Biden promises to heal and restore soul of America

By Sanjeeb Baruah, President-elect Joe Biden who served alongside first American Black president Barack Obama has pledged to be a leader for all and accelerate efforts to heal deep divisions in the US society in his victory speech from hometown Wilmington, Delaware.“I pledge to be a president who seeks not to divide but unify; who doesn’t see red states and blue states, only sees the United States,” he told a rapturous crowd in Delaware, which he represented in the Senate for decades, on November 8.“Folks, the people of this nation have spoken. They’ve delivered us a clear victory, a convincing victory, a victory for ‘we, the people’. We’ve won with the most votes ever cast on a presidential ticket in the history of the nation, 74 million!” he said. “I sought this office to restore the soul of America, to rebuild the backbone of this nation, the middle-class, make America respected around the world again, and to unite us here at home,” said Mr Biden after his historic win in the third attempt for the Oval Office since 1988. “It’s the honor of my lifetime that so many millions of Americans have voted for that vision. And now, the work of making that vision is real, it’s a task — the task of our time,” he said.Lauding his running mate Kamala Harris for her dynamism and rich cultural background, he said that he will have the honor of serving with a “fantastic vice-president who made history as the first woman, first black woman, and first woman from south Asian descent and first daughter of immigrants ever elected in this country”. “It’s long overdue. And we’re reminded tonight of those who fought so hard for so many years to make this happen. Once again, America’s bent the arc of the moral universe more towards justice. Kamala, like it or not, you’re family. You’ve become an honorary Biden. There’s no way out,” he said referring to her background.President Biden attributed his election success to the “broadest and most diverse coalition” the Democrats have put together in US history. “Democrats, Republicans, independents, progressives, moderates, conservatives, young, old, urban, suburban, rural, gay, straight, transgender, white, Latino, Asian, Native American. I mean it. Especially those moments when this campaign was at its lowest ebb; the African American community stood up again for me,” he said. “I’ve lost a couple of times myself, but now let’s give each other a chance. It’s time to put away the harsh rhetoric, lower the temperature, see each other again, listen to each other again. And to make progress, we have to stop treating our opponents as our enemies. They are not our enemies. They are Americans. They are Americans,” said Biden, who could successfully persuade the independent voters, who chose Trump in 2016, which made the difference this time. “Americans have called upon us to marshal the forces of decency, the forces of fairness, to marshal the forces of science and the forces of hope in the great battles of our time. The battle to control the virus. The battle to build prosperity. The battle to secure your family’s health care. The battle to achieve racial justice and root out systemic racism in this country. And the battle to save our planet by getting climate under control. The battle to restore decency, defend democracy, and give everybody in this country a fair shot,” said Biden, whose political career spans nearly 50 years. “We must make the promise of the country real for everybody, no matter their race, their ethnicity, their faith, their identity, or their disability. I’ve long talked about the battle for the soul of America. We must restore the soul of America. Our nation is shaped by the constant battle between our better angels and our darkest impulses,” Mr Biden said, referring to the deep political divisions among the electorate and simmering racial unrest.