Hands up if you got something in your eyes on Wednesday evening as President Joe Biden and Vice-President Kamala Harris were inaugurated.
How do you describe the world exhaling? Millions of people realised on Wednesday they had been waiting to exhale for more than four years.
Even some who voted for now-Florida Man breathed out, having witnessed the extent of the madness when insurrectionists, incited by him and his cronies, stormed the Capitol on January 6. The only ones huffing are the hard core alt-right and the wicked, and those who face several serious jail sentences for their actions.
The inauguration represented a new beginning, but it was also an ending worthy of a great, epic Hollywood tear-jerker: good triumphing over evil, the villain slinking off out the back door at the last minute and the hero/ines saving the world and planning for a brave new world.
Biden set the foundation for his administration with the message of unity, community and social justice.
The new administration’s policies may not have an enormous or immediate impact on our lives, but (whispers) what if we did something great for ourselves?
Saffers have proved they have many of the qualities, skills, talents and values Biden praised and encouraged in his inaugural speech.
Resilience, courage, tenacity, community.
Ubuntu – witness how many Saffers reached out to as many people as they were able, from small individual acts of kindness, to organisations able to serve whole communities.
Proud, in spite of the problems we face, to be South Africans.
Just as in the US, democracy has been our victory. It is flawed and needs changes. South Africans should be able to elect a person, not a party, to represent them. Party-approved lists should not be acceptable to the electorate. This system allows, even encourages, the same party-before-country corruption in the chase for power that nearly crippled the US.
The power of the vote is that if the elected do not deliver – as has tragically been the case in our country – they can be evicted, not re-elected or redeployed or placed on never-ending and enormously expensive suspension.
All in our democracy, leaders and supporters, should also take heed of Biden’s call for an end to “uncivil” war. His belief that politics should be aimed at one thing only – to improve the lives of the society it serves. Why can’t we treat each other with respect? Try to see problems from the perspective of the “other” side. Display common courtesy and not hurl abuse or get into twars.
Stop whining about everysinglething the government does: it has a lot to own up to, and must do so, but what about trying to offer solutions or actual help, without preambling them with “we demand” or “we condemn” or “see you in court”? What about (gasp!) sitting down and finding ways to confront our enormous challenges that can be driven by and supported by competent, honest, committed public servants. There must be some out there, particularly young people who need to drive the change and be employed.
The giant of democracy has been tested, and it held. Let us learn from their tumultuous dalliance with disaster before we reach the edge.
The Independent on Saturday