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A Resumption of our Humanity
As I watched the Biden-Harris inaugural ceremonies this week, I found myself overcome by unanticipated thoughts and feelings.
Although I’ve been aware of presidential inaugurations since 1960, when I was nine, this is the first one I’ve ever taken the time to watch in its entirety.
Of course, as a reliable Democrat, there were the expected feelings of relief as the political pendulum swung in favor of my preferred affiliation.
And obviously, given the armed insurrection we witnessed in our Capitol building only a couple of weeks ago, there was great relief as the wheels of democracy once again seemed to engage reliably, carrying us forward into a new administration, even if it did require 25,000 members of our National Guard to be on hand to defend our duly elected political leaders from another attack.
But there was more. In addition to the speakers and performers, there was the unexpected comfort of seeing fellow human beings mingling together, without rancor, and with some joy at greeting and conversing with each other. I found it especially moving to see VP Mike Pence and his wife being accepted into this gathering — knowing, as we do, that it was only a few weeks ago that the president whom he had served loyally for four years had branded him as a traitor, and set his followers upon him, as if loosing a pack of…
