He came out in a mask.

For far too long America has been losing. Targeting minorities. Becoming isolationist. Pursuing strategies that have not only disconnected us from the world at large, but made our country, once the land of hope and freedom, into a laughingstock.

Is our long national nightmare over? I am not sure, but at least we’re finally going in the right direction, with a man known for his empathy, who wants to restore true American values and lift up not only our nation, but its inhabitants, each and every one of them.

He’s old. By old standards. Today people regularly live past 100. And sure, some of them suffer from impairments, but the truth is, the older you get, the wiser you become, you’ve seen so much, you’ve learned so many lessons, for once we’ve got a truly experienced pol as our president. HALLELUJAH!

Yes, that’s where Joe Biden has spent his career, in government. Something that has been denigrated for four decades now, as inefficient and wasteful. For far too long the underclass has been ignored while the upper class has taken the ball and run away with it to the point where they’re not even playing the same game. We need to support those in need. Every person deserves this. Especially those born through no fault of their own, why hold them back when they’re just beginning?

Yes, we need to open doors at the top, for women and minorities and the economically challenged. You must be able to lift your way up in traditional avenues, not only entertainment and athletics, everybody deserves a chance to make it in the American system, as an integral part of what makes our nation work.

Barack Obama promised hope. Little did we know how much hope we needed. As a result of the policies of both parties, many were left behind in the march to globalization. There are so many efficiencies that too many people are out of jobs, and the jobs that are available are low-paying service gigs that pay so little you can’t make rent, never mind put food on the table and support your family. And it’s hard to feel good about yourself when you’ve lost in a game of musical chairs, with no opportunity on the horizon. It can’t be every person for themselves in America, we must come together and lift each other up.

Of course government is imperfect. Of course America is imperfect. But that’s no reason to shut its systems down, put incompetent people in positions they’re in no way qualified for with the end result being the only winners are the corporations who employ lobbyists to get the results they desire. Climate change. Not only is the west coast burning up, but Colorado too. And there are endless storms on the east coast, more intense than ever. Can we stop putting our heads in the sand and think about solutions as opposed to shrugging our shoulders and saying it’s too bad for those afflicted?

And yes, Puerto Rico needs to be made a state. D.C. too. Not for the electoral college votes involved, but because their residents deserve power, a right to vote, there’s no reason we should treat Puerto Ricans as second-class citizens.

Obama gave us hope that we could right the wrongs of the Bush administration. Which kept giving money to the rich which did not trickle down to those who needed it. But Obama was hamstrung by a Republican Congress. His heart was in the right place, but action was hampered. However, we should never forget that it was Obama who put forth the ACA and got it passed. Did you read today’s “New York Times,” about the Covid effects of the Sturgis rally? Attendee Albert Aguirre died, because he didn’t have health insurance and was afraid to go for treatment, because of the expense. Everybody has a right to health insurance. And never forget, we are all linked. If one of us suffers a loss, it impacts all of us. That person can no longer consume, that person can no longer produce, and those two are the basic elements of our nation’s economy. Our nation runs on the spending of the masses, not the billionaires. The masses keep the billionaires in business, because if people stopped buying, there would be no reason for the companies those billionaires built to exist. We must save Main Street as well as Wall Street. We must provide a safety net for our citizens as we strive to eradicate Covid-19 from our nation.

Covid-19. Mark Meadows said it was no longer a priority. Donald Trump said we had turned the corner. Meanwhile, the U.S. is setting new records in infections, it’s the one area in which we truly rule the world.

So, Joe Biden, making the speech of his life, rising to the occasion, thanked those who helped him get here, but he continually hammered points about the coronavirus. It made me smile, truly have hope, for the first time since March. Yes, Covid-19 is gone from Wuhan. Essentially nonexistent in New Zealand, and on the ropes in Australia and South Korea. Why can’t we conquer it here? Elon Musk and Tesla provide electric cars, Apple provides a computer that fits in your hand, but somehow, we’re powerless against this virus. HOGWASH!

Yes, what Meadows and Trump have said is malarkey.

So what if it’s an ancient word. The truth is no one is hip in America anymore. There are so many niches, no one can be up on all of them. So, we must put our heads together for safety and progress as opposed to pulling apart.

I don’t know about you, but the declaration of Biden’s victory this morning did not seem real. Maybe it was the days we waited. Maybe it’s because we’ve been abused for four years and we’re still afraid. But tonight we could not ask for a better effort in bringing us all together. Maybe now people will start revering the experienced. For although old, Joe was sharp tonight, hitting all the right notes, ones that seemed to have been excised from the lexicon.

Hard work? We’ve got to pull up our sleeves and push this country uphill. Take it from down in the pits to level ground, and then build it further up again. There are so many moving parts, which is why you need a leader to deliver context, to get everybody on the same page, all Americans moving to fix what’s wrong and build what we need.

It doesn’t matter how you look. It matters who you are. Character. If you’re not afraid of looking like a dork, then you are inherently compromised, you’re fearful of owning your identity and truly following your heart. For far too long, this nation has been subject to groupspeak. To the point where people are afraid to say the unpopular. But if you’re not willing to push the envelope, to hang it out alone, at best you’re a cog in the wheel. And we need those cogs, but we also need innovators, leaders. Like those electric cars… Do you know why they’re such a big deal? Oh sure, they use electricity produced in fossil fuel power plants. But electric cars are MORE EFFICIENT! With internal combustion engines, most of the energy bleeds off as heat, it does nothing to propel the automobile. So, with electric cars we can reduce our carbon footprint. And just because some other nations are polluters that does not mean we can’t lead. Ever hear of leading by example? That’s what America used to do, this country was the envy of the world.

Unfortunately, too many Americans are sans passports, they haven’t been anywhere else, so they’re uninformed as to the rest of the world. Life in Denmark and Sweden is pretty neat. As it is in Canada. Talk to a Canadian, they love their national health care service, they don’t have to take an unwanted job just for the insurance, and they can leave jobs and even become entrepreneurs while still being covered. And it is these seekers and doers that build the economy.

I’m not going to argue the issues. I’m not going to try and convince you that you’re wrong. I’m just going to say, as Joe did this evening, that there are so many POSSIBILITIES! Our nation used to have a can-do spirit, not a can-not. And it’s been our outside of the box thinkers that have revolutionized not only our nation, but the entire world. That’s the American spirit, the sky’s the limit. It’s built into our character. But you can’t go it alone and just because you’re successful, that does not mean everyone else has to be unsuccessful, there’s no reason it has to be a zero sum game.

I didn’t need so much hope when Obama first got elected. Sure, we were going in the wrong direction, but democracy itself was not at stake.

And truthfully, whenever I start to become elated, I think of all those on the other side and it deflates me. Why they hate us so bad, why they’re so stuck on individualism to the point where safety nets are abhorred, I do not understand. But sometimes by chopping off the head, you kill the whole animal. Without Trump disparaging good Americans, without Trump telling individuals without portfolio to stand up against our government institutions, maybe those on the other side will calm down, maybe they’ll see what Biden has to offer is actually beneficial. As for those afraid of Marxism and the rest of the b.s. spewed by the right wing media, you can relax, it ain’t coming, just pay attention.

My country is not what it used to be. Income inequality is rampant, such that if you apply yourself, put your nose to the grindstone, you still might not get ahead. We need those who work with their hands. They should be able to afford a reasonable lifestyle while they’re providing for us.

This is a reset. I cannot guarantee you everything will be hunky-dory, but we’ve finally got someone experienced trying to lead us down the right path. Once again…HALLELUJAH!