Biden Offers Optimistic July 4th Message in Sharp Contrast to Trump's Divisiveness
Source: Slate
Former Vice President Joe Biden offered a message of hope and unity on Fourth of July that was in sharp contrast to the divisive tone of President Donald Trump’s address at Mount Rushmore on Friday. With a message that centered around racial justice, Biden said that the United States “never lived up” to its founding principle that “all men are created equal.” In a video that includes images of protests and references to the Black Lives Matter movement, Biden offered a hopeful tone, saying that “We have a chance to rip the roots of systemic racism out of this country” and “live up to the words that founded this nation.” Trump on the other hand delivered a “dark speech” that amounted to “a full-on culture war against a straw-man version of the left that he portrayed as inciting mayhem and moving the country toward totalitarianism,” as the New York Times puts it.
The presumptive Democratic presidential nominee didn’t mention Trump in his video message but his words marked a clear distinction from Trump who said that anyone who dared question the country’s “heroes” are part of a “radical ideology.” Trump insisted that the recent protests that have engulfed the country had cemented divisions. “Our nation is witnessing a merciless campaign to wipe out our history, defame our heroes, erase our values and indoctrinate our children,” Trump said. “Angry mobs are trying to tear down statues of our founders, deface our most sacred memorials and unleash a wave of violent crime in our cities.”
As Trump insisted that a “left-wing cultural revolution” was trying to rewrite U.S. history, Biden emphasized that it is important to remember that the country’s past isn’t exactly perfect. “American history is no fairy tale,” Biden said. “It’s been a constant push and pull between two parts of our character, the idea that all men and women — all people — are created equal and the racism that has torn us apart.”
On Saturday, Trump once again turned what is typically a non-partisan Independence Day celebration into a campaign event by criticizing the usual suspects, including protesters and the media. Following the theme from Friday, Trump accused protesters of “lying” about the country’s history at speech in the White House while he characterized himself as the defender of the country’s “rich heritage” and the “American way of life, which began in 1492 when Columbus discovered America.” As he fanned the flames of the culture wars, Trump also blasted China, saying its “deception” allowed the coronavirus to spread more quickly. The speech was a marked change from Trump’s July 4th address last year that focused on patriotism and mostly avoided partisan issues. And unlike last year, the crowds at the National Mall were pretty thin on Saturday.
Read more: https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2020/07/biden-optimistic-july-4-message-trumps-division-mount-rushmore.html
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Unless of course Daddy Vladdy pours millions of dollars into his campaign, and attacks the voting population through social media and other techniques that put his stooge into office.
Over the next three months, we should be vigilant when this coward and his allies -- both foreign and domestic -- attack the foundation of our ability to vote and have those votes counted.
Stay classy Joe. We need you now more than ever!
