Biden: Be the relentless president we need
Dear Joe Biden, I don’t sleep well anymore. Since November 2016, a tension has been hanging in the collective air. I constantly worry about my daughters’ futures. Many of us have lived for four years in a state of fight or flight mode. How can we relax when we constantly worry about the next outrageous tweet, the next environmental law overturned, the next blow to public education, the next racist attack, the next female victim with accounts of President Donald Trump’s salacious behavior, the next story of children being separated from their parents? The list continues ad nauseam.
On Nov. 7, it seemed I got a break from the constant activation of my stress response system. You were officially the president-elect. The global sigh of relief was palpable. However, the mental and psychological respite was brief. My most recent bout of insomnia was due to a nightmare where Trump was literally in my house and my family and I could not remove him. He refused to leave.
Freud said that dreams are our unconscious desires or needs. Many Americans feel that Trump has invaded the sanctity of their homes and violated their access to peace, unity, and happiness. Other Americans, more than I can understand, voted for Trump. This cult-like following begs the question — why? Why are more than 73 million Americans so against Democrats, especially folks who were once integral to the parties base?
Perhaps that’s because not enough has been done under the Democrats. In a 2018 opinion piece in the Washington Post, Paul Waldman argued that the Democrats’ compromising and conciliatory attitude not only has embittered other Democrats, but it also has proven completely fruitless. He explained that Republicans never compromise; instead, they block and vilify any idea proposed by the Democrats. Republicans commit to this code in solidarity and with ferocity.
So, where has the accommodating behavior gotten the country? We have lukewarm policy that barely provides Americans with what they need to survive. Over the years, Democratic leaders submitted when Republicans led campaigns to weaken unions, to demonize public schools, to cripple the health care system, to celebrate guns over life, to disenfranchise people of color and to deny climate change. The list never ends.
And while things gradually got harder for the average American, the few at the top became so rich that most people cannot truly comprehend their wealth. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is worth $200 billion. With just $1 billion, he could buy 20 1 million-dollar homes in each of the 50 states. Yet, some 54 million U.S. residents face food insecurity. I write this letter to you, President-elect Biden, as a way to pass away the sleepless hours, and also to tell you that I can’t stand the violations on human life any longer; many of us can’t.
Swift and heroic action is necessary not just for the sanity and health of the nation, but for the survival of the planet. You talk about bringing unity to America once again, which is gracious, but it is not bold. Please be relentless in your pursuit of meaningful change. You must initiate Herculean forces to fix the wrongs. It was done during World War II. It was done when the U.S. wanted the atomic bomb. It can be done again.
I implore you, for the sake of my daughters and for all children, don’t be the lukewarm Biden of your past, be the Super Biden that this country needs. Be a legend. Give our children and grandchildren a chance. Give them a future. Give all of us a good night’s rest in this new year.