Hope, Renewal, and Resolve

Spending an hour or so in front of the television to view this quadrennial event is nothing new for me because I’ve viewed every inauguration since Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower began his first term in 1953.

 

Young as I was at the time, I remember very little of the moment except that it interrupted my playtime and required that I sit still, even if it was in front of our family’s newly-acquired Motorola, for longer than I’d like, neither of which appealed to my almost five-year-old self.

 

My parents, who had lived through the Great Depression and World War II, understood the import of the occasion, of course, and thought their first-born should at least watch whether he understood or not. Understanding would come later, they reasoned. That’s my assumption, at least.

 

Several inaugural addresses from over the years stand out.

 

There was John F. Kennedy’s enduring challenge to his fellow Americans, “Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country” and his statement of purpose to our adversaries, “Let us never negotiate out of fear, but let us never fear to negotiate.”

 

There was George H.W. Bush’s vision of “A Thousand Points of Light.”

 

There was Barack Obama telling “…those who cling to power through corruption, deceit, and the silencing of dissent that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclinch your fist.” There was his notice to terrorists that “our spirit is stronger (than yours) and cannot be broken, you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you.” And there was his declaration, “…the values upon which our success depends – hard work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism…these things are true.”

 

Most – most – inaugural addresses convey an optimistic and unifying tone. They promise change and hope for a better future. If there were ever a time when America needed change, optimism, and hope, it is now, and President Biden delivered.

 

“I will always level with you,” he declared. “I will defend the Constitution. I’ll defend our democracy. I’ll defend America.”

 

He spoke of possibilities, not power; public good, not personal interest; unity, not division; and light, not darkness. He spoke of leading “not by the example of our power but by the power of our example.” He spoke of opening our souls instead of hardening our hearts, of showing tolerance and humility, and walking (figuratively) in the shoes of others. He spoke of inclusion and of ending the “uncivil war” that rends America. He spoke of “hope, renewal, and resolve.”

 

As always, he spoke in a straightforward manner. There was no sugar coating. He conveyed compassion and empathy. When he referenced his “sacred oath,” promised to put his soul into his responsibilities, and concluded with “May God bless America, and may God Protect our Troops,” one had the feeling that he actually meant exactly what he said.

 

That’s the public persona. That’s what we see when the mic is on and the cameras are rolling. That’s the bearing which has endeared him – refreshingly so – to so many. Is that who he really is? I’ve often wondered. Is he truly Everyman? Is he one of us? Is he as human as he actually seems?

 

Wednesday evening, I had occasion to speak with Harry Baldwin, a long-time friend and Sigma Chi Fraternity brother from the University of Richmond.

 

Harry spent his career as a retirement facility administrator. His final assignment was as executive director of Goodwin House Alexandria where Jim Brady lived with his wife Sarah the last two years of his life.

 

Brady, of course, was President Ronald Reagan’s press secretary who suffered a traumatic brain injury when he was struck by a bullet fired in the 1981 attempt on Reagan’s life.

 

Brady passed away in 2014, and Biden, then the vice-president, delivered a eulogy at a memorial service at the Newseum in Washington, D.C. Harry and his wife Jeannie were in attendance and witnessed first-hand a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the future president that resonated with them then and resonates still.

 

“When we got there,” Harry recalled, “there were teleprompters and computers on the podium so we knew a politician would be there. Soon after we got there, young staff members started scrambling to disconnect the equipment. At the end of the service, Joe Biden spoke. He said he wasn’t going to use notes or make a predetermined presentation. He knew Jim (from his advocacy for the Brady Bill) and just wanted to talk about him from his heart.

 

“At the end, a band was playing Irish music. Jim was very Irish. Biden put his arm around each of the band members and shook their hands. I’ll never forget the individual attention he gave them. They were in Seventh Heaven. 

 

“He impressed me that he wasn’t your typical politician. He was a very conscientious, dedicated guy who really cared about people. What you saw was what you got. He’s an emotional guy. He laughs. He’ll shed a tear. He’s a guy you’d want to sit down and have a cup of coffee with.”

 

When you saw him speaking today, I asked my friend, did you perceive that he’s the same person he is when the world isn’t following his every word? 

 

“I saw integrity and honesty and wanting to do for all people when he’s on the international stage that’s consistent with what I saw when there were maybe 100 people celebrating the life of Jim Brady,” Harry said. “He was genuine. There was nothing that was politician or phony-baloney about him. He was 100 percent sincere.”

      ~ Weldon Bradshaw