–It was a bit breezy, but the skies were clear and blue, and the United States Capitol Building, which just two weeks ago was the chaotic site of an unspeakable attack of domestic terrorism orchestrated by then President Donald Trump, now was decked out in all of its patriotic, splendiferous finery for the following: “…and will to the best of my ability preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States, so help me God.” With these words, Joseph Robinette Biden became the 46th President of the United States, and a new era of government was born. It would serve no purpose here to revisit Trump’s bizarre behavior in the weeks following the election he never ceased maintaining he had won, and there are many of his supporters who still harbor the belief that the election “was stolen” from him. Just think what kind of collusion a sting operation like that would entail. In addition to all of the general public needed to work on it, the Department of Justice and the FBI would have to have been in on it too. Pretty much impossible to pull off!
–The inauguration ceremony appeared to run quite smoothly, but you never know what is going on behind the scenes. Washington, D.C., was virtually locked down with all the security, but fortunately those 25,000 National Guardsmen weren’t called upon to squelch any disturbance to the proceedings. By being sworn in as the 49th vice president of the United States, Kamala Harris added a number of firsts to the office: the first woman, the first African American woman, the first Indian American, and the first Asian American. Lady Gaga displayed her breathtaking voice and incredible range with a stunning rendition of the National Anthem, and 22-year-old Amanda Gorman, in 2017 named America’s first National Youth Poet Laureate, read her original poem titled “The Hill We Climb,” and her powerful words earned the rapt attention of the audience. Here are her final inspirational words: “The new dawn blooms as we free it./ For there is always light,/ if only we’re brave enough to see it./ If only we’re brave enough to be it.” This young lady stole the show!
–In his speech President Biden set the tone early on by saying, “We must end this uncivil war.” He has inherited a monumental task in attempting achieve unity in a country ravaged by a pandemic and torn asunder by systemic racism. He said, “…everyone deserves to be treated with respect and decency.” He also issued a strong warning to all those who will be working for him by saying that if he ever saw one of them disrespecting a colleague, he would fire that person “on the spot.” After the festivities at the Capitol he went to the White House and signed 16 executive orders, and many of those countermanded items his predecessor had put into place. He didn’t hit the ground running. He hit it sprinting. Way to go, Joe!
–It was nice to see former presidents George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and Barack Obama chatting with each other. And by showing up for the inauguration, former vice president Mike Pence exhibited the class his previous boss did not. Of course Trump’s refusal to attend was both unsurprising and predictable. I guess that’s why it seemed as if nobody really missed him. However, he did leave what President Biden called a “generous” letter for him. Wouldn’t you love to read that?
–Jan.16 marked the retirement day of legendary local journalist Heather Ziegler. After spending 41 years with the Wheeling newspapers, Heather has decided take a well-deserved rest. Almost. She will continue to write a weekly column, but her days of reporting and editing are over. I had the pleasure of working with Heather in several capacities throughout her tenure with the newspapers. As a professor of English and journalism and the faculty adviser for the weekly student newspaper at West Liberty University (then West Liberty State College) I arranged a plethora of off-campus internships for my students at the Wheeling newspapers, and Heather always was incredibly gracious and helpful to them. I also served as director of college relations during the years when Dr. Clyde D. Campbell was the president of the college, and in that capacity I was responsible for all of the institution’s publicity. Heather was an invaluable resource for me when it came to favorable placement of stories in the papers. I never was able to thank her enough for the press the college obtained though her. She devoted her life to working for the Ogden newspapers, and some may have wondered how she lasted there for 41 years. The answer is easy. She is the daughter of the late Harry Hamm, who was the long-time editor of the Wheeling News-Register, and as such she was born with ink in her veins. Enjoy your retirement, Heather. You’ve certainly earned it. Thank you and best of luck. -30-
–Ponder this: If electricity comes from electrons, does morality come from morons? ~Bert Christensen
