The inauguration of Joe Biden has been arguably one of the most intense in modern US history. Leading up to the election was a year of much political turmoil, including, but not limited to: a worldwide pandemic, racial injustice from the police system, and a state of political divisiveness that would have been impossible to imagine just a decade ago. Many people feared for the safety and well-being of them and their loved ones, leading to a major distrust of the government, politicians, and anyone involved in the justice system (which was worsened by the monstrosities that were the two debates leading up to the election); something that, when combined with a pandemic, becomes one of the most scary things someone can imagine. And yet, we are living in this exact nightmare; so with so many people afraid, politics have become a very real situation for everyone, leading to the biggest voter turnout in the history of the United States; at over 160 million votes. When it was revealed that Joe Biden had been officially elected, this fear seemed to lead many people on the right wing to believe some form of voter fraud had taken place. This was a theory that was then fed into by now former president Donald Trump, who refused to concede for months leading up to his inauguration. With all of these things considered, these protests for places to either stop counting or keep counting votes in favor of Trump would eventually turn to riots. When a protest was then planned at the Capitol Building, it soon morphed into a horrifying and disturbing attempt to overturn democracy itself, with people entering and raiding the building, leading to the deaths of several people. 

This moment would really set the tone for Biden’s inauguration, where he would discuss many of the problems being brought up in the year prior to his election and inauguration. During his speech, he addressed the topic of the pandemic, reassuring people that he would do his best in order to stop the spread of the virus. He then brought up the topic of racial injustice in the police system and the unjustified murders of many people of color, making note of the progress that has already been made (including Kamala Harris being the first female vice president in the US) where he states”… today we mark the swearing in of the first women in American history elected to national office, vice president Kamala Harris; don’t tell me things can’t change.” Biden also stated that there is still much more left to be done on the topic, something that he plans to do his best to take care of  in the following years of his presidency. 

In addition, he brings up the very thing that had caused many attendees at the inauguration to be afraid for their safety; the riot that had happened at the capitol building just weeks prior. While discussing this, he took the stance of it being a failed attempt to overthrow democracy, and that it is something that will never succeed within the United States, stating that it “…didn’t happen, (and) will never happen…”

With the intense subject of this riot that had been fueled by a very cold and scary period of a separated political spectrum, he segues into the topic of the intense political divide – something that has been one of the major causes of the issues we’ve faced in 2020 – calling for unity between the people on all sides of the political spectrum.

In the days that would follow, Biden has seemingly taken action towards many of the things he promised he would do. He has already signed several executive orders, including ones that focus on climate change and a federal mask mandate. Additionally, another executive order that had been signed states that people are no longer able to discriminate in the workplace towards those of different sexual orientations and gender identities; something made legal towards transgender people in healthcare by Trump during his last days of presidency under the grounds of religious belief. He has also recently unveiled an immigration reform bill, which is a topic that has been heavily debated since Obama’s and Trump’s terms in office. With all of this in mind, it can be inferred that Biden will attempt to do many of the things that he has vowed to do in the years that follow. Hopefully, he will be able to ease many of the problems that have been presented throughout the previous year.