemies” and spread other toxic and dangerous rhetoric that riled up his supporters and those who disagreed with him. He blamed Democrats, stating, “The crime was by the Democrats, folks. They’ve committed, in my opinion, many crimes.” He used incendiary statements, such as “Our political opponents look down with hatred on our values and with utter disdain for the people whose lives they want to run. That’s the way they’ve been doing it.” He even denied his own defeat, waging a pathetic and desperate battle to undo the will of the people while wondering why they did not vote for him. America anxiously awaited to hear what the 46 president-elect had to say. Addressing the nation, Biden stated “I pledge to be a president who seeks not to divide, but unify, who doesn’t see red states By: Gabriel J. Stone Contributing Writer The Biden administration: My hopes and fears The race to the 2020 election has been one of the most intense campaigns in recent history, resulting in some of the highest voter turnouts this nation has ever seen. After all the blood, sweat and tears that came from campaigners, protesters and representatives alike, America has been through a whirlwind of emotions while the people made their voices heard all while dealing with a global pandemic. The aftermath of President Trump’s administration wrought President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris. This election has been historic for so many reasons, such as the previously mentioned voter turnout, but it also marks the oldest president the nation has seen, breaking Trump’s record of 74 years old since Biden is 77. Another historical element of the election is that our new Vice President-elect, Kamala Harris, will be the first woman, the first Black, and the first South Asian to hold her position. Harris’ husband, Doug Emhoff, is also set to become the first “second gentleman” and the first Jewish spouse of a president or vice president. The diverse representation of the first and second American families is so beautiful and unlike the abominable garbage fire that became of the Trump administration. The Biden administration fills me with optimistic joy for this incredible country as I can once again proudly declare I am an American. We have seen many displays of disgusting hate these last four years under the president’s watch, such as the Parkland shooting killing 18 innocent students in the middle of a school day, the Tree of Life synagogue shooting killing 11 people in the middle of prayer, the Route 91 Harvest Country Music Festival shooting killing 58 people and wounding more than 500, the First Baptist Church shooting killing 26 people in the middle of praying, Santa Fe High School shooting killing 10 people right before graduation, the Proud Boys white supremacist group founded in 2016, the Thousand Oaks shooting killing 12 people, El Paso Walmart shooting killing 22 people and the infamous Charlottesville march “Unite the Right” spewing racist hate speech chanting “Jews will not replace us” as well as anti-Muslim and anti-Black speech led by the KKK. This is not okay. Trumphas undoubtedly failed this nation too many times. The failure that was Trump’s atrocious attempt at being the leader of the free world made advocacy necessary with movements and strikes such as the Me Too movement, the Black LivesMatter movement, March for Our Lives, the fight for LGBTQ+ rights and climate strikes. There has been a collective increase of activism throughout the U.S. As a Latino-Jewish-American, I have experienced -- and sometimes still do -- fear for my security in this country as there is so much blatant hate. Will I be just a nameless victim of a school or nightclub shooting? Will I get gunned down at temple while I pray? Will a racist’s violence take my mother from me just for looking the way she does? I pray that Biden’s administration will be different, and even though I have many fears, the words of our new leader inspire my hope for a greater America. and blue states, but only sees the United States.” He continued, thanking those who had supported him and for who he would fight for “Democrats, Republicans, independents, progressives, moderates, conservatives, young, old, urban, suburban, rural, gay, straight, transgender, White, Latino, Asian, Native American, African American [and more].” The statement would make history as the first victory speech done by a president-elect to mention transgender individuals. A smiles spread across the faces of the audience, there was still one issue: those who were not smiling, those who had voted for Trump. This made all the difference. Instead of kicking them while they were down, as many Trump supporters had done over the four years, Biden set the tone when he took the high ground. “For all those of you who voted for President Trump, let’s give each other a chance. It’s time to put away the harsh rhetoric, lower the temperature, see each other again and listen to each other again and to make progress we have to stop seeing our opponents as our enemies. They are not our enemies, they are Americans,” Biden said. There are sure to be those who ignore this message -- I can hardly blame them, the last four years have been tough -- but if enough people listen to this crucial part of Biden’s speech, we can be what he later called “a nation united, a nation strengthened, a nation healed.” What matters most now is not if President-elect Biden can hold our hands and do it for us, but if we, the American people, can learn to unify ourselves, respect each other, forgive each other and reject divisive rhetoric wherever it may rear its ugly head. It’s easy to hate based on views, but it’s harder and more noble to accept people regardless of them. In the 2001 movie musical “Moulin Rouge,” it is sung, “The greatest thing you’ll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return.” Over these four years, what I have learned is that, when you make room in your heart for love, there is no space for partisan hate. By: Rey Perez Contributing Writer PHOTO PRINTED PERMISSION BY C. GIL Watching NBC news Pesidential debate back in October 2020