U.S. Sen. Scott’s words ring true
The opposing party’s rebuttal to a presidential address is hit or miss — mostly miss.
Remember Joe Kennedy III’s star turn in 2018 after then-President Donald Trump’s first speech to the nation? No? That’s our point. The congressman seemed uncomfortable in the role.
That was not the case with U.S. Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina. He looked right into the camera Wednesday night and told the American public he and other conservatives are not going quietly into that good night. He also addressed hate in the U.S.
“Hear me clearly,” Scott said. “America is not a racist country.”
Saying that took courage, especially so for a Black man who admitted he needed to embrace those who hurt him and rise above the pain. He began the healing process this country so desperately needs.
The senator has sparked a debate in countless homes since delivering his speech. But that’s the sign of a great orator. Change doesn’t come easy.
But President Biden’s biggovernment policies need to be debated as we pull out of this pandemic. That was Scott’s job to say and he delivered.
“President Biden promised you a specific kind of leadership. He promised to unite a nation. To lower the temperature. To govern for all Americans, no matter how we voted. This was the pitch. You just heard it again,” the senator said early on in his speech.
He added: “But our nation is starving for more than empty platitudes. We need policies and progress that bring us closer together. But three months in, the actions of the president and his party are pulling us further and further apart.”
Scott urged fellow politicians to not use race as a weapon but to look to grow together. There’s no place for racism anywhere. Hearing Scott, a Republican, say that and back it up with examples of being pulled over or followed around in a store hits home.
Is he running for the Oval Office in 2024? We sure hope so. He’d instantly bring gravitas to the race. But he did more than that the other night, he left a lasting impression. He has everyone talking — good or bad — on both sides of the political spectrum.
“Growing up, I never dreamed I would be standing here tonight. When I was a kid, my parents divorced. My mother, my brother and I moved in with my grandparents. Three of us, sharing one bedroom. I was disillusioned and angry, and I nearly failed out of school. But I was blessed,” he said.
Blessed with a mother who never quit, a boss who believed in him and a country that, yes, is filled with more good people than bad.
Tim Scott knows the good in this country. A country that has responded with warp speed to the coronavirus challenge.
“When America comes together, we’ve made tremendous progress. But powerful forces want to pull us apart,” he added.
He even faced voting rights head on, saying: “I’m an African American who has voted in the South my entire life. I take voting rights personally. Republicans support making it easier to vote and harder to cheat.”
That’s leadership. Let’s face this challenge together. Let’s start by agreeing America is not racist at its heart. Let’s listen to Tim Scott.
“This,” he said, “should be a joyful springtime for our nation.