An Ally of the Light

FULL SPEECH: Joe Biden has accepted the Democratic nomination, using his address to tear into Trump for his "unforgivable" coronavirus response.

"Our current president has failed in his most basic duty to this nation. He failed to protect us." https://t.co/h2pzLWxWVW

— Axios (@axios) August 21, 2020

No generation ever knows what history will ask of it. All we can ever know is whether we'll be ready when that moment arrives.

And now history has delivered us to one of the most difficult moments America has ever faced.

Four historic crises. All at the same time. A perfect storm.

The worst pandemic in over 100 years. The worst economic crisis since the Great Depression.

The most compelling call for racial justice since the 60's. And the undeniable realities and accelerating threats of climate change.
So, the question for us is simple: Are we ready?

I believe we are.

We must be.

All elections are important. But we know in our bones this one is more consequential.

America is at an inflection point. A time of real peril, but of extraordinary possibilities.

There is something about a speech delivered to, not a mostly empty room, but in its lack of a massive live audience, anyone of us, directly, that is personal and affecting. This speech was Joe Biden at his best, and revealed why he is here and better by far than Trump ever could be:

History is tragic. The story of humanity is written in blood and tears. Biden has experienced tragedy close at hand and pulled himself through by deriving from that a sense of purpose and empathy for others. Trump might see opportunities in tragedy, but only for himself, and I've yet to see him ever be empathetic. Biden acknowledges the people who have changed and affected his path, and gave thanks to his friend Barack Obama for the chance to be his Vice-president on a day when Trump also blamed Obama for his own path to the White House--because he was looking for someone to blame for his difficulties and failures.

Biden recognizes the ghastly bigotry and the autocratic threat Trump represents, and presents himself as the antidote to a virus every bit as dangerous as the one the Trump also, through ignorance and perhaps bigotry, allowed to kill 170K-plus Americans. And he is. Because he means to be. Bcause his intentions are right, and he will with all fidelity try to do what's right.

And I can't ask for anything more, but someone to just try to do the right thing. And with all our help, fate willing, he'll do good and well. Biden will at least try, and has the right intent. He will be an ally of the light.