By Donna Skelton,
Today someone asked me, “Has it hit you yet that Donald Trump is gone?” Good question.
It was real to me on Jan. 20 after hearing Trump’s pathetic “I Did a Great Job” speech to a noticeably small crowd. It was a litany of self-indulgent praise for his own accomplishments with only a brief mention at the end of the 400,000 people who had died under his incompetent watch. His denial and deceit did not endear him to the American people. Seeing Mike Pence and Mitch McConnell at Joe Biden’s inauguration — not at Donald’s pity party — inspired my hope that Republican Party leaders are washing their hands of him.
By contrast, we now have a president we can trust. Joe Biden brings to the White House sound moral values and humanitarian instincts as well as established working relationships with members of Congress and world leaders developed over a lifetime of public service. That reassures me a new day has dawned.
Nevertheless, this morning I woke up wondering: “Is this a new day in America?” What weighs on me is the knowledge that a lot of people do not share my values and do not see this change as positive. They woke up today in dread, just as I did four years ago. Just as political activists among us immediately set to work to “right our ship,” Trump supporters with equal dedication and fervor are determined to turn the ship back the way it was headed when Trump was at the helm. Our ship is still in troubled waters.
Many people remain convinced that Trump won, as delusional as that sounds to me. Minds do not change easily, especially when the “alternate reality” is frightening. I expect Biden’s opponents to raise their angry voices again. Until we understand what they are afraid of, we cannot fully address the issues that divide us.