One aspect of our civic culture that will improve under President Biden will be the recognition that those among us with disabilities deserve respect and access to housing, jobs and opportunities just like everybody else.
That is because rather than the former President who mocked a reporter for his disability, we will have a President who has overcome his own disability.
I'm reminded of this every time I watch Biden speak. He still has certain sounds that give him difficulty when he reaches the point in a speech where he must pronounce them. His reaction is to pause, close his eyes, and then begin again, much like an engine restarting after stalling.
His speechwriters try to avoid these moments, but the English language is such that all the vowels and consonants must eventually be utilized at the start of a word, or a sentence, or a phrase.
And Biden succeeds in making his meaning clear despite these challenges.
Watching him fight and win this battle over and over reminds me of that excellent movie "The King's Speech," with Colin Firth in the lead role.
In the film, England's Prince Albert ascends to the throne as King George VI, but he has a stammer. Knowing that the country needs her husband to be able to communicate effectively, Elizabeth (Helena Bonham Carter) hires Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush), an Australian actor and speech therapist, to help him overcome his impediment. All three actors deliver fabulous performances.
The central tension in the story, which is based in reality, is that the king (who was Queen Elizabeth's father) has to deliver speeches that inspire his subjects to battle the Nazis in World War Two. He succeeds in this mission.
Due to his personal history overcoming his stammer, Biden understands intuitively how important it is that every person has a voice, both literally and figuratively. Rather than belittling people with disabilities, he will embrace them.
And that will help us all achieve a healthier community.
***
Here is the overnight news summary:
* After Biden win, parties gird for ferocious Senate runoff in Georgia (WashPo)
* President-elect Biden signaled on Sunday he plans to move quickly to build out his government, focusing first on the raging pandemic that will likely dominate the early days of his administration. Biden named a former surgeon general, Dr. Vivek Murthy, and a former Food and Drug Administration commissioner, David Kessler, as co-chairs of a coronavirus working group set to get started, with other members expected to be announced Monday. (AP)
* Lame-duck Congress and lame-duck president face huge challenges in coming weeks (WashPo)
* Putin Is Mum on Biden’s Victory, Foreshadowing Tense Years Ahead -- Early signs indicate that Russia’s leader is preparing for a deeply adversarial relationship with the next U.S. president. (NYT)
* Former President George W. Bush congratulated President-elect Biden in a phone call Sunday and said that, while President Trump has the right to pursue legal challenges and recounts, the 2020 race was "fundamentally fair" and "its outcome is clear." (CNN)
* Despite Trump administration efforts to erect a protective shield around nursing homes, coronavirus cases are surging within facilities in states hard hit by the latest onslaught of COVID-19. (AP)
* ‘Good news’: America’s allies celebrate Biden win, hope for more cooperative relations (WashPo)
* Extremism Experts Warn Of Dangers In Baseless Claims Of 'Stolen' Election (NPR)
* The media never fully learned how to cover Trump. But they still might have saved democracy. (WashPo)
* Pandemic crisis deepens in U.S. as cases still surging (WashPo)
-- Greg Kurstin and Sia
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