Joseph R. Biden
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, Dc 20500
Dear Mr. President,
All rational thinking and true American patriots, from whichever side of the aisle they populate, and even those not identifying as Blue or Red, instinctively extend their best wishes and good health to you as the Nation embarks with you upon what will undoubtedly be the, in key respects, polar opposite of the recent past. The fullfillment of the American appetite for peace and prosperity for all rests in significant part, at least for the immediate future, upon your leadership, which is professed to be centered around unity, a unity which will “end this uncivil war” and “restore the soul of America.” The notion wells up enticement and great allure. The hope is that the declarations made on this new day succeed to fruition, and that cooperation and partnership, for the good of all, ensues, and that the exprssions themselves do not remain as mere platitudes and tag lines meant to cover a hidden blueprint to construct a quintessential power grab, one whose only intent is for complete power. Ultimately such a regimen would result in either a greater detachment, or even worse, an Orwellian form of government, which no doubt would destroy the very ambitions of the citizenry, and then, the worse, would eliminate the blessings bestowed by this democracy. The smorgasbord of freedoms remains revered by all. Government should never block its nutients And thus sir, you have a full plate indeed.
And beware the autocracy, any movement to eliminate “by the people, for the people”, for surely it lurks. And so, a few examples. All the talk, not only over the last four years, but more pointedly, the recency of the last four weeks, of the 25th Amendment, for all its maniac passion, has now receded, yet dwells hidden in the bushes and has not yet been put to rest, to be sure. Remain on the alert. Betrayal from within is meticulous in design, swift in outcome. Secondly, the impeachment trial now looming, while surely satisfactory for many, is clearly driven by those who fear a future not in tandem with their complete control of government, a future where the elimination of contest, and its just desserts, is the aim. In passing, it should be noted you have failed to weigh in on this, which suggests you either oppose it, and if so, say so, or you have conceded this particular melodrama to those who have not taken a vow of unity. Next, it cannot be gainsaid that the admission of the District of Columbia as a State in the Union, a prelude to the push for Puerto Rico statehood (should they even want same), and the enlargement of the Supreme Court contingent, surely to be on the menu, are undertaken for any purpose but to control two of the three branches of government. Alas however, the Executive, your balliwick for the next four, is subject to the will of all the people. The relatively narrow prevailing numbers in key states serves as your mandate. Wield it accordingly.
Your opening act has, in some measure, shown an empathy and appreciation for the needs of all Americans. The expansion of food assistance to low-income Americans, the direction to the Depatment of Veteran Affairs to consider a pause during the pandemic on the collections of overpayments and debts of some two million veterans, the easing of problems related to the delivery of stimulus payments, the mandating of mask wearing on all federal properties to stop the spread of COVID-19, and it is hoped your failure to do so on one occasion was not a political Freudian Slip, the bolstering of access to treatment of the insidious killer amongst us, the directions to state and local governments how best to re-open schools, boosting workplace protections during the pandemic, ordering administration-wide policies to establish racial equity, and banning all gender identity and sexual orientation discrimination in all federal government activities, a worthy goal except for the effect it will have on Title IX protections for women and girls vis a vis the issue of transgender competitors, can only be seen for what they are, legitimate and fitting efforts to benefit all those in need.
On the other hand, and this harkens to your last supervisor’s sentiments on the issue, that is, “elections have consequences”, Act I also included rejoining the World Health Organization and the Paris Climate Accord, revoking the permit for the Keystone XL Pipeline project, and pausing for the moment all oil, and gas activity at the Artic National Wildlife Refuge, defunding the Border Wall, strengthening the Dreamer Program,a to the extent it reaches beyond the true Dreamers meant to be protected, mandating the undocumented be counted in the census, ending the so-called Muslim Travel Ban, and revoking efforts to locate and deport the undocumented. Some see this theatre as dangerous to the welfare of the country and the economy. Others, as classic American priorities. Regardless, the long term thrust and parry endures.
Consider though, as you no doubt have, the ongoing, present-day dangers. Despite your earlier confidence that China is not “competition for us” it plainly represents a danger not only to the U.S., but also the world. Russia will continue its cunning and deceitful ways, seeking to spread disinformation from sea to shining sea, and beyond, and Iran represents an avowed enemy to freedom, and, the international pact notwithstanding, cannot be trusted merely by words on paper to assist in efforts to quench the world’s thirst for peace.
These problems and more will surely fill your days and nights. Make those days and nights your own and not those of the ideological mobs, mobs of any persuasion, determined to drive the country away from its roots, roots anchored by individual freedoms and opportunities for all. As you proclaimed about the American People, “They want us to cooperate in their interest, and that's the choice I'll make. And I'll call on Congress, Democrats and Republicans alike, to make that choice with me. The American story is about slow yet steadily widening the opportunities in America. And make no mistake, too many dreams have been deferred for too long. We must make the promise of the country real for everybody, no matter their race, their ethnicity, their faith, their identity, or their disability.”
And along the way remember that America cannot and should not be the world’s benefactor on all things, but will never turn its back on true need. Balance that with the promise of domestic unity, a unity so fiercely needed, and she will rightly remain as the world’s leader in all things worthy of her treasures. Good luck.