President Joe Biden is calling on Americans to overcome their divisions, declaring in his first address in office that "without unity, there is no peace."
Category: News & Politics
Via: john-russell • 3 years ago • 13 commentsBy: Justice Sonia Sotomayor (AP NEWS)
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
12:10 p.m.
President Joe Biden is calling on Americans to overcome their divisions, declaring in his first address in office that "without unity, there is no peace."
Biden also pledged during his inaugural address Wednesday that he would be honest with the country as it continues to confront difficulties, saying that leaders have an obligation "to defend the truth and defeat the lies."
He asked even those who did not vote for him to give him a chance. He said, "Hear me out as we move forward."
As he did frequently during the campaign, Biden pledged that he will be a "president for all Americans" and will "fight as hard for those who did not support me as for those who did."
He added, "We must end this uncivil war that pits red against blue."
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Noon
President Joe Biden says "democracy has prevailed" in a country reeling amid a pandemic and a violent melee two weeks ago at the U.S. Capitol.
In his first remarks as president, Biden said Wednesday that his swearing-in marks a day of "history and hope."
Biden said in his inaugural address that the country has "learned again that democracy is precious."
He added, "The dream of justice for all will be deferred no longer."
Biden also thanked his predecessors from both parties for attending Wednesday's ceremonies. Former Vice President Mike Pence was also in attendance, while former President Donald Trump skipped the festivities and headed to Florida earlier in the day.
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11:50 a.m.
Joe Biden has officially become the 46th president of the United States.
Biden took the oath of office just before noon Wednesday during a ceremony at the U.S. Capitol. The presidential oath was administered by U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts.
Biden was sworn in using a Bible that has been in his family since 1893 and was used during his swearing-in as vice president in 2009 and 2013. The 5-inch thick Bible, which could be seen on a table next to Biden's chair on the dais, has a Celtic cross on its cover and was also used each time he was sworn- n as a U.S. senator.
Biden's late son, Beau, also used the Bible for his own swearing-in ceremony as attorney general of Delaware and helped carry the Bible to his father's 2013 ceremony.
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11:45 a.m.
Kamala Harris has been sworn in as the nation's first female vice president.
The former U.S. senator from California is also the first Black person and the first person of South Asian descent elected to the vice presidency and becomes the highest-ranking woman ever to serve in government.
She was sworn in Wednesday by Justice Sonia Sotomayor, the first Latina to serve on the Supreme Court. Vice President Mike Pence, standing in for President Donald Trump, was sitting nearby as Lady Gaga sang the national anthem accompanied by the U.S. Marine Corps band.
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11:43 a.m.
Lady Gaga belted out the national anthem in a very Lady Gaga way — full of fashion and passion.
The Grammy winner wore a large dove pin and a large red sculpted skirt as she sang into a gold microphone, delivering an emotional rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner."
As she left the podium, she spoke with President-elect Joe Biden and glanced at former President Barack Obama. On Twitter, she was given great marks, especially by many who joked that her skirt was automatically socially distancing.
Lady Gaga campaigned in November with Biden in Pennsylvania, and the two worked together the last time he was in the White House to combat sexual assault on college campuses.
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11:40 a.m.
The White House says President Donald Trump has pardoned Al Pirro, the ex-husband of Fox News Channel host and Trump ally Jeanine Pirro.
The pardon for Al Pirro is in addition to the 143 pardons and sentence commutations that Trump announced earlier Wednesday. Pirro's pardon was announced just after Trump landed in Florida after leaving the White House and before Joe Biden was inaugurated as the nation's 46th president.
Jeanine Pirro hosts Fox News Channel's "Justice with Judge Jeanine."
Al Pirro was convicted of conspiracy and tax evasion charges and sentenced to more than two years in prison in 2000.
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11:20 a.m.
Joe Biden's presidential inauguration ceremony has begun.
Biden swears the oath of office at noon Wednesday, becoming the 46th president of the United States. The Democrat is preparing to take the helm of a deeply divided nation and inherit crises arguably greater than any faced by his predecessors.
History will be made at Biden's side, as Kamala Harris becomes the first woman to be vice president.
The ceremony in which presidential power is transferred is a hallowed American democratic tradition. And this time it serves as a jarring reminder of the challenges Biden faces: The inauguration unfolds at a U.S. Capitol battered by an insurrectionist siege just two weeks ago, encircled by security forces. It's devoid of crowds because of the threat of the coronavirus pandemic.
Flouting tradition, Donald Trump departed Washington on Wednesday morning ahead of the inauguration rather than accompany his successor to the Capitol.
Former Presidents George W. Bush, Barack Obama and Bill Clinton are attending.
The other living former president, 96-year-old Jimmy Carter, previously announced he would not attend.
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In his inaugural address Biden mentioned what he said is one of his favorite songs, "American Anthem" and quoted some of the lyrics. Here is that song, somewhat little known perhaps, but a great patriotic song nonetheless. It was written as the theme song of the Ken Burns series "The War".
AMERICAN ANTHEM - Steve Amerson
All we've been given
By those who came before
The dream of a nation
Where freedom would endure
The work and prayers
Of centuries
Have brought us to this day
What shall be our legacy?
What will our children say?
Let them say of me
I was one who believed
In sharing the blessings
I received
Let me know in my heart
When my days are through
America
America
I gave my best to you
Each generation from the plains
To distant shore with the gifts
They were given
Were determined
To leave more
Battles foughts together
Acts of conscience fought alone
These are the seeds
From which America has grown
Let them say of me
I was one who believed
In sharing the blessings
I received
Let me know in my heart
When my days are through
America
America
I gave my best to you
For those who think
They have nothing to share
Who fear in their hearts
There is no hero there
Know each quiet act
Of dignity is
That which fortifies
The soul of a nation
That never dies
Let them say of me
I was one who believed
In sharing the blessings
I received
Let me know in my heart
When my days are through
America
America
I gave my best to you
America
America
I gave my best to you
He is right, but when you have Trump's cult still not accepting that he won the lection fairly I do not see how unity is possible.
For unity to prevail, the Dem's willl have to apologize for their atrocious behavior the last four years
No comedy please in this solemn moment.
Calls for unity as the Congress is about to create more division by way of impeachment of a former POTUS. Yeah. That should seal the deal. /s
So the rule of law is meaningless to you. Got it.
And if McConnell & Co. in the senate find Trump guilty of the impeachment charge.... what then?
Don't look at the insurrection that took place, just think of poor donald...
He needs to be held accountable for his shit.
Don't look at the insurrection that took place, just think of poor donald...
Oh.... I didn't know that was the process. My bad,
For unity to prevail Trump supporters will have to accept the truth that the election was free and fair. For unity to prevail Trump supporters must accept facts, not the "alternative facts" they've grown accustomed to under the liar-in-chief of the last four years. For unity to prevail Trump supporters must accept responsibility for the hate and violence we have seen erupt among them and show repentance. Only then can the rest of America, the vast majority who did not buy into the lies of Trumpism, forgive and forget and begin to move past the schism created by right wing lies and conspiracy theories. How can Democrats be expected to unify with a bunch of conspiracy theorists who continue to believe Democrats are baby rapists and baby eaters? How can Democrats be expected to unify with those who continue to claim without a smidgen of proof that Democrats "stole the election"? If unity is to prevail, it's not going to be by Democrats kneeling to the Trump faithful, it will have to be the Trump faithful discarding the lies and hate they have been clinging to, repenting for believing such nonsensical conspiracy theories, apologize for supporting the vile hateful rhetoric that inspired the attack on the Capital and admitting the election was free and fair and coming back into the light of democracy and true American ideals and patriotism.
I got a text a little while ago from a friend of mine who participates in a Zoom prayer group. I guess they gather a few days a week to pray on Zoom. My friend says that she has been getting group texts today from people in the group who are talking Q Anon nonsense.
The radicalization of many Americans with all this garbage must be laid at Trump's feet. There can only be unity after "conservatives" realize and accept that this garbage has damaged this country.
Fuck off. As long as you defend everything Trump has said and done you don't get to discuss anyone's behavior.
I thought Lady Gaga gave one of the best renditions of the national anthem. She almost got up to Whitney Houston territory.