The Inauguration of Joe Biden and the First female Vice President of the U.S.

There has been so much despair and depressing news in the last tweleve months on TV that  we looked forward to a joyous and celebratory news braodcast today on most of the major TV channels today. 

The U.S. Capitol on the 46th Presidential Inauguration Day

We anticipated with eagerness and looked forward to the inauguration ceremony of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris as the new administration at the White House.

George Washinton was sworn in as the first American president in New York in April of 1789. Abraham Lincoln gave his first inagural speech at The Capitol before its construction  was finished during the Civil Was.  

One of the speakers acknowledged at the ceremony that - it has been a miracle the U.S. presidential swearing -in ceremony has been taking place every four years for the past 232 years, dispite the two world wars, the Depression and now in the middle of the COVID 19 Pandenic.

We sat and glued in fornt of our tv watching the entire ceremony from beginning to the very end.There were a few touching moments for me.

The first such moment was when Kamala Harris was being sworn in and recited her oath; tears streamed down my face as I saw history being made - Kamala Harris, the first female African, Asian American swearing in as the Vice President of United States. A hundred and eight yeats ago, thousands of people marched at The Capitol for the right to vote; today we witnessed the swearing in of the female visible minority as the first US Vice President!

The second touching moment for me was during President Biden's inaugurration speech. Biden was first elected to the U.S. Senate at 29 years old , the youngest Senator eleced. Now at 78 years old he is the oldest president elected in US history.  The.46th President of the United States, President Biden starts his presidency in an unprecednet challenging times in U.S. history with recorded high unemployment, rise of extremisim, and domestic violence.

He stressed to Americans to be united in order to fight extremism, violence, unemployment, growing of racial unrest, and a raging pandemic.

I was deeply touched especially by President Biden's words:

"Democracy has prevailed!  America has been tested, and has come out stronger.... With purose and resolve, we turn to the tasks at hand. Use the opportunty to reclaim truth, put aside our' differenes and work towards a common goal...a new chapter, a new beginnng.With unity we can do great things. listening and respecting one another, "

Another powerful moment for me was when Amanda Gorman -  the first National Youth Poet Laureate recited the poem - The Hill We Climb, caputuring some of the historical and recent events as well as expressing the hopes and dreams of the future for Americans. That was a beautiful and powerful moment to see young Americans to express their views of their beloved country!

Due to COVID restrictions and public safety concerns, there were no huge crowds cheering on the newly elected president and vice president. There was pomp and circumstance at the ceremony and the joy of the people was evident.

-  the singing of the national anthem by Lady Gaga, pledging of the allengince to the flag by the first
black,  singing of This Land is My Land by Jennifer Lopes, Joe Biden taking his sacred oath, the first oath taken by George Washington, the prayer and benedication and the review of the military foreces afterwards.

People all over the world are watching and will be watching at how the new  White House administration and the American people will move forward in this challenging time among their fractured and diveded country. 

We sincerely will continue to pray and wish President Biden and Vice President Harris all the best and success in their efforts in uniting Americans and overcoming all the emorous challenges facing U.S. today!

R.T.
A Canadian rooting for the new U.S. President and Vice President
Toronto, Canada

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The United States Capitol Under Seige on Jan.6, 2021 as the Electoral College Votes Were Counted

 We got up this morning thinking that it would be another uneventful day. How wrong we were!

The United States has been an inspriation and a shining example to the world for as a democratic country respecting the wills of its people through free and fair elections of its governemnt.

Watching Mitch McConnell's opening speech at the beginning of the joint session around 2pm, I was almost in tears by his touching words. Though a staunch supporter of Trump, he finally came around to accept the result of the November election and urged strongly other Republican colleagues to do the same.

No sooner after Mitch's speech, we watched commotion taking place in the chamber and in a few minutes, the house represetnatives were evaucated. We could not believe what we were seeing live on ourtv screen. While some congressmen were ducking down, some were with guns drawn on guard by the door to the chamber.  Rioters were breaking windows, climbing into the Capitol, roaming around the hall of the Capitol. rummaging through the desks of congressmen/women in the evacuated chamber. 

It was unimaginable what has just transpired this afternoon as Januaury 6, 2021 will be forever remembered as an infamy and a dark day in the recent American history. We thought we were watching a coup d'etat in a third world lawless country run by thugs. The America we have known was better than this. We were so disappointed and appalled at what the whole world was witnessing at that moment.

The only redeeming thing for America on its darkest day in recent history was the brave actions taken by its congressmen/ women on both sides to resume their consititional duties of counting the electoral college votes to certify Joe Biden as the next president of United States!

R.T.
Toronto, Canada