Madame Vice President!!! The First Mensch aka Second Gentleman Dr. Professor First Lady And our 46th President of the United States Joseph R. Biden
I am smiling. I am exhaling. I am genuinely hopeful. Honestly, I haven’t felt like this in four years, a long, painful, dark period in our lives and collective history. I couldn’t let myself believe the historic news until the official electoral call early this morning. But today is a new day. And while this country has immense work ahead to build unity, to heal pain, to bridge division, to expand equity, to address fear, to tackle white supremacy, to unlearn and relearn, to restore the soul of the nation (as Joe has long said), to fulfill its promise, to take on compounding pressing challenges, and to bring about lasting social, racial, economic and climate justice for all Americans of all backgrounds, races, faiths, genders, identities, political persuasions and ideologies, Biden is a good man, an experienced leader, an empathetic human being, and a person of immense character who the world is already welcoming with open arms, and who our collective sanity, stability, stress level, anxiety and mental health will surely appreciate. And we have the first ever female, Black, South-Asian Vice President (and her Jewish husband!) who is showing generations what is possible — and proudly hails from our very own Bay Area in the great state of California. I believe Biden and Harris will coalesce a diverse, innovative, committed team to act decisively, swiftly and inclusively on the issues that matter — and pray that 50 Democratic Senators will win to support that agenda and administration (let’s go Georgia runoffs on January 5th!). Every person has the right to exist safely in their home, in their skin, in their community, in their nation, and be able to support their families, access healthcare, and affirm inalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Here’s to the organizers who worked tirelessly in the face of a worsening pandemic and divided politic toward this unprecedented victory, especially Black women, women, people of color, young forces of nature and most certainly Stacey! Mark this joyous moment however you see fit (celebrate, cry, drink, dance in the streets, pound pots, turn off the news, breathe deeply, live your truth), and then remember that the strategizing and organizing and mobilizing do not stop here; we need all of us with all hands and hearts on deck, now more than ever. But yes, after a horrific four plus years of campaigning and governing by Donald Trump, this election, this day and this inauguration on January 20 do indeed mark the start of restored opportunity for all of us to act, struggle, love and fight for progress, for hope, for one another, for humanity, for America, for our planet, for justice to roll down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.