On January 6, 2022 President Joe Biden gave a rousing speech in the Statuary Hall of our country’s Capitol, the same place where a year earlier criminals broke in, caused extensive damage, and in a sane world would have been arrested for treason.
It was great to see him angry, to call out the lies that have been perpetrated, and to lay much of the blame on a defeated former president whose ego, insecurity, and selfishness could not handle loss.
I watched a rerun of the speech a couple of days after it was delivered and noted that he gave a shout out to those few Republicans who stood for the country and our constitution.
I think there should have been another section in the speech. Something like the following.
* * * * *
For a moment I want to speak to the Republicans in Congress, those in legislatures throughout the country, and all the faithful voters who have supported their party’s current stands.
I know you. I’ve worked with several of you in the Congress. I come from a working-class background and am aware of the concerns many of you face in providing a home and living for your family.
I know you are smart enough to recognize lies when you hear them. I know most of you love our democracy and want to preserve it. I know many of you have been in our military and put your life on the line to protect our freedoms and the ideals of our country.
I am asking you to question what is true and what is not. Don’t just listen to biased news reports or whatever appears on social media. Use your wonderful mind to ask what makes sense and what is hogwash. I believe if you do that you will realize the way some are trying to influence your thinking instead of having faith in you to think for yourselves. They are disrespecting you as an individual. Show them you have the courage to make up your own mind instead of parroting what others say.
Speaking of courage, I realize those serving in our legislatures, national and state, are in a bind. An unscrupulous former president and others with no integrity have you fearful for your jobs. I am sorry about that, and what I’m going to ask you to do may well risk your office.
What I want is difficult: I want you to be honest with yourself. I think most of you know you are endorsing a pack of lies that will damage our nation. I’m asking you to bring forth your better selves. Have the courage to stand for the truth. Be willing to lose your seat in the pursuit of truth. I guarantee you will feel better for having taken the correct stand. And you will be all right. You have what it takes to be elected to office, so you have what it takes to succeed even if that office is temporarily denied you.
And you will feel the satisfaction and contentment that are allotted only to heroes.
I am counting on you.
Our nation is counting on you.
* * * * *
I wish the President’s speechwriters had included something like this. It might not have accomplished anything, but how could it harm? And maybe, just maybe, it would make some people uncomfortable enough to rethink their position.
It was great to see him angry, to call out the lies that have been perpetrated, and to lay much of the blame on a defeated former president whose ego, insecurity, and selfishness could not handle loss.
I watched a rerun of the speech a couple of days after it was delivered and noted that he gave a shout out to those few Republicans who stood for the country and our constitution.
I think there should have been another section in the speech. Something like the following.
* * * * *
For a moment I want to speak to the Republicans in Congress, those in legislatures throughout the country, and all the faithful voters who have supported their party’s current stands.
I know you. I’ve worked with several of you in the Congress. I come from a working-class background and am aware of the concerns many of you face in providing a home and living for your family.
I know you are smart enough to recognize lies when you hear them. I know most of you love our democracy and want to preserve it. I know many of you have been in our military and put your life on the line to protect our freedoms and the ideals of our country.
I am asking you to question what is true and what is not. Don’t just listen to biased news reports or whatever appears on social media. Use your wonderful mind to ask what makes sense and what is hogwash. I believe if you do that you will realize the way some are trying to influence your thinking instead of having faith in you to think for yourselves. They are disrespecting you as an individual. Show them you have the courage to make up your own mind instead of parroting what others say.
Speaking of courage, I realize those serving in our legislatures, national and state, are in a bind. An unscrupulous former president and others with no integrity have you fearful for your jobs. I am sorry about that, and what I’m going to ask you to do may well risk your office.
What I want is difficult: I want you to be honest with yourself. I think most of you know you are endorsing a pack of lies that will damage our nation. I’m asking you to bring forth your better selves. Have the courage to stand for the truth. Be willing to lose your seat in the pursuit of truth. I guarantee you will feel better for having taken the correct stand. And you will be all right. You have what it takes to be elected to office, so you have what it takes to succeed even if that office is temporarily denied you.
And you will feel the satisfaction and contentment that are allotted only to heroes.
I am counting on you.
Our nation is counting on you.
* * * * *
I wish the President’s speechwriters had included something like this. It might not have accomplished anything, but how could it harm? And maybe, just maybe, it would make some people uncomfortable enough to rethink their position.
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