We need, and Biden should give, an idealistic message — a call to act together, recognizing change sometimes requires sacrifice.
Some lines Biden might borrow from the students are:
- “Hello, fellow Americans! I am humbled that you chose me as your president. The task is great and the challenges are many.”
- “I ask you to think what you believe is possible. I stand before you with big dreams for this country and its people with hope and determination to make those dreams come true.”
- “The picture is not always rosy. Americans fight. Americans disagree. From the dinner table to the floor of the Senate, political discussion is a part of American life. We need to have conversations with people different from ourselves and learn where they come from and what experience and knowledge they bring.”
- “What I plan to do in my first term won’t solve many problems ingrained in the system completely; however, it will take a step in the right direction. Law enforcement is deeply flawed and needs to be abolished in favor of a more inclusive system. As it stands now, the poor and diseased are held down by the system and forced to suffer for the benefit of the rich and powerful. I aim to stand against the systemic discrimination against women and people of color. My administration will try its hardest to improve the lives of the LGBTQ+ community.”
- “I ask for you to stand by me these next four years and help me build this country to what I know it can be.”
Jim Scheibel, a former mayor of St. Paul, is Professor of Practice in the Management, Marketing and Public Administration Department, Hamline University. He is a former director of both AmeriCorps VISTA and the Senior Corps.
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