On Wednesday we witnessed once again the ritual that makes us unique as Americans: the peaceful transfer of power from one administration to the next.
Yes, this year there were some distressing bumps in the road to the inauguration, but in the end, we pulled it off. And there were more than enough memorable moments to make up for the lack of huge crowds.
A particular favorite of mine — and I’m in good company — was the young poet Amanda Gorman, whose polished delivery and eloquent text struck just the right note. If you missed it, you can watch her here.
And as a pleasing counterpart to the young African American woman (and Southern California native!), we had the touching rendition of ‘Amazing Grace’ by country superstar Garth Brooks, which you can watch here.
Our new President, Joe Biden, has promised to be a leader for all of us, not just those who voted for him.
“This is not a political statement,” Garth Brooks said of his performance. “This is a statement of unity. I want to spend the next 10 years of my life not divided. I’m so tired of being divided.”
I couldn’t have said it better myself.