The Inaugural Address We Need To Hear

Here is what I hope to hear in January 2021:

My fellow Americans. I stand before you and the world, humbled.

The purpose of this inaugural address is to look forward, but before we can do that, we must begin to make amends for the last four years of historically Unamerican presidential behavior.

In 240 years, we had not, until my predecessor’s election, turned our back on half our population and so much of the world. In all that time, our leaders didn’t feel the need to exaggerate and lie to us so obviously, and with such regularity.

I say to our staunchest allies—some of whom have been with us all those years—we are back. The seemingly endless stream of personally self-aggrandizing remarks and insults are over. The fever has broken and we are once again ourselves. I know it will not be easy to fully trust us again, but our actions will, over the short run, remind you of exactly who we are.

We are a nation of laws, not men. Ours is a government brilliantly designed to implement checks and balances against any given branch’s worst instincts to overreach out of personal animus or plain old spite. These past four years have been a test of our institutions. Admittedly, some are damaged, but luckily, none is beyond repair. The assault on them from both without and within has been neutralized. It is my hope and firm belief that over time you will return to regarding us a moral leader in this world, no longer insulting you while appeasing autocrats and tyrants for the sake of money or personal gain. One unfit president will not subvert our system or our morals over history’s long view.

We plan now to resume our role in moral and democratic world leadership based on the fundamentals that have traditionally driven us: human and civil rights.

To our citizens, I say the days of bullying, name-calling, personal insults, and other expressions of one man’s internal struggles and insecurities are over. We shall return the judiciary to its rightful, independent stance. There will be no more legal threats against or demonization of political rivals. Those that the former president called his enemies are in reality just people with different ideas about the direction our country should take. I look forward to debating our future with a loyal opposition. It has never been more important for Americans of good will to step forward and offer their ideas in the public square. We have succeeded best when opposing views have been fully aired and compromise reached.

It will be a monumental task to restore trust and faith in the Executive, and by extension, the nation. We have recalibrated our moral compass. To the world’s authoritarian leaders, this warning: the free ride is over. We will no longer sanction torture, murder or the radicalization of young people in exchange for money. We will no longer call the media the enemy of the people. It is their appropriate function to question power. Far from disloyal or disgraceful, it is an essential ingredient in our messy governing stew. These self-serving instincts have dimmed the lights of that shining city on the hill, and we will work tirelessly toward getting the lights back on.

To the world’s bad actors who rejoiced in our momentary loss of direction, it is time for you find a new patsy. Tampering with our elections and using social media to sow doubt and conflict among us will not be tolerated. We will work especially hard to identify and repair the holes in our cyber and physical infrastructure and make every legal attempt to bring ruin to those who would take advantage of our openness.

For over seven decades, the United States has led the world through an unprecedented period of peace and prosperity. The nationalist/authoritarian movement in the world today has its roots in inequality and unfairness. I believe that these inequities can best be addressed and resolved without sewing divisions between us, and without relying on fearmongering, sexism, or racism. The days of scapegoating the “other,” be they Muslims, LGBTQ, Jews, Blacks, Asians, Latinos or any other minority, ethnicity or nationality, are over. Like it or not, we are all in this together. One Earth is all we have, so it has to last. Therefore, we are going to re-engage with the world on climate change. And because there is only one world, it has to be enough for all of us. The best way to stamp out intolerance is to give everyone a fair path to the pursuit of happiness.

I know our actions will speak louder than these words, but these words must be spoken as a first step toward national redemption.

Now to the future…