The inauguration – Clamping down in Washington – The Biden administration begins – Hopeful augurs – Another sad COVID story – Ellen DeGeneres’ spirted response to COVID – Evening statistics
The inauguration has come at last! Most eagerly awaited, particularly by those who live within the city limits. All went well. Donald Trump’s threatened plans to upstage Biden did not come to fruition. The GOP leaders did not attend the farewell ceremony this morning and instead all opted to attend mass with Biden (he is Catholic). Trump behaved with the boorishness that has characterized him from the first day of his administration onwards, leaving Washington at 9:00 AM and declining to attend the inauguration, the first president not to attend his successor’s inauguration since 1869. But assuredly his presence was not missed. Biden went on record to state his preference for Trump’s not being present, and in Trump’s absence the infinitely more congenial figures of Mike and Karen Pence, the Obamas, the Clintons, and the Bushes were all on hand to welcome our 46th President as he took the oath of office. What a relief to have at last a man of sense, ability, and honor in the White House!
If anyone believes that I am being unduly severe by dwelling on Trump’s deficiencies now that he is finally out of the way, let him reflect that the city of Washington, generally so lovely to look at, still resembles a city occupied by an army, and will have that appearance through the end of tomorrow at the very least. Various national leaders were present at the inauguration, and instead of being able to appreciate the beauties of the place they were forced to confine themselves to tiny restricted areas and to be accompanied by guards at all times, like visitors to Pyongyang. If Trump had done nothing else wrong, I still would never be able to forgive him for causing our capital to acquire, even if only momentarily, the aspect of a city behind the Iron Curtain in Eastern Europe before the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1989.
An outsider might think that it is a bit premature to rejoice in face of the difficulties that Biden will be facing, thanks to the mess that his predecessor left behind him. But we know that he intends to take the crisis of the pandemic seriously and will be making strenuous efforts to combat its effects, to say nothing of his studious avoidance of the incendiary rhetoric that was Trump’s trademark. We know, also, that the presence of Kamala Harris as his Vice-President will have some ameliorating effect on the racial tension that has been steadily accumulating in this country for the past year. And despite Trump’s contemptuous description of him as “sleepy,” he is already tackling the issues confronting the nation with great energy, appointing Cabinet members and preparing several executive orders to counteract the disastrous policies that Trump has pursued.
There are other reasons for optimism. The shortages that I described in earlier entries and that prevailed throughout much of the spring and summer are now ended. All of the staples that were in short supply when the pandemic started – bread, paper towels, toilet paper, yeast, various meats, cleaning supplies – are now available again in abundance. Shelves in the groceries stores are full. The distribution of the vaccines is underway in all states, and the wagon has begun to roll, albeit not very swiftly. Various friends and relatives have already received their first dose: some friends who are in the health care profession, as well as my aunt and my first cousin and his wife. I myself am in a category that has become eligible for the vaccination (over 65), but I am waiting a little until the distribution is somewhat less hectic and it is possible to obtain a vaccination by appointment.
So the hopes that the pandemic will be receding shortly are high, but one must not get over-confident. I have just come across another sad virus-related story: that of Wilber Portillo, of Denver, CO, who first contracted the infectious disease after he traveled with his cousin on a trip to Los Angeles. He recovered, but two months later he was stricken again, developing a fever following a party where two other people tested positive for COVID-19. He went to the doctor’s office, where he was told that he had a “really strong infection in his lungs.” And he died in his sleep that same night. He was only 18 years old. This situation is very rare; most people who contract the virus acquire immunity from contracting the virus again and the few who do get re-infected generally recover. But there are always exceptions, and no one should presume on his strength or resistance.
The television show host Ellen DeGeneres came down with the virus in December and she has displayed a great deal of humor in dealing with it. “Obviously, there’s a lot of negative things going on,” she said, “so I want to talk about something positive: my COVID test.” She has recovered, but not without difficulty. The most troubling symptom was intense back pain, feeling, in her words, “as if I cracked a rib.” She did, however, manage to avoid some of the more usual symptoms: “I didn’t lose my sense of taste, although I did wear Crocs with socks for a day, so you be the judge.” There is always a temptation for people of my age to fancy that the nation I live in is degenerating; but every now and then I encounter a display of light-heartedness, a breezy resilience in the face of severe trials that reminds me that we as a nation have unsuspected resources of strength and courage. We Americans will weather this crisis yet.
Today’s statistics as of 8:00 PM – # of cases worldwide: 97,269,543; # of deaths worldwide: 2,081,264; # of cases U.S.: 24,987,629; # of deaths; U.S.: 415,558.