The 46th US Presidential Inauguration: A New Hope
“What are your thoughts on this historic moment for America? For the world?”
The transfer of power to Joe Biden and Kamala Harris was like a breath of fresh air after four years of fear and uncertainty from millions upon millions of people across the globe. Because of the United States’s utter influence on the world economy and global relations and politics alike, it was a sight for sore eyes to see a new horizon when Joe and Kamala stepped onto the scene and announced their joint running for the Presidency.
Despite this, however, people are now going to scrutinise and analyse every decision Joe Biden’s administration makes from now until the end of his presidency which may be pressuring for POTUS and VPOTUS but it should motivate them to do the right thing and do the best they can for both the country and for the world.
“Why do you think the Interwebs were flooded with images of Bernie in his handmade mittens?”
I think that during these times of new beginnings and transfers of power, the seriousness can be tiring, and true enough, the world could use some humour on these occassions. I think that it was just the combination of Bernie Sanders being an older gentleman in these patterned, almost juxtaposed, mittens that people were drawn to despite the formality and power that was represented in everyone else in attendance’s attire.
“What was your favourite Mitten meme?”
My favourite Bernie Sanders Mitten meme was probably the one where he was photoshopped to be seen sitting on the Iron Throne from the TV show ‘Game of Thrones’. I just thought it was a good spin on a pop culture icon.
“Did you witness Lady Gaga’s performance live? What was your reaction and why do think her appearance significant to the moment?”
Lady Gaga, as always, delivered an absolutely powerful performance of the United States national anthem ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’. She encapsulated what both people across America and across the whole world were feeling at that very moment: overwhelming relief and the possibility for hope to once again fill the minds of Americans alike.
“Chose one or two lines from the poem that have particular resonance for you and write an analysis on your blog.”
The two lines that really resonated with me were:
“And yes, we are far from polished, far from pristine,
but that doesn’t mean we are striving to form a union that is perfect.”
The words of Amanda Gorman above depicts how, as a nation, the United States could potentially become a nation unified rather than the current state of division between citizens. This especially resonated with me because I am not from this country. I came here to seek a higher education yet come to a place where my race is definitive of how people perceive me; something I never had to deal with back home in the Philippines. What she says both in this line and throughout should be what the citizens of this country should strive for: a united nation under one flag regardless of race, gender or skin colour.
Her delivery both captivated me and i’m sure many other viewers’ attention because of her confident deliverance of her words. Her conviction strikes me as one that is genuine. Furthermore, the fact that they chose a young 22 year old African American woman to be the voice of America at this moment in time is because of the division we see throughout the country — especially on the issues of racial discrimination and police brutality.
Finally, I believe ‘The Hill’ is a metaphorical representation for the long and arduous battle that the people of the United States have gone through throughout history and how we must fight again in order to achieve a unified nation.
